rom　the　several　States　to　take　the　vote　of　our　men　in　the　presidential　election　then　agitating　the　country。
  On　the　6th　of　November；　at　Kingston；　I　wrote　and　telegraphed　to　General　Grant；　reviewing　the　whole　situation；　gave　him　my　full　plan　of　action；　stated　that　I　was　ready　to　march　as　soon　as　the　election　was　over；　and　appointed　November　10th　as　the　day　for　starting。　　On　the　8th　I　received　this　dispatch：
  CITY　POINT；　VIRGINIA；　November　7；　1864…10。30　P。M。
  Major…General　SHERMAN：
  Your　dispatch　of　this　evening　received。　　I　see　no　present　reason　for　changing　your　plan。　　Should　any　arise；　you　will　see　it；　or　if　I　do　I　will　inform　you。　　I　think　everything　here　is　favorable　now。　Great　good　fortune　attend　you！　I　believe　you　will　be　eminently　successful；　and；　at　worst；　can　only　make　a　march　less　fruitful　of　results　than　hoped　for。
  U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。
  Meantime　trains　of　cars　were　whirling　by；　carrying　to　the　rear　an　immense　amount　of　stores　which　had　accumulated　at　Atlanta；　and　at　the　other　stations　along　the　railroad；　and　General　Steedman　had　come　down　to　Kingston；　to　take　charge　of　the　final　evacuation　and　withdrawal　of　the　several　garrisons　below　Chattanooga。
  On　the　loth　of　November　the　movement　may　be　said　to　have　fairly　begun。　　All　the　troops　designed　for　the　campaign　were　ordered　to　march　for　Atlanta；　and　General　Corse；　before　evacuating　his　post　at　Rome；　was　ordered　to　burn　all　the　mills；　factories；　etc。；　etc。；　that　could　be　useful　to　the　enemy；　should　he　undertake　to　pursue　us；　or　resume　military　possession　of　the　country。　　This　was　done　on　the　night　of　the　10th；　and　next　day　Corse　reached　Kingston。　　On　the　11th　General　Thomas　and　I　interchanged　full　dispatches。　　He　had　heard　of　the　arrival　of　General　A。　J。　Smith's　two　divisions　at　Paducah；　which　would　surely　reach　Nashville　much　sooner　than　General　Hood　could　possibly　do　from　Florence；　so　that　he　was　perfectly　satisfied　with　his　share　of　the　army。
  On　the　12th；　with　a　full　staff；　I　started　from　Kingston　for　Atlanta；　and　about　noon　of　that　day　we　reached　Cartersville；　and　sat　on　the　edge　of　a　porch　to　rest；　when　the　telegraph　operator；　Mr。　Van　Valkenburg；　or　Eddy；　got　the　wire　down　from　the　poles　to　his　lap；　in　which　he　held　a　small　pocket　instrument。　　Calling　〃Chattanooga；〃　he　received　this　message　from　General　Thomas；　dated…
  NASHVILLE；　November　12；　18848。80　A。M。
  Major…General　SHERMAN：
  Your　dispatch　of　twelve　o'clock　last　night　is　received。　　I　have　no　fears　that　Beauregard　can　do　us　any　harm　now；　and；　if　he　attempts　to　follow　you；　I　will　follow　him　as　far　as　possible。　　If　he　does　not　follow　you；　I　will　then　thoroughly　organize　my　troops；　and　believe　I　shall　have　men　enough　to　ruin　him　unless　he　gets　out　of　the　way　very　rapidly。
  The　country　of　Middle　Alabama；　I　learn；　is　teeming　with　supplies　this　year；　which　will　be　greatly　to　our　advantage。　　I　have　no　additional　news　to　report　from　the　direction　of　Florence。　I　am　now　convinced　that　the　greater　part　of　Beauregard's　army　is　near　Florence　and　Tuscumbia；　and　that　you　will　have　at　least　a　clear　road　before　you　for　several　days；　and　that　your　success　will　fully　equal　your　expectations。
  George　H。　　THOMAS；　Major…General。
  I　answered　simply：　〃Dispatch　receivedall　right。〃　　About　that　instant　of　time；　some　of　our　men　burnt　a　bridge；　which　severed　the　telegraph…wire；　and　all　communication　with　the　rear　ceased　thenceforth。
  As　we　rode　on　toward　Atlanta　that　night；　I　remember　the　railroad…　trains　going　to　the　rear　with　a　furious　speed；　the　engineers　and　the　few　men　about　the　trains　waving　us　an　affectionate　adieu。　　It　surely　was　a　strange　eventtwo　hostile　armies　marching　in　opposite　directions；　each　in　the　full　belief　that　it　was　achieving　a　final　and　conclusive　result　in　a　great　war；　and　I　was　strongly　inspired　with　the　feeling　that　the　movement　on　our　part　was　a　direct　attack　upon　the　rebel　army　and　the　rebel　capital　at　Richmond；　though　a　full　thousand　miles　of　hostile　country　intervened；　and　that；　for　better　or　worse；　it　would　end　the　war。
  CHAPTER　XXI。
  THE　MARCH　TO　THE　SEA　FROM　ATLANTA　TO　SAVANNAH。
  NOVEMBER　AND　DECEMBER；　1864。
  On　the　12th　of　November　the　railroad　and　telegraph　communications　with　the　rear　were　broken；　and　the　army　stood　detached　from　all　friends；　dependent　on　its　own　resources　and　supplies。　　No　time　was　to　be　lost；　all　the　detachments　were　ordered　to　march　rapidly　for　Atlanta；　breaking　up　the　railroad　en　route；　and　generally　to　so　damage　the　country　as　to　make　it　untenable　to　the　enemy。　　By　the　14th　all　the　troops　had　arrived　at　or　near　Atlanta；　and　were；　according　to　orders；　grouped　into　two　wings；　the　right　and　left；　commanded　respectively　by　Major…Generals　O。　O。　Howard　and　H。　W。　Slocum；　both　comparatively　young　men；　but　educated　and　experienced　officers；　fully　competent　to　their　command。
  The　right　wing　was　composed　of　the　Fifteenth　Corps；　Major…General　P。　J。　Osterhaus　commanding；　and　the　Seventeenth　Corps；　Major…　General　Frank　P。　Blair　commanding。
  The　left　wing　was　composed　of　the　Fourteenth　Corps；　Major…General　Jefferson　C。　Davis　commanding；　and　the　Twentieth　Corps；　Brigadier…　General　A。　S。　Williams　commanding。
  The　Fifteenth　Corps　had　four　divisions；　commanded　by　Brigadier…　Generals　Charles　R。　Woods；　W。　B。　Hazen；　John　E。　Smith；　and　John　M。　Gorse。
  The　Seventeenth　Corps　had　three　divisions；　commanded　by　Major…　General　J。　A。　Mower；　and　Brigadier…Generals　M。　D。　Leggett　ad　Giles　A。　Smith。
  The　Fourteenth　Corps　had　three　divisions；　commanded　by　Brigadier…　Generals　W。　P。　Carlin；　James　D。　Morgan；　and　A。　Baird。
  The　Twentieth　Corps　had　also　three　divisions；　commanded　by　Brigadier…Generals　N。　J。　Jackson；　John　W。　Geary；　and　W。　T。　Ward。
  The　cavalry　division　was　held　separate；　subject　to　my　own　orders。　It　was　commanded　by　Brigadier…General　Judson　Kilpatrick；　and　was　composed　of　two　brigades；　commanded　by　Colonels　Eli　H。　Murray；　of　Kentucky；　and　Smith　D。　Atkins；　of　Illinois。
  The　strength　of　the　army；　as　officially　reported；　is　given　in　the　following　tables；　and　shows　an　aggregate　of　fifty…five　thousand　three　hundred　and　twenty…nine　infantry；　five　thousand　and　sixty…three　cavalry；　and　eighteen　hundred　and　twelve　artillery　in　all；　sixty…two　thousand　two　hundred　and　four　officers　and　men。
  The　most　extraordinary　efforts　had　been　made　to　purge　this　army　of　non…combatants　and　of　sick　men；　for　we　knew　well　that　there　was　to　be　no　place　of　safety　save　with　the　army　itself；　our　wagons　were　loaded　with　ammunition；　provisions；　and　forage；　and　we　could　ill　afford　to　haul　even　sick　men　in　the　ambulances；　so　that　all　on　this　exhibit　may　be　assumed　to　have　been　able…bodied；　experienced　soldiers；　well　armed；　well　equipped　and　provided；　as　far　as　human　foresight　could；　with　all　the　essentials　of　life；　strength；　and　vigorous　action。
  The　two　general　orders　made　for　this　march　appear　to　me；　even　at　this　late　day；　so　clear；　emphatic；　and　well…digested；　that　no　account　of　that　historic　event　is　perfect　without　them；　and　I　give　them　entire；　even　at　the　seeming　appearance　of　repetition；　and；　though　they　called　for　great　sacrifice　and　labor　on　the　part　of　the　officers　and　men；　I　insist　that　these　orders　were　obeyed　as　well　as　any　similar　orders　ever　were；　by　an　army　operating　wholly　in　an　enemy's　country；　and　dispersed；　as　we　necessarily　were；　during　the　subsequent　period　of　nearly　six　months。
  ＇Special　Field　Orders；　No。　119。＇
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD；　KINGSTON；　GEORGIA；　November　8；　1864
  The　general　commanding　deems　it　proper　at　this　time　to　inform　the　officers　and　men　of　the　Fourteenth；　Fifteenth；　Seventeenth；　and　Twentieth　Corps；　that　he　has　organized　them　into　an　army　for　a　special　purpose；　well　known　to　the　War　Department　and　to　General　Grant。　　It　is　sufficient　for　you　to　know　that　it　involves　a　departure　from　our　present　base；　and　a　long　and　difficult　march　to　a　new　one。　　All　the　chances　of　war　have　been　considered　and　provided　for；　as　far　as　human　sagacity　can。　　All　he　asks　of　you　is　to　maintain　that　discipline；　patience；　and　courage；　which　have　characterized　you　in　the　past；　and　he　hopes；　through　you；　to　strike　a　blow　at　our　enemy　that　will　have　a　material　effect　in　producing　what　we　all　so　much　desire；　his　complete　overthrow。　　Of　all　things；　the　moat　important　is；　that　the　men；　during　marches　and　in　camp；　keep　their　places　and　do　not　scatter　about　as　stragglers　or　foragers；　to　be　picked　up　by　a　hostile　people　in　detail。　　It　is　also　of　the　utmost　importance　that　our　wagons　should　not　be　loaded　with　any　thing　but　provisions　and　ammunition。　　All　surplus　servants；　noncombatants；　and　refugees；　should　now　go　to　the　rear；　and　none　should　be　encouraged　to　encumber　us　on　the　march。　　At　some　future　time　we　will　be　able　to　provide　for　the　poor　whites　and　blacks　who　seek　to　escape　the　bondage　under　which　they　are　now　suffering。　　With　these　few　simple　cautions；　he　hopes　to　lead　you　to　achievements　equal　in　importance　to　those　of　the　past。
  By　order　of　Major…General　W。　T。　Sherman；　L。　M。　DAYTON；　Aide…de…Camp。
  ＇Special　Field　Orders；　No。　120。＇
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD；　KINGSTON；　GEORGIA；　November　9；　1864
  1。　　For　the　purpose　of　military　operations；　this　army　is　divi