USA > New Jersey > Reminiscences of the war, comprising a detailed account of the experiences of the Thirteenth regiment New Jersey volunteers in camp, on the march, and in battle > Part 14
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baw, Ga., Pensacola and Mobile Bays. I will turn up somewhere and believe I can take Macon, Milledgeville, Augusta and Savannah, Georgia, and wind up with closing the neck back of Charleston so that they will starve out. This movement is not purely military or strategic, but it will illustrate the vulnerability of the South. They don't know what war means; but when the rich planters of the Oconee and Savannah see their fences, and corn, and hogs, and sheep vanish before their eyes, they will have some- thing more than a mean opinion of the 'Yanks.' Even now our poor mules laugh at the fine corn-fields, and our soldiers riot on chestnuts, sweet-potatoes, pigs, chickens, etc." On the 20th of October Gen. Sherman wrote to Gen. Thomas, that he proposed to organize an army of 60,000 or 65,000 men with which he proposed "to destroy Macon, Augusta and it may be Savannah and Charleston," and to Gen. Slocum, "Use all your energies to send to the rear everything not needed for the grand march. I will take
your Corps along. We will need 1,500.000 rations of bread. coffee, sugar and salt, 500,000 rations of salt meat. and all else should be shipped away." On the 22d. Sherman again wrote to Gen. Grant that he should leave Gen. Thomas to command all his Military Division behind him and take only his best fighting material, and on the 23d he instructed Gen. Slocum "to pile up the forage, corn and potatoes, keep your artillery horses fat, send back all unserviceable artillery, and at the last moment we can count up our horses and see what we can haul. and send back all else. One gun per thousand men will be plenty to take along."
On the 1st of November Gen. Sherman wrote to Gen. Grant, giving in detail the exact situation of affairs, and emphasizing the importance of his contemplated movement to the coast. Gen. Sherman had previously despatched the Fourth Corps, Gen. Stanley, and the Twenty-third Corps, Gen. Schofield, to Thomas. These veteran troops. with the new regiments constantly arriving in Nashville, Sherman believed would be sufficient to check Hood in his
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movements and finally crush him entirely. Thomas did not feel so much confidence in the arrangement and thought that Sherman's whole army should be used in fighting Hood, which Gen. Grant at first urged, but Sher- man's arguments convinced Grant that Thomas was perfect- ly able to take care of Hood, and that he should carry out his pet project. Thomas himself soon became convinced of his own ability to ruin Hood should he have the temerity to advance upon him, or to assume the offensive if he re- treated, and when this gratifying assurance was given to Sherman, the march from Atlanta was begun.
By the 14th of November the Fourteenth, Fifteenth, Seventeenth and Twentieth Corps were grouped about Atlanta, constituting an army 60,000 strong, with an addi- tional force of cavalry under Gen. Judson Kilpatrick, num- bering 5.500 more. The artillery consisted of 60 guns, or one piece to every thousand men. Everything had been sent to the rear which could not be used in the campaign. The railroad north had been destroyed as far as Dalton. and the cities of Rome and Atlanta had been burned.
On the 16th of November, the great march began. The city was a heap of smouldering ruins when we marched through Decatur street to the Augusta road. The Chief- engineer of the army had been ordered to destroy by powder and fire all the storehouses, depot buildings. and machine shops. The high wind which prevailed forced the flames across wide streets and spread in all directions. until the greater part of the city was a mass of seething fire. It was a grand and awful sight.
The right wing of the army moved out on the McDonough road toward Macon while the left wing took a more northerly route. Gen. Sherman accompanied the Four- teenth Corps. and Gen. Slocum the Twentieth. We marched to Decatur where a halt was made for dinner, and then proceeded to Stone Mountain where we encamped for the night, our Brigade being sent out on picket while the rest of the troops were engaged tearing up the railroad
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track. . The next day at three P. M., we renewed the march, crossed Yellow River, and went into camp. As we marched through the country -- a land overflowing with "milk and honey,"-cotton and gins were burned, and the railroad track for miles torn up. The ties were piled in heaps on the road bed and fired. the rails being laid across the flames, and as soon as they attained a red heat. were taken and twisted about the trunks of trees, thus rendering them unserviceable. The duties imposed on us (the Twentieth Corps) were to tear up the railroad track from Social Circle to Madison, to burn the railroad bridge across the Oconee river east of Madison, and, turning south, to reach Milledge- ville on the same day that Howard should reach Gordon. On Friday the 18th. my company, (Capt. Guyer's) was de- tailed on a foraging expedition. We left the line early in the morning, and went a considerable distance from the column. We were very successful, and brought in large quantities of pork. sweet-potatoes and chickens. We re- joined the Regiment at Social Circle and the boys had a fine dinner there. On the 19th the Corps entered Madison, and then proceeded southward to Eatonton. A severe storm broke over us here and the march through the mud, and wading streams, until we reached the Oconee river, was full of discomfort.
On the morning of the 22d we crossed Little river on pontoons, and proceeded cautiously to Milledgeville. our Brigade in the advance. There had been so much said in the Southern papers about resisting our advance, and Gov. Brown had appealed so strenuously to the citizens to do everything in their power to obstruet our movements, that we naturally expected some resistance when we reached the Capital of the State. The wagon trains were halted and the troops were all brought to the front. The Division marched in column toward the city and skirmishers were thrown forward. We soon came in sight of the earthworks that had been hastily thrown up, but they were vacant. An hour later we marched down Jackson street to Green
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street, where we formed by company into line; the Brigade Band took up position at the head of the column. and thus with flags unfurled and the Band playing lively airs, we marched through the city and cross- ing the Oconee river went into camp. The Legis- lature had been in session a few days before our arrival, and the members became panic-stricken as soon as they heard that Sherman's army was marching in that direction. The Governor of the State fled with the affright- ed members, and the panic spread among the citizens who crowded the trains of cars which left Milledgeville to over- flowing, and paid the most exorbitant sums for vehicles of every description with which to get away from the hated Yankees. The magazines, arsenals, depots. factories and storehouses containing property belonging to the Confed erate Government were burned, also 1.700 bales of cotton. Private dwellings were respected and no instances of pil- lage or insult were reported. Gen. Sherman occupied the residence of Governor Brown who had taken pains to carry off with him in his flight even his stock of cabbages. After all the bluster that had been made about destroying the invaders the actual situation was rather comical. Gen. Beauregard, who was at Corinth organizing a grand invad- ing army to overrun Tennessee and Kentucky, communi- cated his plans to Hood and hastened to Georgia to arouse the people, by frantic proclamations, to resist Sherman's invasion. Appeals of a similar character were issued by the Confederate authorities at Richmond, and the Governor of the State, but there was no one to answer to their appeals. The veteran soldiers of the South were either with Hood or Lee, and the hopelessness of the situation was so appa- rent that the people became paralyzed with fear. Sherman could not be stopped by noisy proclamations, and while they were shouting, the Union army was marching slowly but surely " through Georgia." We left Milledgeville on the 24th of November and taking a devious route reached Buffalo Creek, the crossing of which delayed us somewhat
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as the enemy's cavalry had destroyed the bridge and evi- dently intended to impede our progress across the State by harassing the troops as much as possible. On the 26th we neared Sandersville, where we found quite a respectable force of Confederate cavalry. who were resisting our ad- vance. The Thirteenth Regiment had the head of the column this day, and Companies F, G and K were detailed for skirmish duty. As we deployed we came to our cavalry pickets who had been engaging the enemy, and waited for them to advance. Capt. Guyer ordered us forward on the double-quick, and with shouts and yells, cavalry and infan- try both rushed ahead and the enemy gave way. We fol- lowed them up sharp, and as we neared the woods, the sound of horses neighing was perfectly audible. Videttes were sent forward. and the line advanced close after them. but the enemy (Wheeler's cavalry) would not stand. When they reached the town, however, they manifested a disposi- tion to fight. Our cavalry dashed into the place, but a lively volley was fired into them, killing one man and wounding two others, and they at once fell back. The infantry line coming up at this time, the Fourteenth and Twentieth Corps both pushed ahead into the town. We were then withdrawn from the skirmish line and at dusk reached Tennille Station, No. 13, on the Georgia Central road, and at once began tearing up the track and destroy- ing the rails. We went along the railroad to Davisboro', tearing up the track as we marched. We left the railroad four miles west of Sebastopol and taking a northerly route proceeded to Louisville, where we found our wagon trains and drew rations.
On the 3d of December we had reached a point, as we judged. about five miles north of Millen, on a branch road lea ling to Augusta. It was Sherman's intention to hasten to Millen for the purpose of resening our prisoners con- fined there, but the Confederates had anticipated our desire in that respect and removed them. Immense damage had been done on the march to the railroads, mills, cotton-mills
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and gins, and some fighting had occurred on the fanks of the army. The greatest natural obstacles on the way to Millen were the Ogeechee and Oconee rivers, and an army behind these streams might have successfully resisted us, but the small forces of the enemy were speedily brushed away.
The march from Millen to Savannah was characterized by the same general features as had distinguished the march from Atlanta, except that a feeling began to prevail that a battle must sooner or later be fought. It seemed al- most incredible that we should be permitted to reach Sa- vannah without a struggle. As we proceeded leisurely along, counting the mile-stones on the side of the road, we received occasional reports from scouting parties who in- formed us of the presence of quite a force of the enemy a short distance ahead. About noon we entered a small town. Springfield, through which we passed. When we reached a point within about thirteen miles of the city we were startled by the sound of artillery in front of us. Mechani- cally the whole column halted. and we began to realize that perhaps we had at last met with a serious obstruction. As no orders to move were issued for some time, we proceeded to build fires and cook coffee, during which time we re- ceived information concerning the situation ahead. The shots were fired from two sand forts on the road, about half a mile in advance, and our Division was under orders to attack and if possible capture the garrison. Col. Sel- fridge, of the Forty-sixth Pennsylvania, who was in com- mand of the First Brigade, was directed to take up position on the left of the road. Col. Carman, commanding the Second Brigade, was ordered to the right, while the Third Brigade occupied the road and was to attack in front. Our Brigade turned off to the right as directed. and after marching through the woods about a hundred and fifty yards the column filed to the left, and crossing a small open space entered another piece of woods through which We marched emerging upon a clearing of considerable
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extent. This clearing was covered with water to a depth of two or three feet surrounding numerous stumps of old trees. The place was called Montieth Swamp. The Regi- ment formed in line of battle on the edge of the swamp, companies F, C and G, in command of Captain Guyer, be ing deployed as flankers to the skirmish line. We were now on the flank and moving to the rear of the forts, in plain view of the situation. The Confederates were seen riding backward and forward in rear of the forts, when sud- denly a volley of musketry was poured into them by the
troops on our right. The enemy replied with a few shots and just as the Regiment was ordered to advance through the swamp the Confederates were seen running down the road in great haste. The three companies on skirmish duty advanced to the opposite side of the swamp and entered into a large rice field. These rice fields are always wet, a deep drain or dyke being made on the outer edges of the field, with flood gates at intervals of about 200 yards, through which the water is drawn off. In our pursuit of the enemy we had to jump these dykes, and where they were too wide for that we had to wade them. Our movements were therefore greatly impeded and the enemy escaped. We finally reached the road and pursued them for about two miles when we returned to the Regi- ment. These forts or redoubts were located on the prop- erty of Brig .- Gen. Harris, commanding the Georgia militia. In passing his place the next day a raid was made on his potato-bins which were completely drained of their con- tents.
We struck the Charleston and Savannah railroad about nine miles west of the latter city, which shared the fate of all the others, and then advanced to within four miles of Savannah, where we formed in line of battle and proceeded to erect breastworks. The left of the Twentieth Corps rested on the Savannah river, and the right of the Four- teenth connected with the left of the Seventeenth, beyond the canal, near Lawson's plantation. Gen. Slocum held
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the bridge of the Charleston railroad and the river itself. and Howard controlled the Gulf railroad and the Ogeechee river down to Fort McAllister. Thus Sherman held firmly all the railroads centering in Savannah and the two rivers forming the main channels of supplies, and all the roads leading from the city, except the Union Causeway. We had barely secured our position when Captain Gildersleeve of the One Hundred and Fiftieth New York Regiment of our Brigade (the famous marksman of the American Rifle Team of recent years) who was in command of the forage detail of that Regiment, captured the steamer Ida, having on board Col. Lynch, of Gen. Hardee's staff, bearing dis- patches to the gunboat up the river. The boat was burned. On the 16th of December we were relieved by troops of the Third Division. and proceeding to the Savannah river crossed to Argyle Island on flat boats. The story became circulated in the Regiment that this island was the prop- erty of a Mr. Gibbons, a Jerseyman residing at Madison. There was a large rice mill on the place, and thirteen houses. the quarters of the slaves. The island was an immense rice plantation, and as our foragers had failed to bring in any food for a day or two, we were in a bad fix. cur rations having run quite low. The negroes on the island could not speak English. although they knew enough to say " one dollah" whenever they were asked the price of rice. They were all busily engaged hulling the rice in large wooden mortars, and as fast as they hulled it the contents of the mortar were confiscated by hungry soldiers. The first troops to take possession of Argyle Island was the Third Wisconsin of our Brigade, Col. Hawley commanding. Of the movements of this Regiment Van Horne says :
"During the evening of the 16th. Col. Hawley. of the Third Wisconsin, from Carman's Brigade. by order of Gen eral Williams, sent over two companies of his regiment to Argyle Island, and the next morning six more. While he was crossing with the latter, he discovered three steamers descending the river. He hastened across. while Winegar's
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battery from the Georgia shore opened upon them. The boats were driven back, and in turning the two gunboats disabled their armed tender, which fell into Hawley's hands, at the head of the island."
Geary's Division of the Twentieth Corps occupied Hutch- inson Island the next day, the 17th, and a battery was posted on the Georgia bank of the river, which commanded the river above and below the island and across to the Carolina shore. On the 13th of December Fort McAllister had been taken by assault. by Gen. Hazen's troops, which opened communications with our feet and assured the early delivery of abundance of supplies. On the 17th Gen. Sherman demanded the surrender of the city. He wrote to Gen. Hardee that he held all the avenues by which Savannah was supplied, and that if the city was surrendered he would grant liberal terms to the garrison. while, if he was compelled to assault, or depend upon the slower pro- cess of starvation, he would feel justified in resorting to the harshest measures, and should make little effort to restrain his army " burning to avenge the great national wrong they attach to Savannah and other large cities, which have been so prominent in dragging our country into civil war." To this communication Sherman added. " I inclose you a copy of Gen. Hood's demand* for the sur- render of the town of Resaca. to be used by you for what it is worth." Hardee delined to surrender, on the ground that he still maintained his line of defence, and was in communication with his superior officer. Our time on the Island was about evenly divided between watching the enemy's gunboats, which came up the river nearly opposite
*When Hood was marching northward, he invested Resaca, and on the 12th of October summoned the garrison to surrender, threatening to take no prisoners if the surrender was refused. Col. Weaver, the con- mander, saw no cause for alarm and bluntly refused. He had been reenforced by Sherman, and the enemy deeming it prudent to avoid a battle, pushed on to Dalton .- Harper's History of the Rebellion.
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our position, and the antics of the negroes. One day the plantation hands were prevailed upon to go down to the mill and grind some rice into flour. Three or four soldiers went with them and soon after they entered the building the rebel gunboats were seen slowly coming up the river. The mill was put in operation and as the rumbling noise of the stones were heard we also noticed active operations going on on the gunboat. In a short time two shells were fired at the building, penetrating it, and the darkies and soldiers both came rushing back pell-mell. As they passed through the picket-line one of the men asked the colored hands why they were in such a hurry. " Oh," one of them said, "we guess 'tis 'bout dinnah time." The remark created a shout of laughter. The day after this episode the whole colored population of the island was out sunning themselves in front of their huts, not noticing that a gun- boat was making its customary trip up stream. We sought safety, as usual, behind the dykes of the rice field, and when from the battery on the boat the enemy sent over their compliments in the shape of round shot or shell we were amply protected. The firing on this occasion was ev- identit meant for the negroes, as two shells bursted almost directly over them. The way they scrambled under their houses, some of them fairly diving under head first, created considerable merriment. We witnessed also a genuine plantation "festival" by these same negroes. one day. They had all assembled in the last building of the row, and those of us who were on reserve went down to witness the sport. There were present about forty of the hands, male and female, and one " brudder." who stood at the head of the room, began the chant. I have no recollection of the words or music, but shortly one after another of the negroes arose and joined in the singing and shouting. Finally all
were up on the floor, men and women, entering enthusias- tically into the exercises. One followed the other. the one behind grasping the back of the one in front, and they thus kept moving around in a circle, singing and shouting until
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tired out. We did not stay to see the whole of the per- formance as we were called for duty, but the sight of those poor, ignorant slaves, most of them unable to talk a word of English, deserted by their masters, and thus happy and contented amidst all the perils of war, while in some re- spects amusing, was really a pathetic and inspiring scene.
On the 19th we received orders to cross the river to the South Carolina shore. It was known that the only avenue of escape left to Hardee was across the river in our front and it was intened, if possible, to cut him off. We crossed the river in flatboats, under quite a severe fire from the enemy's gunboats, during which Lieut-Col. Stephenson, of the Third Wisconsin, and Col. Ketcham, of the One Hun- dred and Fiftieth New York, were wounded. We landed on a rice plantation and sought shelter from the enemy's artillery behind the dykes. On the night of the 20th we heard the movement of troops across the bridge, and could hear distinctly the shouts and curses of the enemy's team- sters as they endeavored to hurry their poor animals along. We supposed that reinforcements were being sent to the troops in our front for the purpose of either driving us into the river or capturing us. Skirmish firing along our front was quite lively at times, but no direct attack was made upon us. In the morning all was quiet, and when the fog lifted from the river the Stars and Stripes were seen waving from the high buildings in Savannah. The skirmishers of Geary's Division of our Corps had entered the city shortly before daylight almost in time to see Hardee's rear- guard crossing the river. The following very accurate description of the movement of our Brigade to the South Carolina shore, and the object Sherman had in view, is from Van Horne's History of the Army of the Cumberland :
"Pending the opening of the Ogeechee and the coming of the siege-guns, there was some activity on the left flank of the army, and General Slocum was urged to throw one of his corps into South Carolina. to close General Hardee's only avenue of escape. On the 15th, Colonel Hawley
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crossed to the Carolina shore from Argyle Island, with five companies, drove the enemy from Izzard's plantation, and made a reconnoissance of the country two miles further. Being isolated, he thought it prudent to return, and in doing this he was vigorously pressed by the enemy, but recrossed to the island in safety. Upon his return. he was reinforced by the Second Massachusetts Regiment, and on the next day the remainder of the brigade, Colonel Carman commanding, and a section of artillery, crossed to the island and took position on the eastern point near the South Carolina shore. During the night, Colonel Carman re- ceived orders from General Williams to cross to South Carolina and take position near the river, threatening the Savannah and Charleston road. This was not accomplished immediately for want of small boats, and barges could not be used on account of low tide. In the meantime, General Wheeler appeared on the opposite shore, and opened with his light guns upon Carman's troops. the latter responding during the 17th and 18th, but made no effort to cross.
" In view of these revelations, General Sherman aband- oned the idea of closing the road to Charleston by opera ting from his left flank as the enemy held the river opposite the city with iron-clad gunboats, and could. as was con- jectured, destroy pontoons between Hutchinson Island and the Carolina shore, and isolate any force sent from that flank.
"Upon the abandonment of this movement, General Slocum was ordered to get the siege-guns into position and make preparations for an assault. The approaches to the city were upon the narrow causeways, which were com- manded by artillery ; but nevertheless the reconnoissance from the left wing had convinced General Slocum and his subordinate commanders that the works in their front could be carried. Two of General Howard's division commanders were confident they could attack successfully, though the condition of assault on their portion of the line was less favorable than on the left.
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"In abandoning the purpose to close the Charleston road from his left flank, General Sherman did not forego the attempt to shut it from another direction, as it was then threatened by one of General Foster's divisions from the head of Broad river, and on the 19th he set sail for Port Royal to arrange with General Foster for a movement upon the causeway, so vital to General Hardee. His instruc- tions, at departure, to Generals Howard and Slocum were to get ready, but not to strike until his return.
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