From
“Lincoln 365,” by Arnold Kunst
September 15
During Sherman’s infamous March to
the Sea, after he had taken, and then burnt, Atlanta to the ground, his
well-fed, well-equipped army of 65,000 began cutting a 50-mile swath of
devastation through Georgia estimated by Sherman himself at $100,000,000 in
value. His rampaging troops were seldom opposed – except at one point when
Federal veterans on a hill-top with swamp ground to left and right and a clear
field of fire directly to their front encountered a force of 1,500 infantry
with, as one Federal observed, ‘more courage than discretion.’ They attacked
them across that open ground. The dug-in Yankees greeted them with a blistering
volley that left scores on the field. Astonishingly they regrouped and charged
again, with the same result. After yet a third attempt to dislodge the
invaders, the pathetic remnant was beaten back for a final time. When the
engagement was completed the Yankees, who had incurred a mere 62 casualties,
walked over that field of blood only to discover that their attackers were old
men and young boys – more than 600 of them in all.
‘There is no God in war. It is
merciless, cruel, vindictive, un-Christian, savage, relentless. It is all that
devils could wish for.’
- Anonymous
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