|
ducks, sheep, goats, hogs and beef cattle, that
we despoiled the enemy of, and to describe how myriad fires at
night from the burning of pine knots, made the country look line
one vast smithy, such as we might fancy Vulcan wrought in. And
we became so begrimed with soot, that since our return, the Mississippi
even with the most diligent application will scarcely suffice
to wash it away.
The papers are full of statements relative to Sherman's
expedition, the most of them being false, and many of them unjust.
General Sherman carried out his orders, and executed them all,
and would have accomplished more, but he was by his orders bound
to return to Vicksburg, and did do it; and so prompt has he been,
and so untiring, that he remained in Vicksburg but a short time,
and by the time we arrived here, General Sherman was six hundred
miles from Vicksburg, arranging other important movements which
had been entrusted to him, of which you will hear a good account
in due time.
Much praise is due to Generals Hurlbut and McPherson
for the masterly manner in which they managed their several Corps
during the expedition. Where all did well it would seem wrong
to particularize, but from the fact that the Third Division had
a large share of work assigned it thus gives prominence to its
leading officers. I cannot but note that General Leggett was
the working officer of the expedition – now in the front, then
in the rear, as our column seemed to be most threatened; he was
ever active and busy. General Force, of the First Brigade, performed
important duties at Chunkey Station, skirmishing with the enemy
and destroyed a large amount of rebel property at that point.
Colonel Wiles, of the Seventy-Eighth, was placed in command of
the Second Brigade, and established his entire ability as Brigade
Commander, for he went at it like a veteran. Tell the people
that Sherman's expedition to Alabama was a glorious success.
It destroyed one hundred and sixty miles of railroad so effectually
that it cannot be used again during the war. It destroyed between
twenty and thirty locomotives and all the cars upon the roads.
It destroyed every station from Jackson, Mississippi, to Alabama,
at Meridian and beyond, together with all depots, and public property
of all kinds. It destroyed all the cotton on both sides of the
route, for from three to ten miles into the country. It destroyed
the arsenals and machine shops at Meridian, with a large quantity
of arms and munitions of war, and stores of all kinds. It released
thousands of Union men and women, who, as refugees, came back
with the expedition. It drove before it the entire military force
of the Confederates from Champion Hills to a point beyond the
Tombigbee river, and extorted from the rebel press an acknowledgement
of their inability to hold, and that they must abandon all Mississippi
west of Pearl river. It foraged the country and found corn, pork,
beef and forage of all kinds in abundance, also horses and mules
in great numbers to replace those which gave out or were killed.
It damaged the Confederate cause in the sum of between three
and four hundred millions of dollars. We were gone thirty-one
days, and the sickness in the Seventy-Eighth averaged four men
per day only, and on deaths, save from casualties in battle and
the two by accident.
| |