Resource Center OLLibrary
|
316 |
|
[1864 |
great railway center, but it was "the chief seat of the machine
shops, foundries, and factories of the Confederacy." For these
reasons Sherman was resolved to capture the city at any cost.
Sherman advanced slowly through a rough,
mountainous country. He fought sharp battles at Resaca (May 14-15,
1864), at Dallas (May 25-28, 1864), and at Kenesaw Mountain (June
27, 1864) (Map, p. 320); but the Confederates could not check him
in his march. Sherman says that for an entire month the Union army
never ceased firing for even "a minute." But his soldiers would
rather have fought more battles and had less rain. For
FARRAGUT'S LETTER HOME, WRITTEN JUST BEFORE THE BATTLE
I am going into Mobile Bay in the morning if
"God is my leader," as I hope he is.
D.
G. FARRAGUT
three weeks it poured most of the time night and day; while he
was marching, every man had a rivulet streaming down his back,
and, as the army carried no tents, he was fortunate when night
came if he did not have to sleep in a puddle.
As fast as the Confederates, under Johnston,
fell back they tore up the railway track and burned the bridges;
but Sherman's men rebuilt them so rapidly that "the whistle of the
locomotives was always following close on the heels of Johnston's
soldiers."
354. Sherman takes Atlanta; Farragut enters
Mobile Bay. After a series of battles with flood, to whom
Jefferson Davis had now given the command in place of General J.
E. Johnston
Admiral Farragut
Porter and Foote
|
318 |
|
[1863 |
(§ 344), Sherman took Atlanta (September 2, 1864). He had
advanced 100 miles from Chattanooga, and in that short distance
each side had lost about 30,000 men; that meant that every mile
had cost the two armies 600 killed and wounded. Sherman burned the
foundries, mills, and machine shops of Atlanta, but spared all its
dwelling houses and churches. This destruction crippled the
Southern armies. From that time they fought like
AN INCIDENT OF SHERMAN'S MARCH THROUGH GEORGIA
a man with one of his arms broken; they were as brave, as
resolute as ever, but they lost ground every day.
Meanwhile, Admiral Farragut (§ 334)
attacked Mobile (August 5, 1864). He stationed himself in the
rigging of his vessel, where he could see every move in the
battle; after a hard fight he forced his way with his fleet past
the forts and took possession of the harbor. He completely closed
the port of Mobile1 against supplies sent to the
Confederates from abroad. This naval victory was one more
important step taken toward compelling the final surrender of the
South.
I All the ports of
the South had long been blockaded by Union war vessels, but in
some cases "blockade runners" succeeded in evading these vessels,
and thus a certain amount of secret commerce was carried
on.
Generals Sherman, Sheridan,
Thomas,
Hooker, Hancock
