s flagship, the Hartford, and fought the last naval
battle of the war. The monitor Tecumseh, which led the National vessels,
was struck by the explosion of a torpedo, and sank with Commander Craven
and nearly all her officers and men. Farragut, unshaken by this disaster,
ordered the Hartford to go ahead heedless of torpedoes, and the other
vessels to follow. He silenced the batteries with grapeshot, destroyed
the Confederate squadron, and on the following day captured the forts
with the assistance of a land force of 5000 men from New Orleans. The
impatience of the Richmond government, chafing under its own impotence,
hastened the catastrophe. General Joseph E. Johnston, who had succeeded
Bragg, and who husbanded as far as compatible with an efficient defence
the troops under his command, was removed to give way to General John B.
Hood, who was willing to waste his forces in hopeless conflict with
Sherman. On September 2 Sherman entered Atlanta.

The news of Lincoln's re-election by 212 electoral votes to 21 for
McClellan, put an end to Confederate reliance on Northern sympathy and
aid. Even the most sanguine now lost hope.

* * *

After sending a part of his army under Thomas to cope with Hood, who had
moved into middle Tennessee, Sherman started about the middle of November
with 60,000 men on his famous march through Georgia to the seacoast. He
destroyed the railroads, and devastated the country from which the
Confederacy was drawing its supplies. Although I have never seen it
mentioned in any publication regarding the war, I believe that previous
to Sherman's march it was the purpose of the Confederate Government to
retreat to North Carolina when too hardly pressed in Virginia. Otherwise
there seems to be no explanation for the vast accumulation of provisions
at Salisbury, which were certainly not intended or used for the Union
prisoners at that place, and for the large stores of food at Charlotte.
Sherman captured Savannah just before Christmas, and proceeded northward
through the Carolinas. Meantime General Thomas had completely defeated
Hood at the battle of Nashville, and dispersed his army, the remnant of
which gathered again under General Joseph E. Johnston to oppose the march
of Sherman. Fort Fisher, North Carolina, surrendered to General Alfred H.
Terry and Admiral Porter in January, 1865.

* * *

Lee, reduced to the last e