The Washington herald., 1914-11-22

o. o. Howard. taking q southeriy route
toward Macon. while the left wing, un-
der Gen. H. S. Slocum. which Sherman
accompanied, headed due east toward
Augusta Neither Macon nor Augusta
was TO be attacked. but il was desired
TO destroy the railroads which led down
to them from Atlanta and to confuse the
Confederates regarding the true purpose
OF the movement
In that Sherman had succeeded. and
the few available troops in Georgia were
places while Milledgeville. the capital
was left absolutely unprotected.
Desperate Fight Near Macon.
Gen. Howard. with the Fifteenth and
Sixteenth Corps, accompanied by Kill
patrick's cavalry, destroyed a stretch Of
railroad toward Macon. and then. strik-
ing across country TO the east, crossed
the Ocmulgee River on pOntoons at
Planters Factory. thirty miles upstream
from Macon. Fifty years ago today the
crossing was completed and the right
wind headed southeast to gain the rail-
road beyond the city.
Fitzpatrick in the meantime had crossed
his small command and advanced rapidly
toward Macon. Fifty years ago today
the division OF Col Smith D. Atkins met
the enemy on the southeast of the city
and in a series of desperate charges drove
them back fully three miles, finally carry
ing part of their defensive works in the
face of a heavy fire from eight pieces Of
artillery. The Federals captured the
guns. but being without infantry support,
were obliged to leave them and fall back,
but not before destroying some two miles
of railroad
While this action was in progress a de-
tachment of 100 men OF the Ninth Michi-
gan Cavalry, under Capt. F. S. Ladd. had
been sent to destroy the railroad and
public buildings at Griswoldville. ten
miles east Of Macon. Most OF the roads
in that direction were heavily picketed
by Wheeler's Confederates, but Capt.
Ladd dashed in upon the town by cir
cuitous route, driving out the enemy, and
burning a locomotive and train of cars
under their fire. He then destroyed
number OF public buildings and a section
of the railroad.
A single Confederate trooper was cap
tured and pressed into service as guide.
Although the country about Griswoldvtlle
was swarming with Confederate cavalry.
Ladd forced the captive to point out the
by-ways. and finally rejOined his com
mand without losing a man.
Destroy Oconee Bridge.
While Gen Howard. with the right
wing. was moving from the crossing at
Planters Factory toward Griswoldville by
easy stages, the left wing, which had
followed the Augusta Railroad some for
ty miles to the north, made sudden turn
south toward MiIledgeville.
Previously Gen. Slocum had pushed to-
ward Augusta with such vigor that the
Confederates supposed that he intended
TO attack that place without delay. The
railroad had been wrecked beyond repair
from Atlanta to Madison, seventy miles
to the east
OF the two corps composing Slocum's
command the Twentieth had held to the
railroad, while the Fourteenth had swung
OF through Shady Dale, heading dirertly
for Milledgeville. The men OF the latter
corps passed through a country rich in
supplies, and. being protected from at
tack by the columns on both sides OF
them, devoted much Of their time to
foraging.
Plantations were stripped Of supplies.
herds run OF and slaughtered, potato
hills dug up, smokehouses ransacked,
corncrIbs swept clear, and carefully hid
den stores of sorghum molasses brought
to light The 'bummers' boasted that
nothing could be successfully hidden
from them, and took extreme delight in
making ruthless searches for concealed
eataDieS.
The boys of the Twentieth Corps were
not quite so fortunate, for though there
was an abundance of supplies brought in
by the regular foraging parties and
'bummers" of their command, there
was also much hard work to be done.
When the railroad had been wrecked as
far as Madison, Gen. John W. Geary's
division was sent ahead to destroy the
great bridge over the Oconee River,
twelve miles beyond
Geary approached the structure on No
vember Is, fighting continuously with
small bodies of Georgia Militia and cav
airy. The bridge, which was 400 yards
long and some sixty feet above the water,
and several hundred yards Of trestle
work on both sides OF II, was completely
destroyed, as was an important mill and
a number Of ferry boats a few miles
above 1t, and q fve-mile stretch Of track.
On completing his work Gen. Geary
turned south and rejoined the corps near
Eatonton, about twenty miles north OF
AIlledgeviile. Sherman now was ready to
E8Izs the capital. and his troops pushed
forward rapidly, meeting with no for
midable opposition. There were no Con-
troops to oppose their advance
Gen. John B. Hoods army was far on to
the west in North Alabama. and the
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