The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-10-01

Ine washington Herald-D
I situation with the troops already in Ten
nessee and the recruits being gathered
In the Western States. Sherman had
( confidence in Thomas ability to cope
with Hood, and such a plan would leave
Sherman free to take advantage Of
Hoods absence by a movement from At.
lanta, the character OF which he had
net yet determined.
However. IL II developed that Hood was
intent upon breaking the railroad be-
tween Atlanta and CHATTANOOGA, over
which Gen. 81 rman received all his sup
plies, Sherman intended to move out OF
Atlanta and fight. He had there more
tnan 10000 men for duty. double the
Confederate numbers, and he hoped "a
| make short work OF Hoods army should
It attempt to make a stand in his rear.
A mere break in the Federal commun.
ication would prove CT no immediate ben
efit to the COnfederates, for Sherman had
more than a months supplies in the de-
pots in Atlanta They could only hope
to gain their object-to foree Sherman
to retreat north for want OF food-by
interrupting his communications continu-
| ously for more than a month. Sherman
was certain they could not do this while
his own army was the stronger
He believed Gen. Hood realized that n
! could not be accomplished; and this
| convinced him that It was Middle Ten.
| nessee, rather than North Georgia, that
was Hoods objective.
Birth of q Great Idea.
With that idea in mind, Sherman now
saw, apparently for the first time, IN.
possibilities Of march across Georgia
to the sea. With Hoods army in Ten
nessee, he would be free to do as ne
might wish in Georgia. So on October ]
he telegraphed to Grant:
Hood Is evidently on the west side OF
Chattachoochee. II he tries TO get
on my road this side, Of Etowah I shall
attack him, out IL he goes over to the
Selma and Talladega road Tin Alabama
why would 1t not do for me to leave
Tennessee to the force which Thomas
has and the reserves soon to come to
Nashville, and for me TO destroy Allan
| ia, and then march across Georgia to
Savannah or Charleston. breaking roads
and doing irreparable damage? We can
not remain on the defensive"
To Gen Thomas he sent the same day
instructions to hurry down to Nash
vile the reserves ordered by Grant, for
want to make q big move" continuing:
Use your own discretion as to the
matters north Of the Tennessee River.
II 1 can induce Hood to swing across the
Blue Mountains Unto Alabama), 1 shall
feel tempted to start. for Charleston. alb
solutely destroying all Georgia and TAX
ing either Savannah or Charleston. In
that event I would destroy At
lanta and absolutely sever the
Southern Confederacy. Hood
would be puzzled and would follow me:
or IL he entered Tennessee, he could
make no permanent gain"
To Gen. o. o. Howard commander of
the Army Of Tennessee, and Gen. Jacob
r. Cox. commanding the Army OF the
Ohio during the absence OF Gen. Seho-
field at the North. both OF whom were
with him near Atlanta, Sherman sent
even more detailed plans of his proposed
march, telling them:
The march Z propose is less by go
miles than made last fall (from vicks-
burg to Chattanooga and less than I
accomplished IN February (the Meridian,
Miss, march,, and We could make Geor-
gia break In the Confederacy by ruin
ing both east and west roads and not
running against a single fort until we
got to the seashore and In communica-
tion. with our ships"
In these dispatches dated October ID
Gen. Sherman for the FIRST time continued
the plan for his now famous march. But
before It was TO begin there was to be
lighting North of Atlanta, for Hood was
marching for the railroad and was to
strike It In two more days.
a r.
tcOpyrisht. in4,