1864.]

BURNING OF ATLANTA.

473

General Sherman followed Hood until he became sure that he intended going into Tennessee, and then, leaving Thomas, who was in Nashville, to attend to him, returned to Atlanta and made preparations for his march across Georgia to the Atlantic coast. The authorities in Washington were much troubled at Hood's march northward, and even General Grant thought that Sherman ought to destroy his army before going on his march; but Sherman believed that Hood's movement was meant to draw him out of Georgia, and knowing that Thomas was strong enough to keep the Confederate army from doing much damage, he determined to set out at once. He felt that his movement to the Atlantic was the surest means of striking a blow at Richmond, and he believed that it would end the war. He had already collected at Atlanta a large quantity of supplies, and he now ordered all the sick and wounded, the refugees and camp-followers, and all the artillery and baggage not needed, to be sent back to Chattanooga. The railroads around Atlanta were utterly destroyed, and the engines and cars and even the rails were taken to Chattanooga for future use. The garrisons, too, of the places south of there were sent back to that post, and the country made unfit for the use of the enemy.

Before leaving Atlanta all the public property in the city, including the railroad station, machine-shops, storehouses, and other buildings which had been used by the Confederates, were set on fire. In the night the burning buildings presented a grand and awful spectacle, lighting up the heavens with lurid flames and showers of sparks, and rolling away great clouds of smoke. Many of the houses had powder and loaded shells stored in them, and the explosion of these added to the horrors of the night; while above the crackling of the flames and the noise of the bursting shells could be distinctly heard the grand strains of the band of the Thirty-third Massachusetts. The scene was one to be remembered by every man who witnessed it. The next morning (Nov. 15), leaving Atlanta in ruins and enveloped in a pall of smoke, the army set out on its great march to the sea. General Sherman says that as the troops tramped out with a cheery look and a swinging pace, that made light of the thousand miles between them and Richmond, a military band struck up "John Brown's Body." "The

men caught up the strain, and never before or since have I heard the chorus of 'Glory, glory, hallelujah!' done with more spirit or in better harmony of time and place." The soldiers fully believed that they were bound for Virginia, and as General Sherman rode with his staff along the lines of glistening bayonets, many a group called out to him:

"Uncle Billy, I guess Grant is waiting for us at Richmond!"

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

MARCH TO THE SEA.

ANXIETY IN 1864.-GRANT AND LEE.-SECRETARY CHASE AND THE FINANCES.-GREENBACKS.GOLD.-PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.-NEWS FROM ATLANTA.-COPPERHEADS.-RE-ELECTION OF LINCOLN.-ABOLITION OF SLAVERY.-HOOD MARCHES NORTHWARD.-BATTLE OF FRANKLIN.-SIEGE OF NASHVILLE.-THOMAS'S VICTORY.-FLIGHT OF HOOD.-SHERMAN'S ARMY.ORDERS FOR FORAGING.-JEFF. DAVIS'S NECKTIES.-CONTRABANDS.-DEY SAY YOU'S MASSA SHERMAN.-BUMMERS.-MARCHING AND CAMPING.-SOLDIERS' PETS.-PET PIGEON.-OLD ABE, THE WAR EAGLE.-MILLEDGEVILLE.--BEAUREGARD AGAIN.-SOLDIERS' FUN.-CAVALRY SKIRMISHES.-PRISON PEN.-ANDERSONVILLE.-TORPEDOES.-DEFENCES OF SAVANNAH. -STORMING OF FORT MCALLISTER.-SAVANNAH AS A CHRISTMAS GIFT.

G

REAT as was the loss of Atlanta to the Confederates, its capture had far more important results than any we have yet related. When the glad news of its fall was flashed by the telegraph all over the land, the hearts of the people were sad, and many of the best men had begun to despair of the Union. The summer of 1864 was the darkest in the history of the war. In the spring Grant's splendid army had set out on its campaign followed by the hope and belief of the people of the North that it would soon end the struggle; but after four months of almost ceaseless fighting, in which more than a hundred thousand men had fallen, Lee's army was still in its front strong enough to bar the way to Richmond. Nay, so sure was the Confederate leader of his ability to keep back Grant, that he had felt able at the same time to invade Pennsylvania and even to attack the defences of Washington. People began to question Grant's ability, and to think that the fame he had won in the West was due to good fortune rather than to soldierly skill.

Another source of great anxiety was the condition of the finances that is, of the national money matters. Of course a great deal of money was needed to pay the cost of carrying on the war, and as the ordinary revenues of the governmentderived from customs duties and other taxes-were only sufficient to pay the expenses in time of peace, money had to be raised by other means. When Mr. Chase, the Secretary of the Treasury, entered upon the duties of his office in 1861, he found the national finances in so bad a way that it was very

difficult to borrow money; but he soon made a change, and to his wisdom and skill is largely due the success of the Union over the Confederacy. He succeeded in borrowing large amounts of money, partly in this country and partly in Europe, which were used to pay the expenses of the war. The sum of all these moneys makes up what is called the national debt, which the United States is now trying to pay off.

At the end of the year 1861 the banks in all the loyal States suspended specie payments—that is, they refused to pay gold any longer for bank notes. In the following spring (1862) Congress authorized Mr. Chase to issue Treasury notes, or paper money, which should be good for the payment of debts throughout the United States. These notes were commonly called "greenbacks," because their backs were printed with green ink. As a paper dollar is worth a dollar only when it can be exchanged at any time for a gold dollar, the value of paper money decreased after the suspension of specie payments. This value was continually changing during the war, going up or down according to the prospects of success or failure. It is customary to speak of these changes as changes in the value of gold, although it is the paper money and not the gold which changes. Thus, when gold is said to be worth 120, it is meant that it will take 120 paper dollars to buy 100 gold dollars. In the beginning of 1862 gold was worth about 104—that is, it took 104 dollars in paper to buy 100 dollars in gold. After the failure of McClellan's campaign gold went up to 120, and after Burnside's disaster at Fredericksburg to 160; but after the successes at Gettysburg and Vicksburg it fell to 123. From that time it began to rise again, until it reached 195 after the battles in the Wilderness (May, 1864). In the next month it rose to 252, and in July to 290, the highest point reached during the war. On the last day of June, Mr. Chase resigned his office as Secretary of the Treasury, and this added to the gloomy state of affairs, because people thought that even he despaired of bringing the war to a successful end.

The year 1864 was a Presidential year, or year for electing a President. The two great political parties were still called Republicans and Democrats, but neither of them was closely united. In the Republican party was a faction calling themselves Radical Republicans, who considered President Lin

1864.]

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

477

coln too timid to deal with the great questions of the war, and who wished to treat rebels more harshly and to confiscate all their property and give it to the soldiers. This faction nominated John C. Fremont for President. The Republicans proper renominated Abraham Lincoln, and in their platform declared that the Union must be restored, that slavery must be destroyed, and that no terms but unconditional surrender should be given to those in rebellion.

The Democratic Convention did not meet until near the end of August. This was after the dreadful blunder of the mine at Petersburg and Sherman's repulse at Kenesaw, and after Secretary Chase's resignation. Gold was at 290, the public debt was more than two thousand million dollars, and in answer to several efforts to bring about peace the Confederates had declared their intention to fight until the last man fell. In the midst of the general gloom brought about by this state of affairs, another draft for half a million of men was called for. People began to inquire what had become of the half million called for in the spring, and to ask what was to be the end of the struggle which was thus draining the country of men and money. The Democrats, influenced by the public feeling, declared in their platform that the war had proved a failure, and that efforts should be at once made for peace on the basis of the federal union of the States; that the party in power had violated the Constitution and been guilty of many acts of oppression and tyranny, and that it was responsible for the sufferings of the prisoners of war. On this platform General McClellan was nominated for President. He accepted the nomination, although he and many other Democrats did not believe in declaring that the war had been a failure. They were as strong for the Union as the other party, but they thought that the further shedding of blood might be avoided by making an armistice-or temporary peace-with the Confederates, and settling the questions in dispute quietly.

On the heels of the declaration that the war had been a failure came the news of the great victory at Atlanta. Bells were rung, cannon fired, and flags raised; national thanks were given to Sherman and to Farragut for Mobile, and a National thanksgiving was called for in all the churches. The gloom was dispelled and gladness lightened the hearts of the