n army in a sally against
the North.

In the month of November Sherman began a new and extraordinary movement,
of which the conception was all his own, sanctioned with reluctance by
Grant, and viewed with anxiety by Lincoln, though he maintained his
absolute resolve not to interfere. He had fortified himself in Atlanta,
removing its civil inhabitants, in an entirely humane fashion, to places
of safety, and he had secured a little rest for his army. But he lay far
south in the heart of what he called "Jeff Davis' Empire," and Hood could
continually harass him by attacks on his communications. Hood, now
supervised by Beauregard, was gathering reinforcements, and Sherman
learnt that he contemplated a diversion by invading Tennessee. Sherman
determined to divide his forces, to send Thomas far back into Tennessee
with sufficient men, as he calculated, to defend it, and himself with the
rest of his army to set out for the eastern sea-coast, wasting no men on
the maintenance of his communications, but living on the country and
"making the people of Georgia feel the weight of the war." He set out
for the East on November 15. Hood, at Beauregard's orders, shortly
marched off for the North, where the cautious Thomas awaited events
within the fortifications of Nashville. At Franklin, in the heart of
Tennessee, about twenty miles south of Nashville, Hood's army suffered
badly in an attack upon General Schofield, whom Thomas had left to check
his advance while further reinforcements came to Nashville. Schofield
fell back slowly on Thomas, Hood rashly pressing after him with a small
but veteran army now numbering 44,000. Grant and the Washington
authorities viewed with much concern an invasion which Thomas had
suffered to proceed so far. Grant had not shared Sherman's faith in
Thomas. He now repeatedly urged him to act, but Thomas had his own views
and obstinately bided his time. Days followed when frozen sleet made an
advance impossible. Grant had already sent Logan to supersede Thomas,
and, growing still more anxious, had started to come west himself, when
the news reached him of a battle on December 15 and 16 in which Thomas
had fallen on Hood, completely routing him, taking on these days and in
the pursuit that followed no less than 13,000 prisoners.

There was a song, "As we go marching through Georgia," which was
afterwards famous, and which Sherman could not endure. What his men most
often sang, while they actua