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Georgia, smashing things, to the sea. Hood may turn into Tennessee and Kentucky, but I believe he will be forced to follow me. Instead of my being on the defensive, I would be on the offensive; instead of guessing at what he means to do, he would have to guess at my plans. The difference in war is full twenty-five per cent. I can make Savannah, Charleston, or the mouth of the Chattahoochee. Answer quick, as I know we will not have the telegraph long."

"Lieutenant General GRANT."

"W. T. SHERMAN, Major General.

To which General Grant on the same day replied as follows:

"Your despatch of to-day received. If you are satisfied the trip to the sea coast can be made, holding the line of the Tennessee River firmly, you may make it, destroying all the railroad south of Dalton or Chattanooga, as you think best,"

"U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant General, "Major General W. T. SHERMAN.”*

It was at first designed to hold Atlanta; and marching through to the coast, to leave garrisons on the railroads leading east and west, and thus effectually cut the Confederacy in twain, as had been done by Grant in getting possession of the Mississippi. But Sherman's communications were so long, that Sherman said, Hood with 25,000 men and the bold cavalry he had could constantly break his roads. He, (Sherman,) would prefer to send back all his wounded and worthless, and with his effective army, "move through Georgia, smashing things to the sea."

Before following this adventurous march, let us see what were the fortunes of Hood who moved to the north.

General Thomas, furnishes the following description of this campaign:†

"I found myself confronted by the army which under General J. E. Johnston, had skillfully resisted the advance of the whole active army of the military Division of the Mississippi, from Dalton to the Chattahoochee, reënforced by a well equipped and enthusiastic cavalry command of over 12,000 men, led by one of the boldest and most successful cavalry

* Grant's Report, p. 24.

† Report of the Secretary of War, p. 9.

commanders in the rebel army. My information from all sources confirmed the reported strength of Hood's army to be from 40 to 45,000 infantry, and from 12 to 15,000 cavalry. My effective force at this time, consisted of the Fourth Corps, about 12,000 under Major General D. S. Stanley, the Twenty-third Corps, about 10,000, under Major General Schofield, Hatcher's Division of cavalry about 4,000, Croxton's brigade, 25,000, and Capron's brigade of about 1,200. The balance of my force was distributed along the railroad, and posted at Murfreesboro, Stevenson, Bridgeport, Huntsville, Decatur, and Chattanooga, to keep open our communications, and hold the posts above named, if attacked, until they could be reënforced; as up to this time it was impossible to determine which course Hood would take; advance on Nashville or turn towards Huntsville. Under these circumstances, it was manifestly best to act on the defensive until sufficiently reënforced to justify taking the offensive. On the 12th of November, communication with General Sherman was severed, the last despatch from him leaving Cartersville, Georgia, at 2.25 P. M., on that date. He had started on his great expedition from Atlanta to the seaboard, leaving me to guard Tennessee, or to pursue the enemy if he followed the Commanding General's column. It was therefore, with considerable anxiety that we watched the force at Florence, to discover what course they would pursue with regard to General Sherman's movements, determining thereby whether the troops under my command, numbering less than half those under Hood, were to act on the defensive in Tennessee, or take the offensive in Alabama."

Reënforcements were hastened to Thomas, and among other troops sent forward, were two divisions of veteran infantry, under General A. J. Smith. On the 20th of November, General Schofield's main force was withdrawn from in front of Columbia, and on the morning of the 30th, a position was taken at Franklin. Here followed a most fierce and bloody battle between the armies of Hood and Schofield. General Thomas, in his report of this battle, says:

"The enemy followed closely after General Schofield's rear guard in the retreat to Franklin, and upon coming up with the main force, formed rapidly and advanced to assault our works, repeating attack after attack during the entire afternoon, and as late as 10 P. M., his efforts to break our lines were continued. General Schofield's position was excellently chosen with both flanks resting on the river, and his men firmly held their ground against an overwhelming enemy, who was repulsed in every assault, along the whole line. Our loss as given by General Schofield in his

report transmitted herewith, (and to which I respectfully refer,) is 189 killed. 1,033 wounded and 1,104 missing, making an aggregate of 2,326. We captured and sent to Nashville, 702 prisoners, including one general officer and thirty-three stands of colors. Major General D. S. Stanly, commanding the Fourth Corps, was severely wounded at Franklin, while engaged in rallying a portion of his command which had been temporarily overpowered by an overwhelming attack of the enemy. At the time of the battle, the enemy's loss was known to be severe, and was estimated at 5,000. The exact figures were only obtained, however, on the re-occupation of Franklin, by our forces after the battles of December 15th and 16th, at Brentwood Hills near Nashville, and are given as follows: Buried upon the field, 1,750; disabled and placed in hospitals at Franklin, 3,800; which, with the 702 prisoners already reported, makes an aggregate loss of 6,252, among whom were six general officers killed, six wounded and one captured. The important results of this signal victory cannot be too highly appreciated; for it not only seriously checked the enemy's advance, and gave General Schofield time to remove his troops and all his property to Nashville, but it also caused deep depression among the men of Hood's army, making them doubly cautious in their subsequent movements." *

Schofield, by direction of Thomas, retired to Nashville, in front of which, a line of battle was formed on the 1st of De cember. Hood's army made its appearance on the 2d of December. The intense cold weather delayed operations until the 14th, when the weather having become less severe, General Thomas issued orders for an attack on Hood's army to be made on the 15th. At an early hour the next morning, the hardy veteran soldiers of Thomas and Schofield moved to the attack. All day long the fight was fiercely continued; when night came, Thomas had captured 16 pieces of artillery, 1,200 prisoners, and a large number of small arms. The enemy had everywhere been forced back with heavy loss. The troops had fought with steadiness and courage. The whole command bivouacked in line of battle during the night on the ground occupied at dark, while preparations were made to renew the battle at an early hour on the morAt early dawn the next morning, the battle was renewed. At 3 o'clock in the afternoon, the enemy's strong position on Overton's Hill was assaulted by the Fourth Corps.

row.

Report of the Secretary of War, 1865.

General Smith's and Scofield's command moved against the enemy's works in their respective fronts, carrying all before them, frequently breaking his lines in a dozen places, and capturing all his artillery and thousands of prisoners, among the latter, four general officers."* The Confederates broke and fied in confusion, over the tops of Brentwood Hills, pursued by the exulting Union troops. Meanwhile, General Wilson's cavalry dismounted, and attacked simultaneously, with Schofield and Smith. The flying rebels were pursued several miles, until darkness rendered the further chase impracticable. During the two days battle, there were captured 4,462 prisoners, including 287 officers, 53 pieces of artillery, and thousands of small arms.†

The Confederate army thus defeated, had been considered next to the army of Lee, the most formidable rebel force which had been organized during the war. It had been ably commanded by Bragg, Johnston, and Hood, and on many bloody fields had established the courage of the soldiers and the ability of the leaders. It was pursued from Nashville to the Tennessee by Thomas' main army, and by detachments, many miles further; but this proud army never again appeared in the field as an army organization. Fragments of it were finally gathered up, and under Johnson, laid down their arms to Sherman in the Spring of 1865, at the final surrender of Johnston.

The brilliant Atlanta campaign of Sherman was in the plans of Grant and his Lieutenant, preliminary. Another important step was yet to be made before the union of the grand armies of the East and the West, by the joint and cooperative movements of which, Richmond was to be taken, and the armies of Lee and Johnston captured. "When," said Sherman, "I plant this army at Goldsboro, Lee must leave Virginia, or he will be defeated beyond hope of recovery.'

Jefferson Davis, on the 22d of September, 1864, prophesied that Sherman's army, then in the heart of his Confederacy, would meet "the fate of the army of the French Empire,

Thomas' Report.

Secretary of War's Report, p. 12.

in the retreat from Moscow; our cavalry and our people," said he, "will harrass and destroy his army as did the Cossacks that of Napoleon; and the Yankee General, like him, will escape with only a body guard."

Little did this arrogant boaster then dream this "Yankee General," at whom he proudly sneered, would march at pleasure through his Confederacy; and that before his withdrawal, he himself would be first a fugitive and then a captive, and his empire crumbled into ruins!

As Hood marched to the North, Sherman followed as far as Kenesaw Mountain. At the pass of Allatoona, through which ran the railway forming Sherman's communications from which he had not yet cut loose, there was an immense depot of provisions; a million and a half of rations. This pass was protected by a fort manned by 1,500 men. On the morning of the 5th of October, General Sherman was on the summit of Kenesaw, watching this pass, when the faint sound of distant artillery and the puffs of white smoke told him that this important position was assailed. The garrison was furiously attacked by 6,000 rebels. Sherman from the top of Kenesaw, signalled the commander at Allatoona to hold out to the last, promising relief. When the answering signal informed him that General Corse was there and in command, Sherman exclaimed, "I know Corse; as long as he lives the Allatoona pass is safe!" And so indeed it was; for although he was severely wounded early in the day, and although the rebels charged again and again, yet he held out, and beat off the attack with great slaughter of the rebels, and held the post until succor arrived.

Sherman having seen Hood far on towards Tennessee, turned his back upon him, leaving him for Thomas to dispose of, and prepared to start on his perilous march to the sea. Ile divided his army into two parts, the right and left wings; the right, consisting of the Fifteenth and Seventeenth Corps, under Major General O. O. Howard, and the left, consisting of the Fourteenth and Twentieth Corps, under Major General H. W. Slocum. General Kilpatrick commanded the cavalry. The aggregate force numbered between sixty and seventy thousand picked men. Probably no superior

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