Life of Wm. Tecumseh Sherman.: Late Retired General. U. S. A.Johnson, Willis Fletcher
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Life of Wm. Tecumseh Sherman.: Late Retired General. U. S. A.
Johnson, Willis Fletcher
Sherman, William T. (William Tecumseh), 1820-1891
"With that ignorance of danger common to new troops, the Rebels rushed
upon our veterans with the greatest fury. The rebels made the attack,
but with most fatal results and were soon in full flight, leaving more
than three hundred dead on the field. Our loss was some forty killed
and wounded, while their killed, wounded and prisoners are estimated to
exceed two thousand. A pretty severe lesson they have received."
The whole army moved on, and three days later reached Tennille
Station, on the Georgia Central Railroad. Continuing his story, the
correspondent wrote on November 27: "General Sherman was with Slocum
at Milledgeville. The rebels seem to have understood, but too late,
that it was not Howard's intention to make a serious attack upon Macon.
They have, however, succeeded in getting Wheeler across the Oconee
at a point below the railroad bridge. We first became aware of their
presence in our front by the destruction of several small bridges
across Buffalo Creek, on the two roads leading to Sandersville, over
which were advancing the 20th and 14th Corps.
"We were delayed but a few hours. The passage was also contested by the
rebel cavalry under Wheeler, and they fought our front all the way,
and into the streets of Sandersville. The 20th Corps had the advance,
deploying a regiment as skirmishers, forming the remainder of a brigade
in line of battle on either side of the road. The movement was executed
in the handsomest manner, and was so effectual as not to impede the
march of the column in the slightest degree, although the roll of
musketry was unceasing. Our loss was not serious, twenty odd killed and
wounded.
"As the 20th Corps entered the town they were met by the 14th, whose
head of column arrived at the same moment. While these two corps had
met with the obstructions above mentioned, the army under General
Howard were attempting to throw a pontoon across the Oconee at the
Georgia Central Railroad bridge. Here they met a force under the
command of General Wayne, which was composed of a portion of Wheeler's
cavalry, militia, and a band of convicts who had been liberated from
the penitentiary upon the condition that they would join the army.
"The most of these desperados have been taken prisoners, dressed in
their State prison clothing. General Sherman has turned them loose,
believing that Governor Brown had not got the full benefits of his
liberality. The rebels did not make a remarkably stern defense of the
bridge, for Howard was able to cross his army yesterday, and commenced
breaking railroad again to-day. In fact, all of the army, except one
corps, are engaged in this same work. Morgan, with his army, was hardly
able to reach this point when he met General Hardee, who has managed
to get around here from Macon. Our troops struck the railroad at this
station a few hours after the frightened band escaped.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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