732 



PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 



It was the original design to hold Atlanta, and by 

 getting through to the coast, with a garrison left 

 on the southern railroads, leading east and west, 

 through Georgia, to effectually sever the east from 

 the west. In other words, cut the would-be Confed- 

 eracy in two again, as it had been cut once by our 

 gaining possession of the Mississippi River. General 

 Sherman's plan virtually effected this object. 



General Sherman commenced at once his prepara- 

 f-.ons for his proposed movement, keeping his army in 

 position in the mean time to watch Hood. Becoming 

 satisfied that Hood had moved westward from Gads- 

 den across Sand Mountain, General Sherman sent the 

 Fourth Corps, Major-General Stanley commanding, 

 and the Twenty-third Corps, Major-General Schofiefd 

 commanding, back to Chattanooga to report to Major- 

 General Thomas, at Nashville, whom he had placed in 

 command of all the troops of his military division, 

 save the four army corps and cavalry division he 

 designed to move with through Georgia. With the 

 troops thus left at his disposal, there was little doubt 

 that General Thomas could hold the line of the Ten- 

 nessee, or in the event Hood should force it, would 

 be able to concentrate and beat him in battle. It 

 was therefore readily consented to that Sherman 

 should start for the sea-coast. 



Having concentrated his troops at Atlanta by the 

 14th of November, he commenced his march, threat- 

 ening both Augusta and Macon. His coming-out 

 point could not be definitely fixed. Having to gather 

 his subsistence as he marched through the country, 

 it was not impossible that a force inferior to his own 

 might compel him to head for such point as he could 

 reach, instead of such as he might prefer. The blind- 

 ness of the enemy, however, in ignoring this move- 

 ment, and sending Hood's army, the only consider- 

 able force he had west of Richmond and east of the 

 Mississippi River, northward on an offensive cam- 

 paign, left the whole country open, and Sherman's 

 route to his own choice. 



How that campaign was conducted, how little op- 

 position was met with, the condition of the country 

 through which the armies passed, the capture of Fort 

 McAllister, on the Savannah River, and the occupa- 

 tion of Savannah on the 21st of December, are all 

 clearly set forth in General Sherman's admirable 

 report. 



Soon after General Sherman commenced his march 

 from Atlanta, two expeditions, one from Baton Rouge, 

 Louisiana, and one from Vicksburg, Mississippi, 

 were started by General Canby to cut the enemy's 

 line of communication with Mobile and detain 

 troops in that field. General Foster, commanding 

 Department of the South, also sent an expedition, 

 via Broad River, to destroy the railroad between 

 Charleston and Savannah. The expedition from 

 Vicksburg, under command of Brevet Brigadier- 

 General E. D. Osband (Colonel Third United States 

 colored cavalry), captured, on the 27th of November, 

 and destroyed the Mississippi Central railroad bridge 

 and trestle-work over Big Black River, near Canton, 

 thirty miles of the road, and two loco_motives, besides 

 large amounts of stores. The expedition from Baton 

 Rouge was without favorable results. The expedi- 

 tion from the Department of the South, under the 

 immediate command of Brigadier-General John P. 

 Hatch, consisting of about five thousand men of all 

 arms, including a brigade from the navy, proceeded 

 up Broad River and debarked at Boyd's Neck on the 

 29th of November, from where it moved to strike the 

 railroad at Grahamsville. At Honey Hill, about 

 three miles from Grahamsville, the enemy was found 

 and attacked in a strongly fortified position, which 

 resulted, after severe fighting, in our repulse with a 

 loss of 746 in killed, wounded, and missing. During 

 the night General Hatch withdrew. On the 6th of 

 December General Foster obtained a position cover- 

 ing the Charleston and Savannah Railroad, between 

 the Coosawatchie and Talifinny Rivers. 



Hood, instead of following Sherman, continued his 



move northward, which seemed to me to be lead 

 ing to his certain doom. At all events, had I had 

 the power of commanding both armies, I should not 

 have changed the orders under which he seemed to 

 be acting. On the twenty-sixth of October the ad 

 vance of Hood's army attacked the garrison at De- 

 catur, Alabama, but failing to carry the place, with- 

 drew toward Cortland, and succeeded, in the face of 

 our cavalry, in effecting a lodgment on the north side 

 of the Tennessee River, near Florence. On the 28th 

 Forrest reached the Tennessee, at Fort Hieman, and 

 captured a gunboat and three transports. On the 

 second of November he planted batteries above and 

 below Johnsonville, on the opposite side of the river, 

 isolating three gunboats and eight transports. On 

 the 4th the enemy opened his batteries upon the 

 place, and was replied to from the gunboats and the 

 garrison. The gunboats becoming disabled were set 

 on fire, as also were the transports, to prevent their 

 falling into the hands of the enemy. About a million 

 and a half dollars' worth of stores and property on 

 the levee and in storehouses was consumed by fire. 

 On the fifth the enemy disappeared and crossed to 

 the north side of the Tennessee River, above John- 

 sonville, moving toward Clifton, and subsequently 

 joined Hood. On the night of the 5th General Scho- 

 neld, with the advance of the Twenty-third Corps, 

 reached Johnsonville, but finding the enemy gone, 

 was ordered to Pulaski, and put in command of all 

 the troops there, with instructions to watch the 

 movements of Hood and retard his advance, but not 

 to risk a general engagement until the arrival of 

 General A. J. Smith's command from Missouri, and 

 until General Wilson could get his cavalry remounted. 



On the 19th General Hood continued his advance. 

 General Thomas, retarding him as much as possible, 

 fell back toward Nashville for the purpose of concen- 

 trating his command and gaining time for the arrival 

 of reinforcements. The enemy coming up with our 

 main force, commanded by General Schofield, at 

 Franklin, on the 30th, assaulted our works repeat- 

 edly during the afternoon until late at night, but 

 were in every instance repulsed. His loss in this 

 battle was 1,750 killed, 702 prisoners, and 3,800 

 w_ounded. Among his losses were six general officers 

 killed, six wounded, and one captured. Our entire 

 loss was 2,300. This was the first serious opposition 

 the enemy met with, and I am satisfied was the fatal 

 blow to all his expectations. During the night Gen- 

 eral Schofield fell back toward Nashville. This left 

 the field to the enemy not lost by battle, but volun- 

 tarily abandoned so that General Thomas's whole 

 force might be brought together. The enemy fol- 

 lowed up and commenced the establishment of his 

 line in front of Nashville on the second of December. 



As soon as it was ascertained that Hood was cross- 

 ing the Tennessee River, and that Price was going 

 out of Missouri, General Rosecrans was ordered to 

 send to General Thomas the troops of General A. J. 

 Smith's command and such other troops as he could 

 spare. The advance of this reSnforcement reached 

 Nashville on the 30th November. 



On the morning^ of the 15th December General 

 Thomas attacked Hood in position, and, in a battle 

 lasting two days, defeated and drove him from the 

 field in the utmost confusion, leaving in our hands 

 most of his artillery and many thousand prisoners, 

 including four general officers. 



Before the battle of Nashville I grew very impa- 

 tient over, as it appeared to me, the unnecessary de- 

 lay. This impatience was increased upon learning 

 that the enemy had sent a force of cavalry across the 

 Cumberland into Kentucky. I feared Hood would 

 cross his whole arrnv and give us great trouble there. 

 After urging upon General Thomas the necessity of 

 immediately assuming the offensive, I started west 

 to superintend matters there in person. Beaching 

 Wunington City, I received General Thomas's de- 

 spatch announcing his attack upon the enemy, and 

 the result as far as the battle had progressed. I was 



