Vignettes of Sherman’s March to the Sea

     Captain Moses Osman of the 104th Illinois kept a detailed daily journal documenting his regiment’s march through Georgia in November and December 1864. Upon his safe arrival in Savannah, he sent the journal back to his brother in Ottawa, Illinois who published the journal in four successive issues of the Ottawa Free Trader. This blog post features some of the highlights from those journal entries.

 

This dramatic shot from Gone With the Wind gives some indication of what Captain Osman witnessed during the burning of Atlanta in November 1864. "The black smoke as it reflected the light from above formed a crimson canopy above us and gave a beautiful pink tint to the country around," he noted in his journal. "But gorgeous as the spectacle was to the eye, it filled me with gloom."

Burning of Atlanta- November 15, 1864

          “We encamped for the night on a height on the east of the city adjoining the Augusta Railroad affording a fine view of the city and its environs. The conflagration as it raged during the night was a grand spectacle. The black smoke as it reflected the light from above formed a crimson canopy over us and gave a beautiful pink tint to the country around. Hundreds of shells concealed in the houses kept exploding as the fire progressed, recalling vividly the scenes of the bombardment. But gorgeous as the spectacle was to the eye, it filled my mind with gloom. How must all this affect the Southern people, and especially those who once lived here in affluence but are now reduced to beggary? What will the fate be of our soldiers if we fall into their hands? What would we do should we get the men in our power who we knew had burned our homes and plundered our defenseless wives and children?”

 

Starting the March- November 16, 1864

          “Before starting this morning [November 16th] a general order was read from General Sherman in substance that we had now cut loose from all communication with our base of supplies and started on a long and arduous march through the enemy’s country, that we must depend on the country we traversed for subsistence and assigning the position of the various corps and division. This order was all the information vouchsafed us of the object and destination of the expedition.”

 

Uncle Billy was convinced that he could make his march across the state and "make Georgia howl." One of the most popular songs that the march inspired was Henry Clay Work's "Marching Through Georgia." Sherman was treated to the song so many times after the war that he grew to hate the tune. 

Scenes on the March

          “But little attention is paid to the squad of bushwhackers who follow on our trail. They are no doubt citizens who keep in our wake putting out fires to save their fences. They evidently have no desire to come in collision with our foraging parties. Soldiers are a queer set; nearly everyone smokes and fire is there constantly in requisition. The consequence is that all along the line of march either the woods or the adjoining fences are kept in a perpetual blaze. It is to extinguish these fires that these bands of horsemen follow after us. Should they fall in with any of our stragglers, they would no doubt capture them could they do it without exposing their own lives. The only effect their presence has produced upon our marauders is to induce us to keep together in a larger squad so they can defend each other in case they are attacked.”

          “When we came to a halt, the men were unusually cross as cold weather makes men ill-humored, but a long hard march on a cold day and empty stomachs makes one mad and insolent. Hot coffee and a full haversack, however, have a magical influence on a soldier’s temper, no matter how much he may be out of sorts before supper, he is always in a good humor after it. His belly full, he will sit down by his campfire, smoke his pipe, and tell stories or crack jokes for hours regardless of the fatigues of the day.”

 

"Hot coffee and a full haversack have a magical influence on a soldier's temper," Captain Osman observed. "No matter how much he may be out of sorts before supper, he is always in a good humor after it."

Meeting and Freeing the Slaves

          Captain Osman recalled when his column passed through the Shady Dale Plantation in Jasper County owned by the Whitefield family. “It is one of the richest estates in Georgia. This estate is said to own over 2,000 slaves and nearly one-third of Jasper County. As we marched through the Negro village, our bands played some lively pieces. This was something new to the Negroes who had never heard anything in the shape of instrumental music above the banjo and bones, and they all came streaming from their houses to the road apparently wild with enthusiastic delight at the great volume of music that poured forth from the band. Some of the jolly chaps, unable to withstand the temptation, leaped into the road and went to dancing with all of their might. The women who had on their best Sunday clothes clustered around the bands and followed the column for several miles hopping and stamping with their feet to keep time to the music. It is remarkable to witness the power music has over these Negroes.”

          “As the column was moving along, some 40 or 50 Negro men, women, and children came to the road to see us. Just then our band struck up playing a lively piece. This was too much for the Negroes and as if a bombshell had burst among them, they scattered to all directions for their personal effects. And before the whole column had passed, they came out with their bundles determined to follow their Yankee friends. As we passed along, one old man came rushing back from the front with his hands raised and followed by a squad of women crying out, ‘Don’t go too fast, we’s coming, too!’ And away they hurried to their cabins to gather up what few articles they wished to bring along. The Negroes throughout the whole extent of these plains are of the most degraded class. Generally field hands are kept as ignorant as possible, still they have their own notions about the Yankees. They think we have come here exclusively to set them free and take them with us.”

 

This 1868 depiction of Sherman's march captures many of the major themes Captain Osman recorded in his journal: the widespread destruction of the railroads, telegraph poles, and plantations. Freed slaves at the lower right walk across the tracks and into a very uncertain future: opinion in Uncle Billy's army was very mixed regarding the slaves. Osman eventually concluded that it was a mistake to encourage the newly freed to accompany the army, particularly when Confederate resistance near Savannah increased and forage became scarce. 

Camping in the Swamps

          By December 9th, the 14th Army Corps lay just outside of Savannah. “After a tedious march of 10 miles we arrived at another of those dismal swamps with which half the surface of this section of the state is covered. The enemy had again fallen trees across the road rendering further progress impossible until the road could be cleared. We therefore took up quarters for the night along the edge of the swamp in a thicket of brush knit together with rattan, grape, briar, and muskedine vines so closely that a bird could scarcely get through. Jack-knives, hatchets, axes, and spades were brought into requisition and in a few hours quite decent lodges were cleared up. The ground was covered with broad spreading palm leaves which furnished us material for comfortable beds on which we slept sweetly.”

 

Taking Savannah

          “All day yesterday [December 20th] the enemy was particularly lavish in the waste of their ammunition. Their artillery kept up a constant fire at our pickets and skirmishers. Everybody remarked that there was an unusual amount of shelling all along the lines and the question was frequently asked, “What can the Johnnys mean?” This morning, however, explained it all. As soon as day dawned, it was ascertained that they had evacuated their works. Our pickets immediately moved across the swamp and occupied the deserted forts. All the artillery was left in the forts, some of it spiked, but most of it in perfectly serviceable order. A great deal of ammunition had been spoiled by wetting it but much more was left uninjured. Everything had the appearance of a hasty evacuation. They left some 16 pieces of artillery in front of our division alone ranging in caliber from 6 to 64-pounders. Immediately after breakfast, our brigade moved across the pond into the Rebel works in our front. As soon as we arrived on this side, we learned that Savannah had also been evacuated during the night. This news was received with enthusiastic cheers by the troops as column after column came streaming across.”

 Sources:

Letters from Captain Moses Osman, Co. A, 104th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, Ottawa Free Trader (Illinois), December 31, 1864, pg. 2, January 7, 1865, pg. 2, January 14, 1865, pg. 2, January 21, 1865, pg. 1

Comments

Post a Comment

Most Popular Posts

Arming the Buckeyes: Longarms of the Ohio Infantry Regiments

Image
     A common question that comes up in conversation about Civil War Buckeye regiments is "What were they armed with?" We are fortunate in that the state of Ohio kept good records of how the regiments were armed when they went into service, this being especially true for those regiments which went into service in 1861 and 1862. The state adjutant general's reports for 1861 and 1862 have been heavily drawn upon to construct this article, as well as consultation with Phil Spaugy who has done extensive research on how Ohio's troops were armed during the war.      Buckeyes carried a fairly wide variety of weapons into the field, and the below article breaks this down into weapons of both domestic manufacture and imported arms. The early days of the war found the state of Ohio practically bereft of longarms; as an example, when the 1st and 2nd Ohio Volunteer Militia left the state in late April 1861, they left unarmed, being armed at Lancaster, Pennsylvania on their way to
Read more

Bullets for the Union: Manufacturing Small Arms Ammunition During the Civil War

Image
       Civil War bullets are perhaps the most common item collected from the era; the two armies expended bullets by the millions during the four years’ conflict and spent or deformed bullets of all shapes and sizes have made fascinating and affordable collectibles since the guns went silent in 1865.       I recently acquired a display piece featuring 35 different types of small arms ammunition used during the Civil War, including everything from a small .28 caliber ball up to a .69 caliber three-ring Minie and it triggered some questions: how did the Federal army obtain its small arms ammunition during the war? Where did the lead come from to make the bullets, and where and how was the ammunition manufactured? This post seeks to answer those questions. A typical .58 caliber 3-ring Minie bullet   “Whenever the blasts of war blow in the ears of men who trade in the implements of destruction, they are apt to experience more joy than the true warrior, for then comes the harvest of gain.
Read more

Dressing the Rebels: How to Dye Butternut Jeans Cloth

Image
     In the early days of the Civil War,  the Southern states found themselves with an abundance of cotton but a shortage of cloth with which to make army uniforms. The trade in cloth prior to the war had largely been to send raw cotton or wool north to New England (or Great Britain) where it was converted into usable cloth; but now that trade was broken and the Southern states were thrown upon their own resources in their efforts to properly clothe the Confederate army.  This collection of Confederate enlisted men's frock coats and shell jackets gives some indication of the variety of shades of butternut worn during the war. All of them are shades of yellow brown, some heavier on the yellow and some heavier on the brown. The blue used around the collar or as rank insignia indicates that the soldier was in the infantry. Surviving Confederate uniforms are considered rather rare and command quite a healthy price in the collecting market. For an in-depth study of how Confederate jacke
Read more

The Wizard of Oz and the Civil War

Image
T he 1939 film The Wizard of Oz has delighted viewers for 85 years and ranks as a personal favorite, especially during the Halloween season. While watching it with the family the other night, I wondered if there were any connections between the film and the Civil War. Not surprisingly, the answer is yes and those connections touch both the blue and the gray.           Interestingly both “witches” in the film not only had Civil War ancestors but had connections with Civil War soldiers from Ohio. Margaret Hamilton, the “Wicked Witch of the West,” was born in Cleveland, Ohio on December 9, 1902, to attorney Walter Jones Hamilton and his wife Mary Jane Adams; Margaret’s grandfather was Judge Edwin Timothy Hamilton. Judge Hamilton had served as a private in Co. D of the 84 th Ohio Infantry during the summer of 1862. The 84 th Ohio, a three months’ regiment, served nearly the whole of its service attached to the Railroad District in western Maryland, performing provost duty at Cumberlan
Read more

The Vaunted Enfield Rifle Musket

Image
     The English-made Model 1853 .577 caliber Enfield Rifle Musket was widely regarded as the best infantry arm in the world at the outbreak of the Civil War in April 1861. Favorable international press describing its efficiency in the Crimean War and in suppressing the Indian rebellion led to the widespread desire of American infantrymen (both Federal and Confederate) to be armed with these accurate and well-made arms. The lock plate of this well-worn P1853 Enfield rifle musket produced in 1862 shows the typical markings of a British-made weapon that made it through the Federal blockade.  ( Army of Tennessee Relics ) Enfield-pattern weapons were imported into the states by the tens and hundreds of thousands during the war years; one estimate stated that the Federal government purchased 500,000 while the Confederates purchased another 400,000. The Confederate government dispatched Captain Caleb Huse to Europe in April 1861 to purchase weapons and Huse focused on securing all the Enfi
Read more

In front of Atlanta with the 68th Ohio

Image
  The arrow corps badge of the 17th Army Corps was worn by many members of the 68th Ohio in the latter days of the war.       Private Edward A. Bigelow of Co. F of the 68th Ohio Volunteer Infantry wrote this brief account of the Battle of Atlanta just two days afterwards to his father back home in Henry County, Ohio. The regiment formed a part of Colonel Robert K. Scott's three regiment all-Ohio brigade consisting of the 20th, 68th, and 78th regiments, being designated the Second Brigade of the Third Division of Frank Blair's 17th Army Corps. Bigelow's letter originally appeared in the Napoleon Press newspaper and was copied in the Toledo Daily Commercial which was providential as no known copies exist today of the wartime Napoleon Press.  
Read more

Charging Battery Robinett: An Alabama Soldier Recalls the Vicious Fighting at Corinth

Image
W riting 30 years after the Battle of Corinth, James A. McKinstry of the 42 nd Alabama recalled his experiences storming Battery Robinett with Colonel William P. Rogers of the 2 nd Texas and expressed guilt that it was perhaps his action that brought about the colonel’s demise. “On seeing a line of Federals approaching, and before giving the situation a thought, I immediately raised my gun and fired full into the breast of a Federal sergeant, who was in front of the column, and only a short distance from us.  'Twas then that Captain George Foster shouted, "Cease firing, men! cease firing!" and waved his handkerchief, then I realized the true situation. 'Twas too late! That fatal volley had been turned on our little band from the muzzles of 1,500 muskets. I was still standing just as I was when I fired my last shot, and within a few feet of Colonel Rogers, when a Minie ball went crashing through my left hip and turned me half round; another went tearing through my
Read more

Federal Arms in the Stones River Campaign

Image
  T he following list, constructed after many years of research, lists unit by unit which type of weapons were carried by the Army of the Cumberland during the Stones River campaign. A number of sources were consulted including state ordnance reports, Federal quarterly ordnance reports (thank you Research Arsenal ), Ken Baumann’s Arming the Suckers, regimental histories and memoirs, captured ordnance reports, and consultation with knowledgeable experts in the field of firearms. Some of this information has been shared on the blog before in “ Rosy’s Heavy Metal: Artillery of the Army of the Cumberland ” or “ Shoulder Arms: How Sheridan’s and Davis’s Divisions Were Armed at Stones River ” but this is the first time the army as a whole has been presented. The overall conclusion I drew from looking at this data is that the Army of the Cumberland in December 1862 was an organization in the midst of transformation as far as arms. Many of the regiments still retained their original issue
Read more

Cook & Brother of New Orleans

Image
    The lockplate of a New Orleans-made Cook & Brother Enfield rifle produced in 1862 shows the fine craftsmanship that became the hallmark of the maker throughout the Civil War. Note the stars and bars flag at left, an emblem used on C&B's production throughout the war and the Cook & Brother, N.O. 1862 markings. Earlier production weapons at New Orleans had the flag located just above the maker's name while later weapons produced in Athens, Georgia would have a modified flag and Athens on the plate followed by the serial number.        In the spring of 1861, two English-born businessmen, Ferdinand and Francis Cook of New Orleans, perceived the need for the South to have its own domestic production of firearms and  set out to prove "that rifles could made here as well as in Yankee land or in Europe." The brothers  elected to produce copies of the British Model 1853 .577 caliber Enfield rifle as this was considered the benchmark longarm at the outset of the
Read more

Revisiting Snodgrass Hill: Memories of a 21st Ohio Officer

Image
Captain Isaac Cusac, Co. G, 21st Ohio Volunteer Infantry proudly displaying his rank as captain in an image likely dating from early 1863. One of his shoulder straps was shot off in the final stages of the 21st Ohio's fight atop Snodgrass Hill on September 20, 1863. Cusac brought it back to Chickamauga 50 years later.  I n September 1913, 83-year-old Isaac Cusac, a retired Presbyterian minister from the little town of McComb, Ohio, returned to Chattanooga to attend the national G.A.R. encampment. The former captain of the 21 st Ohio returned to Snodgrass Hill on the old Chickamauga battlefield on the 50 th anniversary of the battle carrying with him a precious relic of his wartime experiences. “He carried with him there an epaulet that was shot from his shoulder at the battle,” it was reported. “The bullet clipped off the epaulet and then struck him on the left hand, injuring two fingers.”           The flood of memories as he walked the grounds must have been overwhelming. The f
Read more