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 526 Shermans march through Georgia. [i864 four generals, with 53 guns, and the disastrous rout of the Confederate army, which, pursued to the Tennessee river in its flight, soon after disappeared as an organised body. The Federal losses were about 3000, of whom less than 400 were killed. The judgment of Sherman, in dividing his army and trusting the defence of Tennessee to Thomas, was handsomely vindicated; and the President and General Grant were greatly relieved of anxiety and encouraged in hope about the march to the sea. (4) THE MARCH TO THE SEA. Before Hood's advance had suffered its first reverses, Sherman was already on his second march. As soon as Atlanta fell, his dispatches began strongly to recommend the project ; and the design grew to con- viction in his mind when Hood left him a clear path by abandoning Lovejoy's Station on October 21, 1864, to undertake the northward campaign. Receiving the coveted permission from Grant on November 2, Sherman hurried on his preparations with his usual impetuous energy. The railroad was taxed to its utmost service in carrying back to Chatta- nooga the sick, wounded, and non-combatants and surplus stores ; garrisons were withdrawn, the railroad broken up, bridges burned, mills destroyed, and the depots, foundries, shops, and public buildings in Atlanta turned into smouldering ruins. Sixty thousand of his best soldiers, under his best officers, with 65 guns, were welded into as perfect a fighting machine as was ever organised. It was divided into two wings, led respectively by Generals Howard and Slocum. With twenty days' supply of provisions, five days' supply of forage, and 200 rounds of ammunition, forty of which were carried by each soldier, the army started on its march of 300 miles on November 15. The day was fine, men and officers in high spirits, the regiments singing the inspiring melody of "John Brown's Body" with a fervour and confidence that made the "Glory Hallelujah" of the chorus ring out more like a religious anthem than a military march. The orders directed the army to march as nearly as possible in four parallel columns, and to forage liberally on the country, but forbade soldiers to enter the dwellings of the inhabitants or to use abusive or threatening language. To corps-commanders alone was entrusted the power to destroy mills, houses and cotton-gins. In that latitude the weather was good and comparatively mild. Excellent crops had recently been harvested, and organised foraging parties found no difficulty in keeping up a ten days' supply of meat, corn, sweet potatoes, and miscellaneous provisions. Fifteen miles was an average day's march ; forage was abundant, and more horses and mules were collected than could be used or taken along. Wherever an army- corps followed a railroad, the track was systematically destroyed by