"But few of the troops were marched through the city. Some two or three regiments were detailed, under the orders of the engineers, to destroy certain property designated by the general commanding. The magazines, arsenals, depot buildings, factories of one kind and another, with storehouses containing large amounts of government property, and some 1,700 bales of cotton burned. Private houses were respected everywhere, even those of noted Rebels, and I heard of no instance of pillage or insult to the inhabitants. One or two of the latter, known as having been in the Rebel army, were prisoners of war, but the surgeons at the hospitals, the principal of the insane asylum, and others, expressed their gratitude that such perfect order was maintained throughout the city. "General Sherman is at the Executive Mansion, its former occupant having with extremely bad grace fled from his distinguished visitor, taking with him the entire furniture of the building. As General Sherman travels with a _menage_ (a roll of blankets and haversack full of hard-tack), which is as complete for a life out in the open air as in a palace, this discourtesy of Governor Brown was not a serious inconvenience. "General Sherman's opening move in the present campaign has been successful in the highest degree. At first moving his Army in three columns, with a column of Cavalry on his extreme right, with eccentric lines, he diverted the attention of the enemy, so that he concentrated his forces at extreme points, Macon and Augusta, leaving unimpeded the progress of the main body. In this campaign--the end of which does not yet appear--it is not the purpose of the General to spend his time before fortified cities, nor yet to incumber his wagons with wounded men. His instructions to Kilpatrick were to report to Howard and so demonstrate against Macon. "Slocum, with the Twentieth Corps, arrived at Milledgeville on the 22d instant, preceding Davis, with the Fourteenth Corps, one day. On the same day Kilpatrick struck the Macon and Western Road, destroying the bridge at Walnut Creek. The day following Howard, with the Fifteenth and Seventeenth Corps, after a battle, arrived at Gordon, and began the destruction of the Georgia Central Railroad. "It was back of this that the most serious fight of the campaign occurred to this date, supported by General Chas. R. Wood's entire division. General Wolcot in command of a detachment of cavalry and a brigade of infantry, was thrown forward to Griswoldville, toward Macon, for demonstrative purposes merely. The enemy, some five thousand strong, advanced upon our troops, who had thrown up temporary breastworks, with a section of a battery in position. The cavalry fell slowly back on either flank of brigade, protecting them from attack in flank and rear. The Rebels are composed of militia chiefly, although a portion of Hardee's old corps was present, having been brought up from Savannah.