This text is part of:
‘
[160]
that Hood's army, now that it had worked so far north, ought to be looked upon more as the object.
With the force, however, you have left General Thomas, he must be able to take care of Hood and destroy him. I really do not see that you can withdraw from where you are, without giving up all that we have gained in territory.
I say then, go on, as you propose.’
Sherman was equally prompt in re-asserting his original confidence.
At six P. M. on the 2nd, too soon to have heard again from Grant, he telegraphed: ‘If I turn back, the whole effect of my campaign will be lost.
By my movement I have thrown Beauregard to the west, and Thomas will have ample time and sufficient troops to hold him, until reinforcements reach him from Missouri, and recruits.
We have now ample supplies at Chattanooga and Atlanta to stand a month's interruption to our communications, and I don't believe the Confederate army can reach our line save by cavalry raids, and Wilson will have cavalry enough to checkmate that.
I am clearly of opinion that the best results will follow me in my contemplated move through Georgia.’
The two soldiers were in singular harmony.
Each, for a moment, thought it might be better to follow Hood, but before either had received the second despatch of the other, each came to the same conclusion, favoring the bolder course.
Their separate judgments gave but one response, like instruments of music struck in a single chord.
Their despatches crossed each other on the way; Grant directing Sherman: ‘Go on, as you propose;’ while Sherman, ignorant that the revocation originated
New York Appleton 1885.
Tufts University provided support for entering this text.
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.
An XML version of this text is available for download, with the additional restriction that you offer Perseus any modifications you make. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning system.