The Washington herald., 1915-01-03
SHERMAN TELLS OF HIS
CONQUEST BY TORCH.
January 3.

Howard, commanding the right wing
OF Sherman's army at Savannah, was
under orders to move the Seventeenth
Corps to Port Royal Island, S. c., on
the seaboard. forty miles north. This
was TO be the opening movement OF
Sherman's Carolina campaign.
Up to January 2, Gen. Sherman had
been somewhat in doubt as TO his fu-
ture operations. He had originally
planned to move north from Savannah
into the CaroIinas and TO duplicate
there his devastating march in Geor-
gia. But Gen. Grant had at first
thought II best TO move Shermans
army by boat to Petersburg to aid in
crushing Lee.
However. on December IS, Grant
wrote to Sherman that his plan was
perhaps the best one. He did not.
however. give positive permission for
the Carolina campaign. On December
81 Grant again wrote to Sherman,
this time giving the desired order.
without waiting further directions.
then. you may make preparations to
start on your northern expedition
without delay. Break up the railroads
In South and North Carolina, and join
the armies operating against Richmond
as soon as you can"
Gen. Sherman received this letter on
January and the same day issued the
" ScN. AlO" C(NAHb lAdN
the Seventeenth Corps be moved to
Fort Royal Island. The Fifteenth
Corps was to follow, as soon as posi-
BILE.
To Burn Columbian
The plan of the Carolina campaign
had been outlined by Sherman in let
ters to Grant on December "a. He pro-
posed to have Savannah garrisoned by
troops from the Department of the
South, whose headquarters were at
Port Royal while he (Sherman) with
his entire army, $1,000 strong. was to
cross the Savannah River into South
Carolina.
7 left Augusta untouched Con the
march across Georgia), on purpose, be-
cause now the enemy will be in doubt
as to my objective point after crossing
the Savannah River, whether it will be
Augusta or Charleston. and will natur-
ally divide his forces" he wrote Grant.
'T will then move either on Branch
vile or Columbia, on any curved line
that gives me the best supplies. break
ing up in my course as much railroad
as possible; then, ignoring Charleston
and Augusta both, occupy Columbia
and Camden: pausing there long
enough to observe the effect. I would
strike for the Charleston and Whining
ton Railroad somewhere between the
o4nLce anu lHG SdpE 4 duus
If possible, communicate with the feet
under Admiral Dahlgren- Then
I would favor Wilmington, IN the be-
lief that Porter and Butler will fail in
their present undertaking.
Charleston Is now a mere desolsted
wreck, and is hardly worthy OF the time
1t would take to starve It out: still,
am aware that, historically and politl-
cally, much Importance Is attached to
that place, and It may be that. apart
from its military Importance. both you
and the administration would prefer I
should give IT more attention.
But. on the hypothesis of ignoring
Charleston and taking Wilmington, I
would then favor a movement direct on
Raleigh. The game is then up with
Lee unless he comes out Of Richmond.
avoids you. and fights me, in which
event, I should reckon on your being
on his heels"
The same day. december "a. in a let
ter to Gen. Halleck at Washington, in
which he outlined his plan as given to
Gen. Grant, he made a statement which.
in the view OF subsequent events, was
OF considerable Importance. Il look
upon Columbia" he wrote, "as quite as
bad as Charleston. and 1 doubt IL we
shall spare the public buildings there.
as we did at Milledgeville." This SEN
tence-coupIed with a previous express
sion on the part OF Gen. Halleck to
Sherman-"Should you capture Char
lesion. I hope that by some accident
the place may be destroyed" sheds
some light upon the subsequent burn
ing Of Columbia.
All Quiet in Savannah.
In spite of the hustle OF preparation
for the coming campaign. Savannah
did not take on any unusual aspect.
IT, WNaroV.whT,- y,nIfraA hNr the
men Of John W. Geary's division OF the
Twentieth Corps: shops were opened
the mayor and city council exercised to
a large degree their usual functions,
and. In general the residents went
about their business much as they had
before the war.
General testimony seems to agree that
conditions in Savannah were really much
better than they had been while the city
was under Confederate control. Before
the Confederate troops had evacuated
the place many Of the stores had been
broken into and looted The Federal OF
iicers received many expressions OF graf
lhcation on the part Of residents. who
seemed to feel that the worst OF their
troubles had ended with the Federal oc-.
cupation-
"a foreigner visiting the city would not
suppose that It was so lately q prize
Of battle wrote Mai. George ". Mich
OILS, Of Sherman's stan, In his diary on
January . Ladies walked the streets
with perfect confidence and security, and
the public squares are filed with chill
dren at play; the stores and the theaters
are open; soldiers are lounging on the
doorsteps of the houses IN cheerful con-
versatiop with fair damsels: carriages
whirl by, wherein the blue coat and brass
buttons are in close neutrality-suspicious.
but wariike-to jockey hats and flowing
ringlets."
Gen. Sherman IN his Memoirs notes
that the wife OF Gen. G. W. Smith (Con-
rsderate), a native Of New London,
Conn, "and very handsome" had been
lett behind In Savannah by her husband.
fore the war, and now Mrs. Smith called
from her husband. begging that the Fed ,
erals extend to her their courteous pro-
lection" Sherman saw that she was pro-
vided for.
Shortly aftervard a Mr.. Hardee pre-
sented q letter from his brother. Gen.
William II. Hardee (Confederate), asking
Sherman to see that his family and prop
erty were protected. Still later Gen.
Sherman received note from the wife
Of the Confederate Gen. A. P. Stewart.
who commanded corps in Hoods army.
asking that he come to see her. This
did" wrote Sherman. ''and found her to
be a native OF Cincinnati. Ohio. wanting
protection. and who WIS naturally anx-
ious about the fate Of her husband.
known 20 be with Gen Hood in Tennes-
zee retreating before Cen Thomas. re-