Page:American Historical Review vol. 6.djvu/483

 Shei'i)ia7i s March to the Sea 473 within the hmits of civihzed usage. The lofty personal character of most of the men in high command and the severity of the pun- ishment threatened for breaches of discipline are evidence of this; and at least one soldier for a petty theft was sentenced "to be shot to death by musketry." Nor must it be overlooked that there was considerable plundering by bands of Confederates which people were prone to charge against Sherman's men. From the characterization of the Union officers one notable exception must be made. Kil- patrick, the commander of the cavalry, was notorious for his im- morality and rapacity, and his escapades, winked at by Sherman on account of his military efficiency, were demoralizing to the army at the time and have since tended to give it a bad name. While ex- tenuating nothing it is a gratification to record some words of Sher- man which must be read in the light of his honesty of soul and truthfulness of statement. " I never heard," he wrote, " of any cases of murder or rape." Sherman's campaign struck a blow at slavery. Everywhere the negroes received the Northern soldiers with joy. Near Covington an old gray-haired negro said to Sherman that he " had been look- ing for the angel of the Lord ever since he was knee-high " and he supposed that the success of the Northern army would bring him freedom. Another who was spokesman for a large number of fellow slaves said to an aide-de-camp of the General : " Ise hope de Lord will prosper you Yankees and Mr. Sherman, because I tinks and we all tinks dat you'se down here in our interests." At Milledge- ville the negroes in their ecstacy shouted " Bress de Lord ! tanks be to Almighty God, the Yanks is come ! de day ob jubilee hab ar- ribed !" " Negro men, women and children joined the column at every mile of our march," reported General Slocum who com- manded the left wing. "I think at least 14,000 of the.se people joined the two columns at different points on the march, but many of them were too old and infirm and others too young to endure the fatigues of the march and were therefore left in the rear. More than one half of the above number however reached the coast with us." The desire to rfealize their freedom at once was keen, and the number would have been far greater had not Sherman discouraged the negroes from following the army, as all but the young and able- bodied who were put to use were a serious drawback from increasing the number of mouths to be fed, and from the constant apprehen- sion lest they might hamper the movements of the troops in the event that the enemy in formidable array was encountered. But the tidings that President Lincoln had proclaimed them all free was spread far and wide.