THE MARCH TO THE SEA.

CHAPTER I.

PLANNING THE CAMPAIGN.

When Sherman stood upon the border of Alabama , at theclose of October, 1864, looking toward Gadsden , and follow-ing in his mind’s eye the retreating forces of Hood who wasmarching westward, he had an undoubting conviction thatthe true counter-movement was to turn his back upon hisadversary and march away for Savannah and the sea. Hehad formed the opinion at the beginning of the month, butthe campaign of October made him sure of it. The mobil-ity of Hood’s army was such that there was little hope ofcoming up with it till accident, or the exhaustion of thecountry, should force him to come to bay. The delays to apursuing column may be indefinitely increased by an activeand well-handled rear guard, and the moral effect of allow-ing the war to be transferred again to Tennessee would beevery way bad. Still, if Hood had crossed the Tennessee anywhere between Stevenson and Guntersville , in the bendof the liver, Sherman would have pursued him; but whenhe marched to Decatur, and, upon General E. S. GrangerVol. X—1