GEORGIA. 



391 



GEORGIA. The result of the military op- 

 erations in Georgia, at the close of the previous 

 year, had been the capture of Savannah, and 

 the defeat of the army of Gen. Hood in Ten- 

 nessee. The success of these operations was 

 announced to his troops by Gen. Sherman in 

 tho following congratulatory address : 



Special Field Orders No. 6, 



S MILITARY DIVISION OF THE | 



MISSISSIPPI, IN THB FIELD, 

 SAVANNAH, GA., January 8, 186S. ) 



The General commanding announces to the troops 

 composing the Military Division of the Mississippi, 

 that he has received from the President of the United 

 States, and from Lieutenant-General Grant, letters 

 convening the high sense and appreciation of the 

 campaign just closed, resulting in the capture of 

 Savannah, and the defeat of Hood's army in Ten- 

 nessee. 



In order that all may understand the importance 

 of events, it is proper to revert to the situation of 

 affairs in September last. We held Atlanta, a city 

 of little value to us, but so important to the enemy, 

 that Mr. Davis, the head of the rebellious faction in 

 the South, visited his army near Palmetto, and com- 

 manded it to regain it, as well as to ruin and destroy 

 us by a series of measures which he thought would 

 be effectual. 



That army, by a rapid march, first gained our rail- 

 road, near Big Shanty, and afterwards about Dalton. 

 We pursued, but it marched so rapidly that we could 

 not overtake it ; and General Hood led his army suc- 

 cessfully far toward Mississippi, in hopes to decoy us 

 out of Georgia. But we were not then to be led away 

 by him, and purposed to control and lead events 

 ourselves. Generals Thomas and Schofleld, command- 

 ing the department in our rear, returned to their posts, 

 and prepared to decoy General Hood into their 

 meshes, while we came on to complete our original 

 journey. 



We quietly and deliberately destroyed Atlanta and 

 all the railroad which the enemy had used to carry 

 on war against us, occupied his State capital, which 

 had been so strongly fortified from the sea as to defy 

 approach from that quarter. 



Almost at the moment of our victorious entry into 

 Savannah, came the welcome and expected new's that 

 our comrades in Tennessee had fulfilled, nobly and 

 well, their part ; had decoyed General Hood to Nash- 

 ville, and then turned on him, defeating his army 

 thoroughly, capturing all his artillery, great numbers 

 of prisoners, and were still pursuing the fragments 

 down into Alabama. So complete a success in mil- 

 itary operations, extending over half the continent, 

 is an achievement that entitles it to a place in the 

 military history of the world. 



The armies serving in Georgia and Tennessee, as 

 well as the local garrisons of Decatur, Bridgeport, 

 Chattanooga, and Murfreesboro, are alike entitled to 

 the common honor; and each regiment may inscribe 

 on its colors at pleasure, the words " Savannah" or 

 "Nashville." 



The General commanding embraces in the same 

 general success the operations of the cavalry column 

 under Generals Stoneman, Burbridge, and Gillem, 

 that penetrated into Southwest Virginia, and para- 

 lyzed the efforts of the enemy to disturb the peace 

 and safety of the people of East Tennessee. Instead 

 of being put on the defensive, we have, at all points, 

 assumed the bold offensive, and completely thwarted 

 the designs of the enemies of our country. 



By order of Major-General W. T. SHERMAN. 

 (Signed) L. W. DAVTOX, Aide-de-Camp. 



On the 14th, Gen. Sherman issued a further 

 order, authorizing tho farmers of Georgia to 

 bring into Savannah, Jacksonville, or Fernan- 



dina, for the markets, beef, pork, mutton, vege- 

 tables of any kind, fish as well as cotton in 

 small quantities, and to invest the proceeds in 

 family stores, such as bacon, flour, groceries, 

 shoes, clothing, and articles not contraband of 

 war, and carry the same back to their families. 

 He further added : " The people are encouraged 

 to meet together in peaceful assemblages, to 

 discuss measures looking to their safety and 

 good government, and the restoration of the 

 State and National authority, and will be pro- 

 tected by the National army while so doing ; 

 and all peaceable inhabitants who satisfy the 

 commanding officers that they are earnestly 

 laboring to that end, must not only be left un- 

 disturbed in property and person, but must bo 

 protected, as far as possible, consistent with the 

 military operations. If any farmer or peaceable 

 inhabitant is molested by the enemy, viz., the 

 Confederate army or guerrillas, because of his 

 friendship to the National Government, the 

 perpetrator, if caught, will be summarily pun- 

 ished, or his family made to suffer for the out- 

 rage ; but if the crime cannot be traced to the 

 actual party, then retaliation will be made on 

 the adherents to the cause of the rebellion ; 

 should a Union man be murdered, then a rebel 

 selected by lot will be shot or if a Union fam- 

 ily be persecuted on account of the cause, a 

 rebel family will be banished to a foreign land. 

 In aggravated cases, retaliation will extend as 

 high as five for one. All commanding officers 

 will act promptly in such cases, and report their 

 action after the retaliation is done." 



The Confederate Legislature of the State 

 assembled set Macon on February llth. Gov- 

 ernor Brown in his message said that the State 

 had been left to her fate by the other Confed- 

 erate States. He recommended the establish- 

 ment of the militia system for home defence ; 

 but opposed the arming of the slaves, believing 

 they were more valuable as agricultural labor- 

 ers than they could be as soldiers. They did 

 not wish to go into the army, and the principal 

 restraint upon them was, the fear that if they 

 were to leave, the Federal authorities would 

 make them fight. If they were compelled by 

 the Confederates to take up arms, they would 

 desert by thousands. He said : " "We cannot 

 expect them to fight well to continue the en- 

 slavement of their wives and children, and it is 

 unreasonable to demand it of them. When we 

 establish the fact that they are a military peo- 

 ple, we destroy our theory that they are unfit 

 to be free, and when we arm them we abandon 

 slavery." 



After a short session, since become unim- 

 portant by the course of events, the Legislature 

 adjourned. The progress of the Federal arms 

 soon became irresistible. The invasion of Gen. 

 Wilson was unobstructed. Early in April, West 

 Point, Columbus, Griffin, and Macon, were cap- 

 tured and held by him. Governor Brown issued 

 orders calling out all the militia between the 

 ages of sixteen and sixty, but no force was 

 raised. On April 30th, Gen. Johnston sent the 



