The Washington herald., 1914-02-15

north and south 10 destroy property.
Gen. Hurlbut went north and east and
Gen. Mcpherson south.
At Enterprise. sixteen miles south. a
camp in which were quartered prisoners
that had been paroled at Vicksburg was
destroyed Railroad buildings. store
houses and stores shared its fate. A
long railroad trestle south of Enterprise
was burned.
The method Of destroying the railroads
was described as follows:
The rails we're first torn up and then
the tbs were dug up and piled together.
Afterward the rails were placed across
the ties and fire was set TO them. The
rails, becoming heated, bent down at each
end. thus becoming totally unfit for use.
This process was carried on for at least
dozen miles In each direction from
Meridian besides at other places along
the route. The scarcity of iron in the
South makes the loss doubly severe. II
will take long time before the roads
are repaired again. II ii is ever done by
tie Confederatcs."
For five days. reported Gen. Sher-
man, 1000 men worked hard and with
will in that work OF destruction. with
AIS, crowbars, sIcdgcs. cIawbars and
with fire, and ! have no hesitation in
pronouncing the work as well DONE
Meridian. with its depots. storehouscs
arsenal. hospitals. orices. hotels and
cantonments, no longer exists
The enemy cannot use the road to
our prejudice in the coming campaign"
reported Gen. Sherman. This. perhaps.
was the most definite result of the ex-
petition.
Gen. Sherman attached much import
ance to the destruction Of Meridian. He
reported that the immense depots.
warehouses. and length of side track
there demonstrated the Importance t.
the enemy Of that place. Through IL
he has heretofore transported his
armies and vast supplies, and by
means OF the railroad large amounts
of corn. bacon. meal. and produce have
been distributed to his armies"
Gen. Hurlbut reported the destruc.
tion of sixty miles of road. with ties
burned and iron bent. one locomotive
destroyed and eight bridges burned.
Gen. Mcpherson reported fifty-five
miles of road destroyed, with fifty
three bridges and culverts burned. and
SOS feet of trestlework across
swamp below Enterprise burned. nine
teen locomotives, twenty-eight cars.
and three steam sawmills destroyed
and burned. This report embraced the
destruction of fifteen locomotives at
Canton. Miss. on the return march.
Shermnn's Time Is Limited
1t was not Sherman's purpose to
ma rch. eastward beyond Meridian. lie
would have done well to proceed TO
Selma, il not Mobile, for at the former
place the Confederates were building
an ironclad that. as the Tennessee, was
to be pitted against Farragut in Mo-
bile Bay.
The general plan Of the expedition.
however, did not embrace an advance
upon either Selma or Mobile. Sher-
man must be back in Vicksburg by
March l to keep his word with Gen.
Grant, to send 10000 of his men on
an expedition up the Red River. under |
Gen. n. p. Banks.
This limit upon his available time. |
and the nonappearance of the 1000 |
cavalry under Gen. Sooy Smith, that, |
from Memphis. was to have |
Joined him at Meridian. determined the |
limit of Sherman's advance.
When the work of destruction was
lone he was ready to begin the home |
march, and on February 20 his COL |
INNS marched westward. on the return |
-oute to Vicksburg.
Tomorrow: Twenty-six Libby Pris-
,ners Rearch safety.