the way was obstructed by felled trees. Sherman put a sufficient force to guard his trains, and threw his men over the obstructions, and marched them to the Ocktibbeche River, where he found the bridge in flames. Two hours saw a new one, over which he marched his gallant Westerners, and at half past three, the same day, entered Meridian. French's and Loring's divisions, under Polk in person, had removed the locomotives and cars toward Mobile and Selma, and had evacuated the town the preceding night and that morning, and were retreating, covered by Lee's cavalry. Smith was not there with his cavalry. He did not move from Memphis until the 11th, ten days later than he was ordered, and by that time the enemy had gathered in his front, and he only advanced to West Point, from which he retraced his way on the 22d, returning to Memphis. Without cavalry it was evident that the rebels could not be overtaken before crossing the Tombigbee, and Sherman therefore halted his weary columns and gave them rest on the 15th. On the 16th the railways centering there were "inspected." Says Colonel Bowman: "The depots, storehouses, arsenals, offices, hospitals, hotels and cantonments in the town were burned, and during the next five days, with axes, sledges, crowbars, clambers and fire, Hurlbut's corps destroyed on the north and east sixty miles of ties and iron, one locomotive and eight bridges; and McPherson's corps, on the south and west, fifty-five miles of railway, fifty-three bridges, 6,075 feet of trestle work, nineteen locomotives, twenty-eight steam cars." It is said this was a mere raid. It was meant for a grand movement, by which, while Farragut was hurling shot at Mobile, Sherman would have separated Johnston from that city, distracted and demoralized Polk's army and perhaps have reached Mobile itself, but the cavalry failed. The United States Service Magazine says: "Kinglake, in his history of the Crimea, finely describes in general the advantages and perils of the movable column,' and then proceeds to rank under that name the march of the allied armies from Old Fort to Sebastopol. But that march was so arranged that each night the allies would be in communication with their ships. The distance to be marched was comparatively short. In case of attack it was only necessary to secure contact with the fleet, which could protect their flanks and co-operate with its fire. Finally there was no attack and no great danger. What, then, should be said of the intrepidity which carried a genuine 'movable column,' away from its base, across a distance of one hundred and thirty miles, into the very heart of an enemy's country, with two powerful hostile armies not far distant, and then deliberately returned it intact, over its old track, in three weeks, destroying the enemy's property far and wide." The raid had a significance not then fully realized. It was true the cavalry failed, and the rebel General Polk knew the significance of that failure when he said in his congratulatory order, "The concentration of our cavalry on his column of cavalry from West Tennessee formed the turning-point of the campaign," but the Western troops had proved their endurance in a long and hazardous march, away from their base of supplies, into the heart of a hostile country, and it was seen how they could "subsist" themselves. The army had, within a month, marched about 400 miles, driven the enemy out of Mississippi, lived upon rebel stores and "country produce," and returned in better health than when it started. "In such indexes there were seen The baby fingers, of the giant mass Already to Sherman something was whispering "On to Atlanta," and "From Atlanta to the Sea," and in the depths of his deep-set, piercing hazel eyes were gleaming new fires, the reflection of freshly kindled purposes. The Tombigbee was between him and Polk's main army and Smith was not heard from, so on the 20th McPherson headed back over the main road, while Sherman accompanied Hurlbut and the handful of cavalry northward to look for Smith. At Union he sent Colonel Winslow, with three regiments of cavalry, fifty miles on the road by which Smith was expected to advance, while the main body moved to Hillsboro, where McPherson joined it on the 23d. The return was undisturbed. The total loss was 21 killed, 68 wounded, 81 missing. On the 14th of March, General Sherman, then commanding the Military Division of the Mississippi, was summoned to proceed to Nashville and confer with the Lieutenant-General, and leaving Mem 1 phis immediately, he joined his illustrious companion-in-arms on the 17th, and accompanied him to Cincinnati. There, in a room of the Burnet House, the conquerors of the rebellion sat down amid their maps and charts and planned the final campaigns of the war for the Union. Sherman says modestly in his report: "We had a full and complete understanding of the policy and plans for the ensuing campaign, covering a vast area of country, my part of which extended from Chattanooga to Vicksburg." The details of that conference may never be entirely known, but it was known very shortly that concentration was resolved upon. The war would be directed by a commander in the field, and not one in a Washington office. Grant was to separate from his Western troops; Sherman was to be almost supreme Military Dictator in the Valley of the Mississippi, assisted by such subordinates as Thomas, McPherson, Schofield, Hooker, Slocum, Howard, Hurlbut, Logan and Palmer, and commanding nearly 100,000 men. The objective points were Richmond and Atlanta. Illinois had a large number of her best regiments with Sherman, and naturally his progress henceforth engrossed her attention. Four of the noted commanders under Sherman went from Illinois, two of them we have noticed personally and the third will merit a few paragraphs which may be given here: John McAllister Schofield was born in Chautauque County, New York, September 29, 1831, and has won his laurels while quite a young man. At twelve years of his age he was brought to Illinois by his father's removal to this State. He graduated from West Point at the age of twenty-two. As brevet 2d Lieutenant in the 2d Artillery he was stationed at Fort Moultrie, South Carolina, and also at Cassin, Florida. After two years he was ordered to West Point as Instructor in Natural Philosophy, where he remained five years, or until 1860. He was promoted 1st Lieutenant, and obtained leave of absence to accept the chair of Natural Philosophy in Washington University, St. Louis. When war came he was appointed as mustering officer for the Missouri troops, and was elected Major of the 1st Missouri Volunteers, and also promoted Captain in the Regular Army. He was Assistant Adjutant-General and Chief of General Lyon's staff at Wilson's Creek, and narrowly escaped the fate of his commander. GENERAL SCHOFIELD. 165 In November, he was commissioned Brigadier-General of Volunteers, and assigned to command of Missouri militia, and made the guerrillas who infested that State feel the weight of his iron policy. In October he was placed in command of the Army of the Frontier, composed of Missouri and Arkansas troops, and defeated Hindman near Pea Ridge. While commanding in Missouri his "conservative tendencies" were distasteful to many Union men, but in the second contest of Mr. Lincoln, he gave him his ardent support. In February, 1864, he relieved General Foster at Knoxville, and remained in command at that point until Spring, when Sherman placed him in command of the Army of the Ohio, numbering 13,559 men and twenty eight guns. He proved an able leader. At Kenesaw he won Sherman's hearty approval. He commanded the fieldforce thrown out by Sherman to arrest Hood, and fought with ability the battle of Franklin. In the battle of Nashville he was in command of the 23d Army Corps, and, with General Smith, made a decisive charge upon Hood's left. General Sherman ordered that corps to come to his aid. It was moved in mid-winter to the Potomac in fourteen days without the loss of man or beast, and was transferred to Wilmington and thence to Newbern to assist Sherman in his march through the Carolinas. Near Kinston he sustained a furious assault and repulsed it with heavy loss to the enemy. The rebels made a stand against him at Kinston, but were compelled to retreat. He moved forward and occupied Goldsboro a short time in advance of Sherman. He has made a most desirable record as a soldier, and should war unhappily come again, is sufficiently young to render the State service. CHAPTER X. SHERMAN'S GRAND MARCH. SHERMAN'S STATEMENT OF THE PLAN-INSPECTS HIS DEPARTMENT-SUPPLIES-LETTER TO GRANT-MARCH-ROCKY FACE RIDGE-BUZZARD'S ROOST GAP-FLANKINGSNAKE CREEK GAP-THOMAS' FEINT-MCPHERSON'S MOVEMENT-CAMP CREEKPOSITION OF TROOPS-HOOKER IN ACTION-JOHNSTON RETREATS-RESACA OURs— PURSUIT COST-LOGAN AND PALMER-NINTH SQUAD-ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTYSEVENTH COLOR-BEARER-ROME-ADAIRSVILLE-LAY'S FERRY-SWEENEY-SIXTYSIXTH ILLINOIS-ALLATOONA PASS-HEADED FOR DALLAS-REBEL COURIER-FIGHTING AT NEW HOPE CHURCH-AT DALLAS-REBEL BRAVERY-ASSAULT ON BULL-DOG SWEENEY THE PASS SECURED-ETOWA BRIDGE-BLAIR WITH REINFORCEMENTS. ENERAL SHERMAN says, after mentioning the interview between himself and General Grant narrated in the preceding chapter: Gbetween himself and General the "I returned to Nashville, and on the 25th [March, 1864], began a tour of inspection, visiting Athens, Decatur, Huntsville and Larkin's Ferry, Alabama; Chattanooga, Loudon and Knoxville, Tennessee. During this visit I had interviews with MajorGeneral McPherson, commanding the Army of the Tennessee, at Huntsville; MajorGeneral Thomas, commanding the Army of the Cumberland, at Chattanooga, and Major-General Schofield, commanding the Army of the Ohio, at Knoxville. We arranged in general terms the lines of communication to be guarded, the strength of the several columns and garrisons, and fixed the 1st day of May as the time when all things should be ready. Leaving these officers to complete the details of organization and preparation, I returned to Nashville on the 2d of April, and gave my personal attention to the question of supplies. * * * * "During the month of April, I received from Lieutenant-General Grant a map with a letter of instructions. Subsequently I received notice from him that he would move from his camps about Culpepper, Virginia, on the 15th of May, and that he wanted me to do the same from Chattanooga. My troops were still dispersed, and the cavalry, so necessary to our success, was yet collecting horses at Nicholasville, Kentucky, and Columbus, Tennessee. On the 27th of April, I put all the troops in motion for Chattanooga, and on the next day went there in person. My aim and purpose was to make the army of the Cumberland 50,000 men; that of the Tennessee |