“On the 12th of November,” says General Sherman’s report, “my army stood detached and cut off from all communication with the rear.” On the 16th, General Sherman himself left Atlanta, and the march may be said to have fairly commenced. It covered a period of five weeks, and terminated in the capture of Savannah. In many respects this was the most brilliant operation of the entire war. The sensation which the great march occasioned throughout the North and in Europe, is almost unexampled in history. One effective element was its mystery. In leaving Atlanta, Sherman cut himself off from all communication with the North, and utterly disappeared—no one knew whither, except such as enjoyed the confidence of the government. The rebel authorities and press were uncommonly reticent of all information of his movements. Rumors were hunted up from day to day, but it was not until the army emerged upon the Atlantic coast, that its history became known, and the importance and the brilliancy of Sherman’s campaign was adequately realized. The story of the great march has been many times told—very curtly and concisely by General Sherman himself, in his report; very profusely by war-correspondents who accompanied the army, and have since put forth their narratives of its adventures. It was not attended by any important battles, but was, of course, marked by a great variety of lively and picturesque incidents.

The army, consisting of sixty thousand infantry and five thousand five hundred cavalry, with one cannon to each thousand men, was divided into two wings, the right being entrusted to Major-General O. O. Howard, commanding the Fifteenth and Seventeenth corps, and the left to Major-General H. W. Slocum, commanding the Fourteenth and Twentieth corps. The right wing, under General Howard, preceded by Brigadier-General J. Kilpatrick’s cavalry division, was put in motion in the direction of Jonesboro’ and McDonough, with orders to make an imposing feint on Macon, “to cross the Ocmulgee about Planter’s Mills, and rendezvous in the neighborhood of Gordon in seven days, exclusive of the day of march.” The cavalry moved out in columns of fours, filing past the right wing, their splendid appearance eliciting shouts of applause from the infantry. The latter suspected rightly that to Kilpatrick was assigned the glorious task of releasing the Union prisoners confined at Millen, and they consequently wished him God-speed with all their hearts.

On the same day, General Slocum moved by Decatur and Stone Mountain. The progress of the corps was at first slow, but the spirits of the men were buoyant. They had been told all it was necessary for them to know, that the base was to be changed, that a long and difficult march was before them, and that a fatal blow was, by such means, to be dealt the rebel Confederacy. The ensuing night proved pleasant; the road was broad and good, and brilliantly illuminated by the conflagration of Atlanta.

The army was to move in four columns. The two constituting the left wing, under General Slocum, were to take the more northerly route, and the two forming the right, under Howard, were to pursue the more southerly one, but all were to keep within supporting distance of each other, with the cavalry operating on the flanks. The troops were provided with good wagon trains, loaded with ammunition and forty days’ edible supplies, and were instructed to maintain this order of things as long as possible by foraging liberally, and “living chiefly, if not solely, upon the country.” Orders were issued to prevent the infliction of any unnecessary loss and suffering upon the inhabitants, and “to leave each family a reasonable portion for its maintenance but of course such instructions were often disregarded and too frequently converted into a license for indiscriminate plunder, so that the Georgians were at last compelled to endure the full penalty of the fratricidal war they had assisted in provoking.

As the left wing, under General Slocum, moved forward, the railroad from Social Circle to Madison was torn up. On reaching Rutledge, the railroad depot, engine-house, &c., were destroyed, and large quantities of cotton were burned, three hundred bales being often destroyed by one corps in a day’s march. Foraging, too, began to be richly recompensed. Madison, one of the loveliest villages in Georgia, was next partially shorn of its beauty. Its stores were sacked and its slave calaboose burned to the ground. On Sunday the troops arrived at Eatonville, a terminus of the branch railroad from Milledgeville, where they suffered much from cold rains and the worst and most slippery roads they had yet traversed. General Geary had, in the mean time, made a detour, for the purpose of destroying the Oconee railroad bridge, a splendid structure, twelve hundred feet in length. Several wagon bridges, tanneries, shoe-factories, and four hundred bales of cotton in the neighborhood shared its fate before he joined the main column. Supplies were now found on every hand in abundance, including stacks of corn fodder, numerous ground beds, containing about one hundred bushels of sweet potatoes in each; also, cattle, sheep, hogs, and poultry. Fine horses and sleek mules were hidden in thickets, but they were almost invariably discovered by the men and appropriated to government use. Negroes willingly assisted the soldiers in their search for hidden treasures, and left their homes at a moment’s preparation to go they knew not whither, in search of freedom, which they too often imagined to be “an eternal Christmas—a life-long holiday.” Old and young, strong and weak, men, women, and children, of all shades, some dressed in their master’s or mistress’ best, and others almost naked, joined Sherman’s march, some of them declaring that “Mars’r Sherman was a great man, but dis am de work ob de Lord.”

On the twenty-second of November, Captain Duncan, with ten scouts, dashed into Milledgeville, the capital of the State, and captured it. The mayor came forth, and made a formal surrender of the town to General Slocum, deprecating the destruction of private property. Governor Brown, after vainly endeavoring to infuse into the hearts of the legislators the courage which he himself could not muster, had fled precipitately, as they had done, leaving the capital without defenders. Two thousand stand of arms, a ton and a half of powder, and much other valuable public property, was here captured. The penitentiary was burned by some disorderly soldiers, after the convicts had been released. Millions of Georgia paper money was found in the Treasurer’s office. Private property was here protected, and only that belonging to the rebel government, including two thousand bales of cotton, arsenals, machinery, depots, &c., was burned.

General Kilpatrick’s cavalry had been—as, indeed, they were during the whole march—busy covering the movements of the infantry columns, protecting flanks, lighting up the country with burning cotton, guarding against rebel dashes in the rear, and fighting splendidly in front. After crossing Mud Creek, near Jonesboro’, the advance encountered the enemy in force, provided with artillery. The rebel cannon opened fiercely, but the enemy no sooner witnessed the imposing display of cavalry which confronted them, than they lost heart, and retreated to Lovejoy’s Station, where Wheeler had taken refuge behind a line of earthworks, with artillery in position, and a large force of militia and one brigade of his old command, under Iverson, numbering in all perhaps four thousand men.

Colonel Murray’s gallant brigade, consisting of four regiments, was formed for the assault, while the artillery on both sides thundered heavily. The open country was favorable for a charge, which was quickly sounded, and a brilliant dash upon the rebel works was made, which resulted in the recapture of two of Rodman’s guns, which were lost by Stoneman in his unfortunate raid, and the complete rout of the enemy, with the loss on his part of ten killed and forty taken prisoners.

General Howard was now approaching Planter’s Mills with the view of laying his pontoons and crossing the Ocmulgee, which purpose he accomplished undisturbed. Kilpatrick was at the same time menacing Macon from the west side of the stream. His cavalry passed Clinton on the 20th and advanced upon Macon in three columns, the brigade under Colonel Atkins taking the right, that under Colonel Murray the left, while the Third Kentucky held the central road. Colonel Murray went dashing for miles over a succession of barricades with little loss till he came within reach of the guns of the enemy’s works, which opened a furious discharge upon him. Without flinching, the Tenth Ohio advanced in the face of this fire up the hill, and when the signal charge was given, rushed forward with irresistible impetuosity. The works were surmounted, artillerymen and infantry supports scattered, and the fort captured with a celerity that surprised the victors themselves. But while busying themselves with the eight siege guns they had taken but could neither spike nor remove, the enemy rallied, other guns were turned upon the Federals, and they were compelled to retire.

The cavalry now destroyed the Central railroad as far as Griswoldsville, where Walcott’s brigade of infantry joined them in order to cover that flank, while Howard’s trains were closing up and his men scattered and engaged in the destruction of the railroad toward Gordon. The enemy had made a reconnoissance in force and captured an entire picket post. He was approaching in considerable strength, and scarcely had the Union cavalry thrown up some hasty works, before they were assaulted by the rebels, who advanced with a deafening yell. Walcott’s infantry, regarding the Confederate militia with supreme contempt, swept down upon them; but they did not prove such contemptible foes after all, and were content with nothing short of a thorough defeat. They were commanded by General Phillips, who displayed much gallantry in rallying them when they shrank under a heavy fire of musketry and artillery; but his efforts were finally unavailing, and his men fled panic-stricken, leaving their brave commander and several hundred men prisoners in the hands of the Union troops.

Kilpatrick crossed the Oconee river and joined Sherman at Milledgeville.

Slocum’s column left the capital on the 24th, crossed the Oconee, and plunged into an extensive pine forest. The Oconee bridge was burned on the following morning. The road traversed a wide swamp formed by a winding creek, over which nine bridges had been built. The enemy had destroyed these, and pontoons and corduroy had to supply their place. Skirmishing with the enemy now grew lively. A dash of Colonel Hughes into Sandersville nearly proved fatal to him, and the infantry of the second column advanced to undisturbed possession of the town. Louisville was reached on the 30th, and on the 2d and 3d of December, both men and mules suffered much from the heat. On the march, the plantation of a violent secessionist, Dr. W. Jones, was completely devastated, and that of widow Jones, who had shown sympathy to Union captives, was spared for the sake of her charitable deeds. The Milieu stockade, which had been the prison of many thousand Union captives, was passed, but the prisoners had been removed before even the swift and dashing Kilpatrick could reach it. It consisted of a high log fence, enclosing fifteen acres, in a thick pine forest, and was a melancholy and dreary spectacle.

The right wing, under General Howard, had encountered little opposition, except at Oconee Bridge, where Major Hartridge, of Wheeler’s cavalry, made a stout but unavailing resistance. The Fourteenth and Twentieth corps arrived at Millen with punctuality, which tended to ensure the accomplishment of Sherman’s masterly plans.

Kilpatrick had, in the mean time, been raiding in advance. Two hundred of his men under Captain Hayes, had struck out sixty miles from the main command. They ventured within eight miles of Augusta, destroying a train of cars, the bridge over Brier creek on the Augusta Branch railroad, and committed other devastations calculated to weaken and confound the enemy. Kilpatrick took special pains while Hayes was thus engaged, to keep Wheeler’s attention fixed upon him, in the vicinity of Louisville. Colonel Murray’s detachment was thrice vigorously assailed by the rebel cavalry, and though driven off at last by the aid of artillery. Kilpatrick’s command continued to be harassed with sharp skirmishing, which culminated in a hard fight, at Turkey creek, where the narrow and difficult passage over the bridge afforded the enemy an opportunity to check his progress.

On the 28th of November, a foggy morning, Wheeler’s cavalry suddenly assaulted Kilpatrick’s rear, drove him behind his second barricade, and followed up the advantage with so much vigor, that nothing but hard fighting and swift running saved that commander from capture. At Buck Head creek the cavalry had another sharp conflict. The enemy charged Kilpatrick on the flank, but his men were advantageously posted behind timber, and the rebels exposed in an open field to a fire which drove them back with the loss of two hundred left dead and wounded upon the field. On the first of December Kilpatrick had the good fortune to strike Wheeler’s cavalry in turn on the flank, and an encounter ensued in which the rebels were defeated. On the 4th, Kilpatrick was again in search of the enemy, and found him eight miles from Waynesboro’, where he was ensconced behind rail barricades. These defences were found obstinate, but Kilpatrick led his men in person, when the three lines were successfully carried in a hand-to-hand fight, and Wheeler was chased through Waynesboro’. The cavalry now moved toward Savannah, exchanging a few shots with the rebel infantry at Sister’s ferry, when, passing to the right wing again, they moved through Cypress Swamps; and, on December 10th, they were shelled by the rebel batteries at Savannah, in plain view, while picking their way through the rice fields which the rebels had flooded to prevent their approach to the city.

As all the columns had reached their rendezvous about Millen in time, they were ordered to continue their march on Savannah by several roads, according to their position in line; General Davis following the Savannah railroad, General Slocum the middle road, by the way of Springfield, General Blair the railroad, and General Howard continuing still south and west of the Ogeechee, with instructions to cross to the east bank opposite Eden Station.

On approaching Savannah, the country became more marshy and difficult, and the pioneer companies were constantly employed removing felled trees and other obstructions, so placed as to impede the advance of the army. When the heads of the columns were within fifteen miles of Savannah, all the avenues to the city were found to be thus obstructed, with the addition of extended earthworks and artillery. “But these,” says General Sherman, “were easily turned, and the enemy driven away, so that by the 10th of December the rebels were driven within their lines at Savannah, which followed two swampy streams, bordered by flooded ricefields.” The only approaches to the city were by two railroads and three dirt-roads, all of which were commanded by heavy ordnance, too strong for an attack by the artillery which Sherman’s army had brought with it.

General Slocum had struck the Charleston railroad near the bridge, and thus severed the connection between Charleston and Savannah. He invested the latter city on the right and front, the left of the Twentieth corps extending to the river. Here some of the foragers discovered the steamer Water Witch, captured from the Union fleet, moving up, which was soon recaptured and burned.

Howard now swung into line, bringing the Seventeenth corps on the right centre, and placing the Fifteenth in reserve, to open communication with the Union fleet, which purpose was effected by Captain Duncan, chief of Howard’s scouts.

Major-General Kilpatrick had reconnoitred Fort McAllister, and, by a rapid movement to Kilkenny Bluff, also succeeded in communicating with the fleet. He solicited permission to attack the fort, which was very prudently refused.