AEMY OPERATIONS. 



71 



of cordial friendship, and with earnest wishes that 

 you may prosper. J. E. JOHNSTON, General. 



J. E. KENNAKD, Colonel, etc. 



The number of men surrendered and paroled 

 \ras not far from 31,000; 108 pieces of artillery 

 were parked, with limbers, caissons, etc., com- 

 plete. About 15,000 small arms were surren- 

 dered, and but little ammunition. A large 

 number of men 'strayed away with guns, horses, 

 mules, and wagons. A body of the cavalry, 

 under Gen. Hampton, went south in the direc- 

 tion in which it was supposed Mr. Davis was 

 moving. They subsequently disappeared, and 

 their officers were ^classed among those pa- 

 roled. 



The column of Gen. "Wilson, which has been 

 already mentioned, was organized at Gen. 

 Thomas's headquarters, in Nashville, forji cav- 

 alry expedition into Alabama. It was" finely 

 equipped in every respect, with plenty of good 

 men, mostly veterans, horses, ammunition, sup- 

 plies, pontoons, and wagons. The final rendez- 

 vous Avas Gravelly Springs, above Eastport, on 

 the Tennessee Eiver, and Selma, Montgomery, 

 and Mobile. It numbered more than 15,000 

 men, consisting of the 1st division under Gen. 

 McOook, the 2d under Gen. Long, the 4th under 

 Gen. Upton, and the 5tb. under Gen. Hatch. 

 The latter, however, was retained in reserve at 

 Eastport. The movement commenced from 

 Chickasaw on the 22d of March. Some of the 

 enemy, consisting of Gen. Roddy's cavalry, 

 were soon met, and driven back with constant 

 skirmishing thirty miles to Plantersville. Here 

 they made a stand on April 1st, until their 

 flank was threatened, when they retired. The 

 loss of each side in kDled and wounded, thus 

 far, was estimated at less than a hundred ; three 

 guns and two hundred prisoners were captured 

 by Gen. Wilson. Pursuit was now made by 

 the divisions of Gens. Upton and Long to Sel- 

 ma. There the enemy was found on April 

 2d, in line of battle outside of their works. 

 Gen. Long having arrived first, formed and dis- 

 mounted his men in the night, while the 4th 

 division came up on the left. In the morning 

 the skirmish line was advanced, and a brisk 

 charge made. In a short time the enemy were 

 driven from the field, and the intrenchments 

 captured. Selma was immediately occupied. 

 The killed and wounded of the Union forces 

 was about two hundred, and that of the enemy 

 supposed to be less. One hundred guns, one 

 hundred and fifty officers, two thousand men, 

 with many horses, mules, and supplies, were 

 captured. The arsenal, with large stores of 

 powder, percussion caps, shells, all the Confed- 

 erate magazines, works, and buildings, four large 

 furnaces, including the Red Mountain and Cen- 

 tral iron works and machine shop, some dwell- 

 ing:?, and vast stores of cotton were destroyed. 

 On the 4th, Cahawba, a little southwest of 

 Selma, was surrendered, and about seventy 

 Federal prisoners were recovered. From Selma 

 Gen. Wilson moved eastward, capturing Mont- 

 gomery, West Point, Griffin, Lagrange, Colum- 



bus, and Macon, The following despatches from 



Macon relate his further proceedings : 







HEADQUABTEBS AEMY OF TENNESSEE, ) 

 April 21, 1865 9:30 A. M. f 

 To Major- Gen. W. T. Sherman, through headquarters 



of Gen. Beauregard : 



My advance received the surrender of this city with 

 its garrison this evening. Gen. Cobb had previously 

 sent me, under flag of truce, a copy of the telegram 

 from Gen. Bcauregard, declaring the existence of 

 an armistice between all the troops under your com- 

 mand and those of Gen. Johnston. Without ques- 

 tioning the authority of this despatch, or its applica- 

 tion to my command, I could not communicate orders 

 in time to prevent the capture. I shall therefore 

 hold the garrison, including Major-Gens. Cobb and 

 G. W. Smith, and Brig. -Gen. McCall, prisoners of 

 war. 



Please send me orders. I shall remain here a rea- 

 sonable length of time to hear from your. 



J. H. WILSON, Brevet Maj.-Gen. U. S. A. 



HEADQITAETEKS CAVALRY CORPS, Mn.rrAEY DIVISION J 

 MISSISSIPPI, MACON, GA., April 21, 1865. f 

 Major- Gen. W. T. Sherman, through Gen. Johnston : 



Your despatch of yesterday is just received. I shall 

 at once proceed to carry out your instructions. If 

 proper arrangements can be made to have sugar, 

 coffee, and clothing sent from Savannah to Augusta, 

 they can be brought hither by the way of Atlanta by 

 railroad, or they can be sent by boat directly to this 

 place from Darien. I shall be able to get forage, 

 bread, and meat from Southeastern Georgia. The 

 railroad from Atlanta to Dalton or Cleveland cannot 

 be repaired in three months. I have arranged to 

 send an officer at once, via Eufaula, to Gen. Canby, 

 with a copy of your despatch. Gen. Cobb will also 

 notify Gen. Taylor of the armistice. I have about 

 three thousand prisoners of war, including Gens. 

 Cobb, Smith, McCall, Mercer, and Robertson. Can 

 you arrange with Gen. Johnston for their immediate 

 release ? Please answer at once. I shall start a staff 

 officer to you to-morrow. 



J. H. WILSON, Brevet Major-Gen. Comm'g. 



Gen. Sherman, after the surrender of Gen. 

 Johnston, went to Hilton Head, and caused 

 supplies to be forwarded at once to Gen. Wilson. 

 On May 1st Gen. Upton's division was sent to 

 Augusta, and Gen. McCook's to Tallahassee, to 

 receive the surrender of the garrisons and take _ 

 charge of the public property, and execute the 

 paroles required by the terms of surrender. 



At the same time that Gen. Wibcn was ad- 

 vancing against Selma and Montgomery, a 

 movement was in progress for the capture of 

 Mobile. This city was occupied by about fifteen 

 thousand troops under Gen. Richard Taylor. 

 The defences of the city had been most carefully 

 constructed, and were under the command of 

 Gen. Maury. In the harbor the enemy had 

 several vessels, some of which were iron-clads ; 

 in addition to which its defences were regarded 

 as almost impregnable. The Federal fores 

 consisted of the 13th army corps under Gen. 

 Granger, and the 16th under Gen. A. J. Smith, 

 Gen. Canby being in chief command. Attached 

 to these was a division of cavalry and a division 

 of colored troops. With this force a strong fleet 

 was in cooperation. 



Mobile is situated on the west bank of the 

 Mobile River, immediately above its entrance 

 into the bay, and thirty miles north of the Gulf 

 of Mexico. The site of the town is a level 



