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The last letter written by
General Sherman to
General Grant before cutting loose from
Atlanta, was dated November 6th.
It is referred to in the Memoirs, but not quoted.
It contains the following significant passages:
‘The only question in my mind is whether I ought not to have dogged him [Hood] far over into Mississippi, * * * * but then I thought that by so doing I would play into his hands by being drawn or decoyed too far away from our original line of advance.’
And again, he argues for a movement on
Pensacola and
Mobile as follows:
Admitting this reasoning to be good, that such a movement [to the sea] per se be right; still there may be reasons why one route would be better than another.
There are three from Atlanta—south-east, south, and south-west—all open, with no serious enemy to oppose at present.
The first would carry me across the only east and west railroad remaining to the Confederacy, which would be destroyed, and thereby the communications between the armies of Lee and Beauregard severed.
Incidentally I might destroy the enemy's depots at Macon and Augusta, and reach the sea-shore at Charleston or Savannah, from either of which points I could reenforce our armies in Virginia.
The second and easiest route would be due south, following substantially the valley of Flint River, which is very fertile and well supplied, and fetching up on the navigable waters of the Appalachicola, destroying en route the same railroad, taking up the prisoners of war still at Andersonville, and destroying about four hundred thousand (400,000) bales of cotton near Albany and Fort Gaines.
This, however, would leave the army in a bad position for future movements.
The third, down the Chattahoochee to Opelika and Montgomery, thence to Pensacola or Tensas Bayou, in communication with Fort Morgan.
This latter route would enable me at once to cooperate with General Canby in the reduction of Mobile, and occupation of the line of the Alabama.
‘In my judgment the first would have a material effect upon your campaign in Virginia; the second would be the safest of execution; but the third would more properly fall within the sphere of my own command, and have a direct bearing upon my own enemy, “Beauregard.”
If, therefore, I should start before I hear further from you, or before further developments turn my course, you may take it for granted that I have moved via Griffin to Barnesville; that I break up the road between Columbus and Macon good; and then, if I feign on Columbus, will move via Macon and Millen to Savannah; or, ’
