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Finally the last train of cars moved off, and the
whole army went to the road and destroyed it from Atlanta to Chattanooga,
and then marched to Atlanta. We stopped there but a day, and
in that time destroyed the depots, all Government property, and
everything which could aid a rebel in doing mischief, then bid
adieu to the place, and pursuing the McDonough's road, plunged
further into "Dixie." We moved in columns on different
roads, and went as four stalwart mowers would move across a field,
mowing a swath fifty miles wide. The Seventeenth Corps passed
through Monticello, and struck the Central Georgia Railroad at
Gordon. Another column went to Milledgeville. At Gordon we rested
a short time, and heard cannonading toward Macon, and learned
soon after that Hardee's old troops came out from Macon to punish
the "Yankees;" a fight ensued and they hurried back
to Macon with the certainty that they had lost three hundred men
killed and as many more wounded in the skirmish, and that was
the last we saw of the rebels.
After destroying the railroad from Gordon to Milledgeville,
and some miles in the direction of Macon, we started for Savannah.
When we crossed the Ocmulgee river we destroyed the Government
factories there, and all the mills on the road. Foraging the
country as we went, we fared sumptuously, for we found the land
flowing with milk, honey and Confederate scrip. Our jaded horses
and mules were turned out, and fine animals conscripted to serve
in their stead, and we progressed finely, and waxed fat and jolly.
The Governor of Georgia fumed, and delivered himself
of a proclamation, calling upon every male citizen to rally around
the State flag: rise in their might; burn their crops; destroy
their food; turn loose their hogs; run off their horses and cattle;
fell trees across the road; burn the bridges, and annihilate Sherman
and his adventurous Yankees. The Legislature had already passed
an act calling out the State troops, and making conscripts of
all men and boys, but by a special clause exempted themselves,
then adjourned to Macon. We pursued the even tenor of our way
unmolested, for the people did not make any haste to obey the
Governor, and we crossed the Oconee, Camanchee,
Little and Great Ogeeche rivers, and arrived at Millen, where
a branch road runs to Augusta. A small body of rebel State troops
had thrown up some earthworks at this point, but fled as we approached.
After burning the depot and tearing up the road about fifteen
miles toward Augusta, we traveled on and found the country growing
more flat and swampy, and had to corduroy our roads the most of
the way from there to Savannah. All the cotton, cotton gins and
presses were destroyed along the entire route. At Station No.
2 we met a force entrenched with two pieces of artillery, and
found our road obstructed by fallen timber. Our advance charged
their works, when they fled without a fight, and we met no more
resistance until we were within seven miles of the city, and ran
against their line and battled.
Our lines were formed and we rested until morning,
when we found that the rice swamps, which extended from the Savannah
to the Ogeeche rivers, (and become more troublesome as we approached
the coast,) had been flooded, and the roads were all defended.
Swinging around to the right, the Third Division took position
east of the canal,
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