ward　was　aiming　for　Jonesboro。
  I　was　with　General　Thomas　that　day；　which　was　hot　but　otherwise　very　pleasant。　　We　stopped　for　a　short　noon…rest　near　a　little　church　（marked　on　our　maps　as　Shoal…Creek　Church）；　which　stood　back　about　a　hundred　yards　from　the　road；　in　a　grove　of　native　oaks。　The　infantry　column　had　halted　in　the　road；　stacked　their　arms；　and　the　men　were　scattered　aboutsome　lying　in　the　shade　of　the　trees；　and　others　were　bringing　corn…stalks　from　a　large　corn…field　across　the　road　to　feed　our　horses；　while　still　others　had　arms　full　of　the　roasting…ears；　then　in　their　prime。　　Hundreds　of　fires　were　soon　started　with　the　fence…rails；　and　the　men　were　busy　roasting　the　ears。　　Thomas　and　I　were　walking　up　and　down　the　road　which　led　to　the　church；　discussing　the　chances　of　the　movement；　which　he　thought　were　extra…hazardous；　and　our　path　carried　us　by　a　fire　at　which　a　soldier　was　roasting　his　corn。　　The　fire　was　built　artistically；　the　man　was　stripping　the　ears　of　their　husks；　standing　them　in　front　of　his　fire；　watching　them　carefully；　and　turning　each　ear　little　by　little；　so　as　to　roast　it　nicely。　　He　was　down　on　his　knees　intent　on　his　business；　paying　little　heed　to　the　stately　and　serious　deliberations　of　his　leaders。　　Thomas's　mind　was　running　on　the　fact　that　we　had　cut　loose　from　our　base　of　supplies；　and　that　seventy　thousand　men　were　then　dependent　for　their　food　on　the　chance　supplies　of　the　country　（already　impoverished　by　the　requisitions　of　the　enemy）；　and　on　the　contents　of　our　wagons。　　Between　Thomas　and　his　men　there　existed　a　most　kindly　relation；　and　he　frequently　talked　with　them　in　the　most　familiar　way。　　Pausing　awhile；　and　watching　the　operations　of　this　man　roasting　his　corn；　he　said；　〃What　are　you　doing？〃　　The　man　looked　up　smilingly　〃Why；　general；　I　am　laying　in　a　supply　of　provisions。〃　　〃That　is　right；　my　man；　but　don't　waste　your　provisions。〃　　As　we　resumed　our　walk；　the　man　remarked；　in　a　sort　of　musing　way；　but　loud　enough　for　me　to　hear：　〃There　he　goes；　there　goes　the　old　man；　economizing　as　usual。〃　　〃Economizing〃　with　corn；　which　cost　only　the　labor　of　gathering　and　roasting！
  As　we　walked；　we　could　hear　General　Howard's　guns　at　intervals；　away　off　to　our　right　front；　but　an　ominous　silence　continued　toward　our　left；　where　I　was　expecting　at　each　moment　to　hear　the　sound　of　battle。　　That　night　we　reached　Renfrew's；　and　had　reports　from　left　to　right　（from　General　Schofield；　about　Morrow's　Mills；　to　General　Howard；　within　a　couple　of　miles　of　Jonesboro）。　　The　next　morning　（August　31st）　all　moved　straight　for　the　railroad。　Schofield　reached　it　near　Rough　and　Ready；　and　Thomas　at　two　points　between　there　and　Jonesboro。　　Howard　found　an　intrenched　foe　（Hardee's　corps）　covering　Jonesboro；　and　his　men　began　at　once　to　dig　their　accustomed　rifle…pits。　　Orders　were　sent　to　Generals　Thomas　and　Schofield　to　turn　straight　for　Jonesboro；　tearing　up　the　railroad…track　as　they　advanced。　　About　3。00　p。m。　　the　enemy　sallied　from　Jonesboro　against　the　Fifteenth　corps；　but　was　easily　repulsed；　and　driven　back　within　his　lines。　　All　hands　were　kept　busy　tearing　up　the　railroad；　and　it　was　not　until　toward　evening　of　the　1st　day　of　September　that　the　Fourteenth　Corps　（Davis）　closed　down　on　the　north　front　of　Jonesboro；　connecting　on　his　right　with　Howard；　and　his　left　reaching　the　railroad；　along　which　General　Stanley　was　moving；　followed　by　Schofield。　　General　Davis　formed　his　divisions　in　line　about　4　p。m。；　swept　forward　over　some　old　cotton…fields　in　full　view；　and　went　over　the　rebel　parapet　handsomely；　capturing　the　whole　of　Govan's　brigade；　with　two　field…batteries　of　ten　guns。　　Being　on　the　spot；　I　checked　Davis's　movement；　and　ordered　General　Howard　to　send　the　two　divisions　of　the　Seventeenth　Corps　（Blair）　round　by　his　right　rear；　to　get　below　Jonesboro；　and　to　reach　the　railroad；　so　as　to　cut　off　retreat　in　that　direction。　　I　also　dispatched　orders　after　orders　to　hurry　forward　Stanley；　so　as　to　lap　around　Jonesboro　on　the　east；　hoping　thus　to　capture　the　whole　of　Hardee's　corps。　　I　sent　first　Captain　Audenried　（aide…de…camp）；　then　Colonel　Poe；　of　the　Engineers；　and　lastly　General　Thomas　himself　（and　that　is　the　only　time　during　the　campaign　I　can　recall　seeing　General　Thomas　urge　his　horse　into　a　gallop）。　　Night　was　approaching；　and　the　country　on　the　farther　side　of　the　railroad　was　densely　wooded。　　General　Stanley　had　come　up　on　the　left　of　Davis；　and　was　deploying；　though　there　could　not　have　been　on　his　front　more　than　a　skirmish…line。　　Had　he　moved　straight　on　by　the　flank；　or　by　a　slight　circuit　to　his　left；　he　would　have　inclosed　the　whole　ground　occupied　by　Hardee's　corps；　and　that　corps　could　not　have　escaped　us；　but　night　came　on；　and　Hardee　did　escape。
  Meantime　General　Slocum　had　reached　his　corps　（the　Twentieth）；　stationed　at　the　Chattahoochee　bridge；　had　relieved　General　A。　S。　Williams　in　command；　and　orders　had　been　sent　back　to　him　to　feel　forward　occasionally　toward　Atlanta；　to　observe　the　effect　when　we　had　reached　the　railroad。　　That　night　I　was　so　restless　and　impatient　that　I　could　not　sleep；　and　about　midnight　there　arose　toward　Atlanta　sounds　of　shells　exploding；　and　other　sound　like　that　of　musketry。　　I　walked　to　the　house　of　a　farmer　close　by　my　bivouac；　called　him　out　to　listen　to　the　reverberations　which　came　from　the　direction　of　Atlanta　（twenty　miles　to　the　north　of　us）；　and　inquired　of　him　if　he　had　resided　there　long。　　He　said　he　had；　and　that　these　sounds　were　just　like　those　of　a　battle。　　An　interval　of　quiet　then　ensued；　when　again；　about　4　a。m。；　arose　other　similar　explosions；　but　I　still　remained　in　doubt　whether　the　enemy　was　engaged　in　blowing　up　his　own　magazines；　or　whether　General　Slocum　had　not　felt　forward；　and　become　engaged　in　a　real　battle。
  The　next　morning　General　Hardee　was　gone；　and　we　all　pushed　forward　along　the　railroad　south；　in　close　pursuit；　till　we　ran　up　against　his　lines　at　a　point　just　above　Lovejoy's　Station。　　While　bringing　forward　troops　and　feeling　the　new　position　of　our　adversary；　rumors　came　from　the　rear　that　the　enemy　had　evacuated　Atlanta；　and　that　General　Slocum　was　in　the　city。　　Later　in　the　day　I　received　a　note　in　Slocum's　own　handwriting；　stating　that　he　had　heard　during　the　night　the　very　sounds　that　I　have　referred　to；　that　he　had　moved　rapidly　up　from　the　bridge　about　daylight；　and　had　entered　Atlanta　unopposed。　　His　letter　was　dated　inside　the　city；　so　there　was　no　doubt　of　the　fact。　　General　Thomas's　bivouac　was　but　a　short　distance　from　mine；　and；　before　giving　notice　to　the　army　in　general　orders；　I　sent　one　of　my　staff…officers　to　show　him　the　note。　　In　a　few　minutes　the　officer　returned；　soon　followed　by　Thomas　himself；　who　again　examined　the　note；　so　as　to　be　perfectly　certain　that　it　was　genuine。　　The　news　seemed　to　him　too　good　to　be　true。　　He　snapped　his　fingers；　whistled；　and　almost　danced；　and；　as　the　news　spread　to　the　army；　the　shouts　that　arose　from　our　men；　the　wild　hallooing　and　glorious　laughter；　were　to　us　a　full　recompense　for　the　labor　and　toils　and　hardships　through　which　we　had　passed　in　the　previous　three　months。
  A　courier…line　was　at　once　organized；　messages　were　sent　back　and　forth　from　our　camp　at　Lovejoy's　to　Atlanta；　and　to　our　telegraph…　station　at　the　Chattahoochee　bridge。　　Of　course；　the　glad　tidings　flew　on　the　wings　of　electricity　to　all　parts　of　the　North；　where　the　people　had　patiently　awaited　news　of　their　husbands；　sons；　and　brothers；　away　down　in　〃Dixie　Land；〃　and　congratulations　came　pouring　back　full　of　good…will　and　patriotism。　　This　victory　was　most　opportune；　Mr。　Lincoln　himself　told　me　afterward　that　even　he　had　previously　felt　in　doubt；　for　the　summer　was　fast　passing　away；　that　General　Grant　seemed　to　be　checkmated　about　Richmond　and　Petersburg；　and　my　army　seemed　to　have　run　up　against　an　impassable　barrier；　when；　suddenly　and　unexpectedly；　came　the　news　that　〃Atlanta　was　ours；　and　fairly　won。〃　　On　this　text　many　a　fine　speech　was　made；　but　none　more　eloquent　than　that　by　Edward　Everett；　in　Boston。　　A　presidential　election　then　agitated　the　North。　　Mr。　Lincoln　represented　the　national　cause；　and　General　McClellan　had　accepted　the　nomination　of　the　Democratic　party；　whose　platform　was　that　the　war　was　a　failure；　and　that　it　was　better　to　allow　the　South　to　go　free　to　establish　a　separate　government；　whose　corner…stone　should　be　slavery。　　Success　to　our　arms　at　that　instant　was　therefore　a　political　necessity；　and　it　was　all…important　that　something　startling　in　our　interest　should　occur　before　the　election　in　November。　　The　brilliant　success　at　Atlanta　filled　that　requirement；　and　made　the　election　of　Mr。　Lincoln　certain。　　Among　the　many　letters　of　congratulation　received；　those　of　Mr。　Lincoln　and　General　Grant　seem　most　important：
  EXECUTIVE　MANSION　WASHINGTON；　D。C。　September　3；　1864。
  The　national　thanks　are　rendered　by　the　President　to　Major…General　W。　T。　Sherman　and　the　gallant　officers　and　soldiers　of　his　command　before　Atlanta；　for　the　distinguished　ability　and　perseverance　displayed　in　the　campaign　in　Georgia；　which；　under　Divine　favor；　has　resulted　in　the　capture　of　Atlanta。　　The　marches；　battles；　sieges；　and　other　military　operations；　that　have　signali