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007 - Chapter 21 The March To The Sea From Atlanta To Savannah November And December 1864 Part 5 · Shermans Memoirs March to the Sea and Columbia Burning

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  Speaker 1: Section six of Sherman's March to the Sea and the
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  Speaker 1: Burning of Columbia, South Carolina, from his Memoirs by William
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  Speaker 1: Taccumpsa Sherman. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.
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  Speaker 1: Section six, Chapter twenty one, Part five Here terminated the
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  Speaker 1: March to the Sea, and I only add a few letters,
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  Speaker 1: selected out of many, to illustrate the general feeling of
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  Speaker 1: rejoicing throughout the country at the time. I only regarded
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  Speaker 1: the march from Atlanta to Savannah as a shift of base,
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  Speaker 1: as the transfer of a strong army which had no
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  Speaker 1: opponent and had finished its then work from the interior
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  Speaker 1: to a point on the sea coast from which it
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  Speaker 1: could achieve other important results. I considered this march as
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  Speaker 1: a means to an end, and not as an essential
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  Speaker 1: act of war. Still, then, as now, the March to
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  Speaker 1: the Sea was generally regarded as something extraordinary, something anomalous,
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  Speaker 1: something out of the usual order of events, whereas in
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  Speaker 1: fact I simply moved from Atlanta to Savannah as one
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  Speaker 1: step in the direction of Richmond, a movement that had
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  Speaker 1: to be met and defeated, or the war was necessarily
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  Speaker 1: at an end. Were I to express my measure of
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  Speaker 1: the relative importance of the march to the sea and
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  Speaker 1: of that from Savannah northward, I would place the former
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  Speaker 1: at one and the latter at ten or the maximum.
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  Speaker 1: I now closed this long chapter by giving a tabular
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  Speaker 1: statement of the losses during the march and the number
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  Speaker 1: of prisoners captured. The property captured consisted of horses and
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  Speaker 1: mules by the thousands, and of quantities of subsistent stores
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  Speaker 1: that aggregate very large, but may be measured with sufficient
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  Speaker 1: accuracy by assuming that sixty five thousand men obtained abundant
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  Speaker 1: food for about forty days, and thirty five thousand animals
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  Speaker 1: were fed for a like period, so as to reached
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  Speaker 1: Savannah in splendid flesh and condition. I also add a
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  Speaker 1: few of the more important letters that passed between Generals
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  Speaker 1: Grant Halleck and myself, which illustrate our opinions at that
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  Speaker 1: stage of the war. Statement of casualties and prisoners captured
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  Speaker 1: by the Army in the field campaign of Georgia officers killed,
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  Speaker 1: ten men killed, ninety three officers wounded, twenty four men wounded,
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  Speaker 1: four hundred four officers missing, one men missing, two hundred
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  Speaker 1: seventy seven officers captured, seventy seven men captured, one thousand,
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  Speaker 1: two hundred sixty one. Headquarters of the Army, Washington, December sixteenth,
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  Speaker 1: eighteen sixty four. Major General Sherman via Hilton Head General
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  Speaker 1: Lieutenant General Grant informs me that in his last dispatch
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  Speaker 1: sent to you, he suggested the transfer of your infantry
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  Speaker 1: to Richmond. He now wishes me to say that you
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  Speaker 1: will retain your entire force, at least for the present,
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  Speaker 1: and with such assistance as may be given you by
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  Speaker 1: General Foster and Admiral Dahlgren, operate from such base as
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  Speaker 1: you may establish on the coast. General Foster will obey
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  Speaker 1: such instructions as may be given by you. Should you
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  Speaker 1: have captured Savannah, it is thought that by transferring the
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  Speaker 1: water batteries to the land side, that place may be
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  Speaker 1: made a good depot and base of operations on Augusta, Branchville,
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  Speaker 1: or Charleston. If Savannah should not be captured, or if
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  Speaker 1: captured and not deemed suitable for this purpose, perhaps Beaufort
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  Speaker 1: could serve as a depot. As the rebels have probably
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  Speaker 1: removed their most valuable property from Augusta, perhaps Branchville would
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  Speaker 1: be the most important point at which to strike in
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  Speaker 1: order to sever all connection between Virginia and the Southwestern Railroad.
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  Speaker 1: General Grant's wishes, however, are that this whole matter of
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  Speaker 1: your future actions should be entirely left to your discretion.
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  Speaker 1: We can send you from here a number of complete
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  Speaker 1: batteries of field artillery, with or without horses, as you
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  Speaker 1: may desire, also, as soon as General Thomas can spare them,
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  Speaker 1: all the fragments, convalescence and furloughed men of your army.
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  Speaker 1: It is reported that Thomas defeated Hood yesterday near Nashville,
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  Speaker 1: but we have no particulars nor official reports. Telegraphic communication
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  Speaker 1: being interrupted by a heavy storm. Our last advices from
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  Speaker 1: you was General Howard's note announcing his approach to Savannah.
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  Speaker 1: Yours truly, H. W. Halleck, Major General, Chief of Staff,
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  Speaker 1: Headquarters of the Army, Washington, December eighteenth, eighteen sixty four.
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  Speaker 1: Major General W. T. Sherman, Savannah via Hilton head My
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  Speaker 1: dear General, yours of the thirteenth by Major Anderson, is
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  Speaker 1: just received. I congratulate you on your splendid success, and
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  Speaker 1: shall very soon expect to hear of the crowning work
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  Speaker 1: of your campaign, the capture of Savannah. Your march will
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  Speaker 1: stand out prominently as the great one of this great war.
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  Speaker 1: When Savannah falls, then for another wide swath through the
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  Speaker 1: center of the Confederacy. But I will not anticipate. General
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  Speaker 1: Grant is expected here this morning and will probably write
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  Speaker 1: you his own views. I do not learn from your
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  Speaker 1: letter or from Major Anderson, that you are in want
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  Speaker 1: of anything which we have not provided at Hilton Head.
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  Speaker 1: Thinking it probable that you might want more field artillery,
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  Speaker 1: I had prepared several batteries, but the great difficulty of
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  Speaker 1: foraging horses on the sea coast will prevent our sending
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  Speaker 1: any unless you actually need them. The hay crop this
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  Speaker 1: year is short, and the Quartermaster's department has great difficulty
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  Speaker 1: in procuring a supply for our animals. General Thomas has
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  Speaker 1: defeated Hood near Nashville, and it is hoped that he
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  Speaker 1: will completely crush his army. Breckinridge, at last accounts, was
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  Speaker 1: trying to form a junction near Murphysboro, but as Thomas
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  Speaker 1: is between them, Breckinridge must either retreat or be defeated.
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  Speaker 1: General Rosecrans made very bad work of it in Missouri,
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  Speaker 1: allowing Price with a small force to overrun the state
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  Speaker 1: and destroy millions of property. Orders have been issued for
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  Speaker 1: all officers and detachments having three months or more to
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  Speaker 1: serve to rejoin your army via Savannah. Those having less
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  Speaker 1: than three months to serve will be retained by General Thomas.
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  Speaker 1: Should you capture Charleston. I hope that by some accident
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  Speaker 1: the place may be destroyed, and if a little salt
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  Speaker 1: should be sown upon its site, it may prevent the
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  Speaker 1: growth of future crops of nullification and succession. Yours truly, H. W. Halleck,
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  Speaker 1: Major General, Chief of Staff, Headquarters of the Army, Washington,
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  Speaker 1: December eighteenth, eighteen six sixty four, to Major General W. T. Sherman,
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  Speaker 1: commanding Military Division of the Mississippi. My dear General, I
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  Speaker 1: have just received and read I need not tell you
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  Speaker 1: with how much gratification your letter to General Halleck. I
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  Speaker 1: congratulate you, am the brave officers and men under your command,
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  Speaker 1: on the successful termination of your most brilliant campaign. I
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  Speaker 1: never had a doubt of the result. When apprehensions for
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  Speaker 1: your safety were expressed by the President, I assured him,
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  Speaker 1: with the army you had and you in command of it,
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  Speaker 1: there was no danger. But you would strike bottom on
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  Speaker 1: salt water, some place that I would not feel the
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  Speaker 1: same security. In fact, would not have entrusted the expedition
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  Speaker 1: to any other living commander. It has been very hard
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  Speaker 1: work to get Thomas to attack Hood. I gave him
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  Speaker 1: the most peremptory order, and had started to go there
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  Speaker 1: myself before he got off. He has done magnificently. However,
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  Speaker 1: since he started. Up to last night, five thousand prison
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  Speaker 1: and forty nine pieces of captured artillery, besides many wagons
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  Speaker 1: and innumerable small arms, had been received in Nashville. This
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  Speaker 1: is exclusive of the enemy's loss of Franklin, which amounted
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  Speaker 1: to thirteen general officers killed, wounded and captured. The enemy
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  Speaker 1: probably lost five thousand men at Franklin, and ten thousand
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  Speaker 1: in the last three days operations. Breckinridge is said to
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  Speaker 1: be making for Murphysborough. I think he is in a
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  Speaker 1: most excellent place. Stoneman has already wiped out John Morgan's
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  Speaker 1: old command, and five days ago entered Bristol. I did
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  Speaker 1: think the best thing to do was to bring the
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  Speaker 1: greater part of your army here and wipe out Lee.
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  Speaker 1: The turn affairs now seem to be taking has shaken
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  Speaker 1: me in that opinion. I doubt whether you may not
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  Speaker 1: accomplish more toward that result where you are than if
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  Speaker 1: brought here, especially as I am informed since my arrival
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  Speaker 1: in the city that it would take about two months
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  Speaker 1: to get you here with all the other calls there
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  Speaker 1: are for ocean transportation. I want to get your views
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  Speaker 1: about what ought to be done and what can be done.
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  Speaker 1: If you capture the garrison of Savannah, it certainly will
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  Speaker 1: compel Lee to detach from Richmond or give us nearly
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  Speaker 1: the whole South. My own opinion is that Lee is
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  Speaker 1: averse to going out of Virginia, and if the cause
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  Speaker 1: of the South is lost, he wants Richmond to be
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  Speaker 1: the last place surrendered. If he has such views, it
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  Speaker 1: may be well to indulge him until we get everything
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  Speaker 1: else in our hands. Congratulating you and the Army again
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  Speaker 1: upon the splendid results of your campaign, the like of
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  Speaker 1: which is not read of in past history. I subscribe
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  Speaker 1: myself more than ever if possible, your friend, U. S. Grant,
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  Speaker 1: Lieutenant General, Headquarters of the Army, City Point, Virginia, December
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  Speaker 1: twenty sixth, eighteen sixty four. Major General W. T. Sherman said, Savannah, Georgia, General,
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  Speaker 1: your very interesting letter of the twenty second instant, brought
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  Speaker 1: by Major Gray of General Foster's staff, is fast at hand.
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  Speaker 1: As the Major starts back at once. I can do
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  Speaker 1: no more at present than simply acknowledge its receipt. The
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  Speaker 1: capture of Savannah, with all its immense stores, must tell
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  Speaker 1: upon the people of the South. All well here yours truly. U. S. Grant,
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  Speaker 1: Lieutenant General, Headquarters, Military Division of the Mississippi, Savannah, Georgia,
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  Speaker 1: December twenty fourth, eighteen sixty four. Lieutenant General U. S. Grant,
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  Speaker 1: City Point, Virginia, General, Your letter of December eighteenth is
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  Speaker 1: just received. I feel very much gratified at receiving the
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  Speaker 1: handsome commendation you pay my army. I will, in general
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  Speaker 1: orders convey to the officers and men the substance of
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  Speaker 1: your note. I am also pleased that you have modified
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  Speaker 1: your former orders, for I feared that the transportation by
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  Speaker 1: sea would very much disturb the unity and morale of
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  Speaker 1: my army. Now so perfect. The occupation of Savannah, which
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  Speaker 1: I have heretofore reported, completes the first part of our
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  Speaker 1: game and fulfills a greater part of your instructions. And
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  Speaker 1: we are now engaged in dismantling the rebel forts which
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  Speaker 1: bear upon the sea channels, and transferring the heavy ordnance
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  Speaker 1: and ammunition to Fort Pulaski and Hilton Head, where they
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  Speaker 1: can be more easily guarded than if left in the city.
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  Speaker 1: The rebel inner lines are well adapted to our purposes,
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  Speaker 1: and with slight modifications, can be held by a comparatively
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  Speaker 1: small force, and in about ten days I expect to
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  Speaker 1: be ready to sally forth again. I feel no doubt
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  Speaker 1: whatever as to our future plans. I have thought them
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  Speaker 1: over so long and well that they appear as clear
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  Speaker 1: as daylight. I left Augusta untouched on purpose, because the
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  Speaker 1: enemy will be in doubt as to my objective point
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  Speaker 1: after we cross the Savanna rivers, whether it be Augusta
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  Speaker 1: or Charleston, and will naturally divide his forces. I will
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  Speaker 1: then move either on Branchville or Columbia by any curved
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  Speaker 1: line that gives us the best supplies, breaking up in
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  Speaker 1: our course as much railroad as possible. Then, ignoring Charleston
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  Speaker 1: and Augusta both, I will occupy Columbia and Camden, pausing
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  Speaker 1: there long enough to observe the effect. I would then
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  Speaker 1: strike for the Charleston and Wilmington Railroad somewhere between the
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  Speaker 1: San Die and Cape Fear rivers, and if possible, communicate
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  Speaker 1: with the fleet under Admiral Dahlgren, whom I find a
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  Speaker 1: most agreeable gentleman accommodating himself to our wishes and plans.
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  Speaker 1: Then I would favor an attack on Wilmington in the
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  Speaker 1: belief that Porter and Butler will fail in their present undertaking.
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  Speaker 1: Charleston is now a mere desolated wreck, and is hardly
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  Speaker 1: worth the time it would take to starve it out. Still,
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  Speaker 1: I am aware that historically and politic much importance is
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  Speaker 1: attached to the place, and it may be that, apart
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  Speaker 1: from its military importance, both you and the administration may
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  Speaker 1: prefer I should give it more attention, And it would
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  Speaker 1: be well for you to give me some general idea
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  Speaker 1: on that subject, for otherwise I would treat it, as
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  Speaker 1: I have expressed, as a point of little importance. After all,
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  Speaker 1: its railroads leading into the interior have been destroyed or
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  Speaker 1: occupied by us. But on the hypothesis of ignoring Charleston
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  Speaker 1: and taking Wilmington, I would then favor a movement direct
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  Speaker 1: on Rawleigh. The game is then up with Lee unless
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  Speaker 1: he comes out of Richmond avoids you and fights me,
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  Speaker 1: in which case I should reckon on your being on
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  Speaker 1: his heels. Now that hood is used up by Thomas,
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  Speaker 1: I feel disposed to bring the matter to an issue
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  Speaker 1: as quick as possible. I feel confident that I can
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  Speaker 1: break up the whole railroad system of South Carolina and
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  Speaker 1: North Carolina and beyond the Roanoke, either at Raleigh or Weldon,
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  Speaker 1: by the time spring fairly opens. And if you feel
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  Speaker 1: competent that you can whip Lee outside of his entrenchments,
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  Speaker 1: I feel equally confident that I can handle him in
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  Speaker 1: the open country. One reason why I would ignore Charleston
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: is this that I believe Hardie will reduce the garrison
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  Speaker 1: to a small force with plenty of provisions. I know
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  Speaker 1: that the neck back of Charleston can be made impregnable
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  Speaker 1: to assault, and we will hardly have time for siege operations.
• 14:32
  Speaker 1: I will have to leave in Savannah a garrison, and
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: if Thomas can spare them, I would like to have
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: all detachments, convalescence, et cetera belonging to these four corps
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: sent forward at once. I do not want to cripple Thomas,
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: because I regard his operations as all important, and I
• 14:50
  Speaker 1: have ordered him to pursue Hood down into Alabama, trusting
• 14:54
  Speaker 1: to the country for supplies. I reviewed one of my
• 14:58
  Speaker 1: cores to day, and shall continue to review the whole army.
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: I do not like to boast, but believe this army
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  Speaker 1: has a confidence in itself that makes it almost invincible.
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  Speaker 1: I wish you could run down and see us. It
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: would have a good effect and show to both armies
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  Speaker 1: that they are acting on a common plan. The weather
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: is now cool and pleasant, and the general health very good.
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  Speaker 1: Your true friend, W. T. Sherman, Major General, Headquarters, Military
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: Division of the Mississippi in the Field Savannah, Georgia, December
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: twenty fourth, eighteen sixty four. Major General H. W. Halleck,
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: Chief of Staff, Washington, d C. General. I had the
• 15:41
  Speaker 1: pleasure of receiving your two letters of the sixteenth and
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: eighteenth Instant today and feel more than usually flattered by
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: the high encomiums you have passed on our recent campaign,
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: which is now complete by the occupation of Savannah. I
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: am also very glad that General Grant has changed his
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: mind about embarking my troops for James River, leaving me
• 16:03
  Speaker 1: free to make the broad swath. You describe through South
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: and North Carolina, and still more gratified at the news
• 16:09
  Speaker 1: from Thomas in Tennessee because it fulfills my plans, which
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: contemplated his being able to dispose of Hood in case
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: he ventured north of the Tennessee River. So I think
• 16:21
  Speaker 1: on the whole I can chuckle over Jeff Davis's disappointment
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: in not turning my Atlanta campaign into a Moscow disaster.
• 16:30
  Speaker 1: I have just finished a long letter to General Grant
• 16:33
  Speaker 1: and have explained to him that we are engaged in
• 16:36
  Speaker 1: shifting our base from the Ogeechee to the Savannah River,
• 16:40
  Speaker 1: dismantling all the forts made by the enemy to bear
• 16:43
  Speaker 1: upon the salt water channels, transferring the heavy ordnance, et
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: cetera to Fort Pulaski and Hilton Head, and in remodeling
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: the enemy's interior lines to suit our future plans and purposes.
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: I have also laid down the program for a campaign
• 17:01
  Speaker 1: which I can make this winter and which will put
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: me in the spring on the Roanoke in direct communication
• 17:07
  Speaker 1: with General Grant on James River. In general terms, my
• 17:11
  Speaker 1: plan is to turn over to General Foster the city
• 17:14
  Speaker 1: of Savannah to sally forth with my army resupplied cross
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: the Savannah Fane on Charleston and Augusta, but strike between
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: breaking en route the Charleston and Augusta railroad also a
• 17:28
  Speaker 1: large part of that from Branchville and Camden toward North Carolina,
• 17:33
  Speaker 1: and then rapidly to move for some point of the
• 17:35
  Speaker 1: railroad from Charleston to Wilmington between the Santee and Cape
• 17:40
  Speaker 1: Fear rivers. Then communicating with the fleet in the neighborhood
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: of Georgetown, I would turn upon Wilmington or Charleston, according
• 17:49
  Speaker 1: to the importance of either. I rather prefer Wilmington as
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: a live place over Charleston, which is dead and unimportant
• 17:57
  Speaker 1: when its railroad communications are broken. I take it for
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: granted that the present movement on Wilmington will fail. If
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: I should determine to take Charleston, I would turn across
• 18:08
  Speaker 1: the country which I have hunted over many a time,
• 18:11
  Speaker 1: from San Tee to Mount Pleasant, throwing one wing on
• 18:15
  Speaker 1: the peninsula between the Ashley and Cooper. After accomplishing one
• 18:19
  Speaker 1: or other of these ends, I would make a bee
• 18:22
  Speaker 1: line for Raleigh or Weldon. When Lee would be forced
• 18:26
  Speaker 1: to come out of Richmond or acknowledge himself beaten he would,
• 18:30
  Speaker 1: I think, by the use of the Danville Railroad, throw
• 18:33
  Speaker 1: himself rapidly between me and Grant, leaving Richmond in the
• 18:37
  Speaker 1: hands of the latter. This would not alarm me, for
• 18:40
  Speaker 1: I have an army which I think can maneuver, and
• 18:43
  Speaker 1: I would force him to attack me at a disadvantage,
• 18:46
  Speaker 1: always under the supposition that Grant would be on his heels,
• 18:50
  Speaker 1: and if worse comes to the worst, I can fight
• 18:53
  Speaker 1: my way down to Albemarle, Sound or Newborn. I think
• 18:57
  Speaker 1: the time has come now when we should attempt the
• 19:00
  Speaker 1: oldest moves, and my experience is that they are easier
• 19:03
  Speaker 1: of execution than more timid ones, because the enemy is
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: disconcerted by them, as for instance, my recent campaign. I
• 19:12
  Speaker 1: also doubt the wisdom of concentration beyond a certain extent,
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: for the roads of this country limit the amount of
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: men that can be brought to bear in any one battle,
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  Speaker 1: and I do not believe that any one general can
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: handle more than sixty thousand men in battle. I think
• 19:29
  Speaker 1: our campaign of the last month, as well as every
• 19:32
  Speaker 1: step I take from this point northward, is as much
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: a direct attack upon Lee's army as though we were
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: operating within the sound of his artillery. I am very
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: anxious that Thomas should follow up his success to the
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: very utmost point. My orders to him before I left
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: Kingston were, after beating Hood, to follow him as far
• 19:53
  Speaker 1: as Columbus, Mississippi, or Selma, Alabama, both of which lie
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: in districts of country which are ch in corn and meat.
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: I attach more importance to these deep incisions into the
• 20:05
  Speaker 1: enemy's country because this war differs from European wars. In
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: this particular, we are not only fighting hostile armies but
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: a hostile people, and must make old and young, rich
• 20:16
  Speaker 1: and poor feel the hard hand of war as well
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: as their organized armies. I know that this recent movement
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: of mine through Georgia has had a wonderful effect in
• 20:27
  Speaker 1: this respect. Thousands who had been deceived by their lying
• 20:31
  Speaker 1: newspapers to believe that we were being whipped all the
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: time now realize the truth and have no appetite for
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: a repetition of the same experience. To be sure, Jeff
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: Davis has his people under pretty good discipline, but I
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: think faith in him is much shaken in Georgia, and
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: before we have done with her, South Carolina will not
• 20:52
  Speaker 1: be quite so tempestuous I will bear in mind your
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: hint as to Charleston, and do not think that salt
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: will be necessary when I move. The fifteenth Corps will
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: be on the right of the right wing, and their
• 21:06
  Speaker 1: position will naturally bring them into Charleston first. And if
• 21:10
  Speaker 1: you have watched the history of that corps, you will
• 21:13
  Speaker 1: have remarked that they generally do their work pretty well.
• 21:16
  Speaker 1: The truth is, the whole army is burning with an
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: insatiable desire to wreak vengeance upon South Carolina. I almost
• 21:24
  Speaker 1: tremble at her fate, but feel that she deserves all
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: that seems in store for her. Many and many a
• 21:30
  Speaker 1: person in Georgia asked me why we did not go
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: to South Carolina, and when I answered that we were
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: en route for that state, the invariable reply was, well,
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: if you will make those people feel the utmost severities
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: of war, we will pardon you for your desolation of Georgia.
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: I look upon Columbia as quite as bad as Charleston,
• 21:52
  Speaker 1: and I doubt if we shall spare the public buildings
• 21:55
  Speaker 1: there as we did at Millageville. I have been so
• 21:59
  Speaker 1: busy lately that I have not yet made my official report,
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: and I think I had better wait until I get
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: my subordinate reports before attempting it, as I am anxious
• 22:09
  Speaker 1: to explain clearly not only the reasons for every step,
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: but the amount of execution done, and this I cannot
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: do until I get the subordinate reports. For we march
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: the whole distance in four or more columns, and of
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: course I could only be present with one, and generally
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: that one engaged in destroying railroads. This work of destruction
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: was performed better than usual because I had an engineer
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: regiment provided with claws to twist the bars after being heated.
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: Such bars can never be used again, and the only
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: way in which a railroad line can be reconstructed across
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: Georgia is to make a new road from Fairburn Station,
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: twenty four miles southwest of Atlanta to Madison, a distance
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: of one hundred miles, And before that can be done,
• 22:56
  Speaker 1: I propose to be on the road from Augusta to Charleston,
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: which is a continuation of the same. I felt somewhat
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: disappointed at Hardy's escape, but really am not to blame.
• 23:07
  Speaker 1: I moved as quickly as possible to close up the
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: Union Causeway, but intervening obstacles were such that before I
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: could get troops on the road, Hardy had slipped out. Still,
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: I know that the men that were in Savannah will
• 23:21
  Speaker 1: be lost. In a measure to Jeff Davis for the
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: Georgia troops under G. W. Smith declared they would not
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: fight in South Carolina, and they have gone north en
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: route for Augusta. And I have reason to believe the
• 23:34
  Speaker 1: North Carolina troops have gone to Wilmington. In other words,
• 23:38
  Speaker 1: they are scattered. I have reason to believe that Beauregard
• 23:41
  Speaker 1: was present in Savannah at the time of its evacuation,
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: and think that he and Hardie are now in Charleston
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: making preparations for what they suppose will be my next step.
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: Please say to the President that I have received his
• 23:55
  Speaker 1: kind message through Colonel Markland, and feel thankful for his
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: high favor. If I disappoint him in the future, it
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: shall not be from want of zeal or love to
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: the cause. From you, I expect a full and frank
• 24:09
  Speaker 1: criticism of my plans for the future, which may enable
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: me to correct errors before it is too late. I
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: do not wish to be rash, but want to give
• 24:18
  Speaker 1: my rebel friends no chance to accuse us of want
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: of enterprise. Or courage, assuring you of my high personal respect,
• 24:27
  Speaker 1: I remain as ever your friend. W. T. Sherman, Major General,
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: General Order number three, War Department, Adjudant General's Office, Washington,
• 24:39
  Speaker 1: January fourteenth, eighteen sixty five. The following resolution of the
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: Senate and House of Representatives is published to the Army
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: Public Resolution Number four, Joint Resolution tendering the thanks of
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: the People and of Congress to Major General William T.
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: Sherman and d the officers and soldiers of his command,
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: for their gallant conduct in their late brilliant movement through Georgia.
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: Be it resolved by the Senate and the House of
• 25:09
  Speaker 1: Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled,
• 25:14
  Speaker 1: that the thanks of the People and of the Congress
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: of the United States are due and are hereby tendered
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: to Major General William T. Sherman, and through him, to
• 25:24
  Speaker 1: the officers and men under his command, for their gallantry
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: and good conduct in their late campaign from Chattanooga to
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: Atlanta and the triumphal march thence through Georgia to Savannah,
• 25:36
  Speaker 1: terminating in the capture and occupation of that city. And
• 25:40
  Speaker 1: that the President cause a copy of this joint Resolution
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: to be engrossed and forwarded to Major General Sherman, approved
• 25:49
  Speaker 1: January tenth, eighteen sixty five, by order of the Secretary
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: of War W. A. Nichols, Assistant Adjutant General, end of
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: Section Action six