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CH. XII.]

STATE RECONSTRUCTION BILL.

country to be doomed to destruction as the inevitable result of the war. The most noticeable measure on this subject before Congress, at its present ses sion, was the proposition to submit to the action of the several states an amend ment to the Constitution of the United States, prohibiting the existence of slavery within the states and territories of the Union forever.

On the 8th of April, 1864, the joint resolution proposing this amendment for the ratification of the state legislatures (three-fourths being necessary to give it effect) was passed in the Senate, by a vote of 38 to 6. It was taken up in the House on the 31st of May, and discussed with much earnestness during the following two weeks. The vote was taken on the 15th of June, and resulted in ayes 93, nays 65. Less than two-thirds being in favor of the joint resolution, it failed to pass the House, and the matter went over to the next session.

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ence to the final extinction of slavery, a bill on this subject, on the last day of which was now considered by the whole the session. This bill provided that the president should appoint, for each of the states declared in rebellion, a provisional governor, who should be charged with the civil administration of the state until a state government should be organized, and such other civil officers as were necessary for the civil administration of the state; that as soon as military resistance to the United States should be put down, and the people had sufficiently returned to their obedience, the government should make an enrollment of the white male citizens, specifying which of them had taken the oath to support the Constitution of the United States, and if those who had taken it were a majority of the persons enrolled, he should order an election for delegates to a constitutional convention, to be elected by the loyal white male citizens of the United States, aged twenty-one years, and resident in the district for which they voted, or absent in the Army of the United States, and who had taken the oath of allegiance prescribed by the act of Congress, July 2d, 1862; that this convention should declare, on behalf of the people of the state, their submission to the Constitu tion and laws of the United States, and adopt the following provisions, prescribed by Congress in the execution. of its constitutional duty to guarantee to every state a republican form of gov. ernment, viz:-" First-No person who has held or exercised any office, civil or military, except offices ministerial, and military offices below the grade of colonel, state or confederate, under the usurping power, shall vote for or be a

On the 13th of June, a bill was passed by the House to repeal the odious fugitive slave law. The vote was 82 to 58. Two days later it was introduced into the Senate and referred to the committee on slavery and freedmen. A vote was reached on the 23d of June, and the bill received 27 ayes to 12 nays.

The question of state reconstruction, as the states in rebellion might be brought under the national authority, was much discussed in Congress, and the views of the majority in both Houses were finally expressed in the passage of

VOL. IV.-59

member of the legislature or governor. Second-Involuntary servitude is forever prohibited, and the freedom of all persons is guaranteed in said state. Third-No debt, state or confederate, created by or under the sanction of the usurping power, shall be recognized or paid by the state."

This bill, as passed by Congress, was received by the president just at its close, and as he did not affix his signa ture to it, it failed to become a law. Mr. Lincoln gave his reasons for not signing the bill in a proclamation issued on the 8th of July.*

A few days before the adjournment of Congress a resolution was passed, requesting the president, in view of the state and condition of the country, to appoint a day to be observed throughout the land as a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer. The president ac cordingly appointed as such day, the first Thursday in August, which receiv ed at the people's hands its due and proper consideration.

The bill further provided, that when a constitution was formed and adopted by the popular vote, the governor should certify the president of the fact, who, after obtaining the assent of Congress, should recognize the state government as established, and from that date senators and representatives, as well as electors for president and vicepresident, should be elected in the state. Further provisions were made in case any difficulty should occur in energetic protest, emanating from Senator Wade, carrying out the measures above ordered, for the administration of the state government in the meantime, for the abolition of slavery, etc.

* This proclamation of Mr. Lincoln called forth an

chairman of the Senate Committee, and H. W. Davis, chairman of the House Committee. They held that

Mr. Lincoln had exceeded his powers and dealt unfai: ly and unhandsomely by the supporters of the admin

istration. For the protest, see Appleton's "Americca Annual Cyclopædia" for 1864, pp. 307–310.

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Gen Sherman in command of the southern and western part of the field - His effective helpers Auanta his ɔbjective point - Its important and valuable position - Sherman's task no light one- His army in motion - Buzzard's Roost Gap-Johnston falls back - Hooker's encounter with the rebels at New Hope Church - Allatoona Pass turned by Sherman's strategy Kenesaw Mountains - Sherman's attack Heavy loss-Marietta secured -Johnston retreats to Atlanta-Rousseau's cavalry expedition - Hood succeeds Johnston as rebel commander- Attack on Sherman - Rebel line driven in Bloody battle of July 22d — The brave Gen. McPherson killed — Garrard's cavalry on the Augusta Road- Stoneman's and McCook's extensive expeditions-Not successful - Sherman's flank movement - Gets between Hood and Hardee - Atlanta evacuated - Hood retreats Sherman's congratulatory order - Resolves to occupy Atlanta simply as a military post-Letters to Hood and Calhoun - Families furnished with transportation - J. H. Morgan's last raid into Kentucky - Killed at Greenville, Tennessee.

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tention to the Army of the Potomac and its important work, left the southern and western part of the great field in the hands of one of the bravest and most skilful officers in the entire ser

HERETOFORE We have gone as much into details as was possible, being desirous to afford the reader a tolerably full account of the progress of the rebellion, and of the steps taken to put it down; but, as our remain-vice. This was Gen. W. T. Sherman, 1964. ing limits warn us to use greater who, by order of the war department, brevity, we shall not undertake to de- March 12th, was placed in command of scribe at any length the great and clos. the military division of the Mississippi, ing campaigns of Sherman and Grant. comprising the departments of the Nor is this to be regretted. The re- Ohio, the Cumberland, the Tennessee, bellion was now fast approaching its and the Arkansas. Gen. J. B. McPherend; its strength was well nigh ex- son, who also ranked very highly in hausted; desperate but fitful efforts Gen. Grant's estimation, was assigned were all that it could make; and by to the command of the department and the early spring of the next year, its Army of the Tennessee. Gen. Thomas military power and consequence were was in command of the Army of the utterly broken, and with these perished Cumberland, at Chattanooga, and Gen. all pretence to any further life in the Schofield of the Army of the Ohio, at flaunting and boastful "Confederacy." Knoxville. By a subsequent order, in Gen. Grant, as we have seen (p. 421), April, Gen. Hooker was placed in comhaving taken command of all the mand of the 11th and 12th consolidatarmies of the United States, and hav-ed corps; Gen. Howard was assigned ing concluded to give his personal at- to the command of the 4th corps; and

therly ran the Western and Atlantic Road to Chattanooga. South-westerly, the Atlanta, West Point, and Montgomery Road, connecting the former point with the capital of Alabama, thence with Mobile on the south, and with the whole Mississippi Valley on the west. South-easterly ran the impor tant road to Macon, and thence to Savannah; easterly, the road to Augusta, and again to Savannah and Charleston. There was also another

Gen. Schofield to the 23d corps. Relying on the co-operation of these and other tried officers in the field, including Gens. Blair, Palmer, Logan, Stoneman, etc., Gen. Sherman, at the begin ning of the month of May, and simul. taneously with the advance of the Army of the Potomac, already narrated, began that campaign destined to become famous in our anuals, and fearfully crushing in its effects upon the rebellion. Next to Richmond, Atlanta-the important advantage which Atlanta objective point of Sherman's present presented. The principal military point campaign was the most important position, as a centre of military operations for the rebels, and it was deter mined to make especially vigorous efforts to deprive them of these their last, most valuable strongholds. Atlanta, from its admirably protected situation, had been chosen at the outset, as a great military depot of supplies and materials, and a vast workshop for the purposes of war. Here were arsenals, foundries, furnaces, roll. ing-mills, machine-shops, laboratories, factories, which had been for three years past, and were now, busily engaged in furnishing the munitions of war for the rebels. Here was the best rolling-mill in the South, which had been turning out iron rails for roads and armor plating for iron-clads, the latter in great abundance. Here were factories for shot and shell, for powder, and for equipments of all kinds needful in war; and some 2,000 men were kept steadily occupied in the various public workshops. But, further than this, Atlanta was one of the chief railroad centres in the insurgent states. Nor

in all the neighboring mountain region was Chattanooga. Its chief value, however, lay in its defensive relation to East Tennessee, because from that point a column could easily be thrown upon the communications of any hos tile force which had passed through the mountain gaps to ravage the interion of the state. Accordingly, it was the key of all that was behind, and closed up that region from assault. But for penetrating Central Georgia, Atlanta formed the true, proper starting point. Atlanta was essentially the door of Georgia, as Chattanooga of Tennessee. Unless it were taken possession of by our forces, only cavalry could be used further south, and their raids would have to be hurried, brief, and always dangerous. Even a movable column of infantry, as in the case of Sherman's march from Vicksburg to Meridian (p. 404), would encounter great peril, as an army in Atlanta could harass its rear. Between these two main points, Chattanooga and Atlanta, extend the Alleghanies, ridging the whole face of the country into a mountainous forma

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SHERMAN MOVES FROM CHATTANOOGA.

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Mission Under this state of affairs, Sherman prepared for active, energetic work. The advance from Chattanooga was begun on the 2d of May, the army mov ing in three columns, Gen. 1864.

CHI. XIII.] tion. Lookout Mountain, Ridge, Taylor's Ridge, John's Mountain, Dug-Down Mountain, and other parallel ranges, break up the region lying between the Tennessee and the Chattahoochie. So long as Chattanooga was Sherman's base, the rebels could fight him with great advantage to themselves. But, Atlanta once acquired, it would become the new, advanced position from whence to operate, and his rear would be entirely secure.

It was no light task which Sherman had before him, to pass over a track of 138 miles by the route of the railroad, and overcome the numerous obstacles in his path. Opposed to his advance was the rebel army, under J. E. Johnston, second only to that of Lee in Vir ginia, and officered by experienced leaders, as Polk, Hardee, Hood, and others. In point of numbers, Sherman's force was much superior. He had nearly 100,000 men, with 254 guns. Of these, 60,000, with 130 guns, were in Thomas's Army of the Cumberland. McPherson's Army of the Tennessee numbered near ly 25,000, with 96 guns; and Schofield's Army of the Ohio numbered about 14,000, with 28 guns. The rebel force was estimated, by Gen. Sherman, at 58,000, including 10,000 cavalry, under Wheeler.* But, as an offset, the rebels had every advantage of position, thorough knowledge of the ground, interior line of communication, etc.; while Sherman, at every move, departed further from his base, and risked all on the issue of the campaign.

* Pollard reports Johnston's army at, artillery and nfantry, 40,900; cavalry, about 4,000.-"Last Year of the War," p. 48.

Thomas in front, Gen. Schofield on the left, and Gen. McPherson on the right. No resistance was offered until our troops came near Buzzard's Roost, thirty-five miles from Chattanooga, and guarded on the west by Rocky Faced Ridge, a steep height of several hundred feet for some twenty miles in length. On the 9th of May, a part of Hooker's army attempted to gain posi tion on this ridge, and assaulted the rebel works, under a murderous fire. The line was carried, but was held for only a brief space. With the rebels on this crest, guarding the passage to Dalton, no efforts to capture or hold Buzzard's Roost Gap were at all practicable. Our loss, on the 8th and 9th of May, was about 800.

McPherson, meanwhile, was making his way by Snake Creek Gap below, through Rocky Faced Ridge, to Sugar Valley on the east, opening upon Resaca, on the railroad, eighteen miles south of Dalton. Schofield also, closing in on the flank from Cleveland, Johnston abandoned Dalton, and fell back to Resaca. On the 12th of May, Sherman ordered a movement against Resaca, which was bravely carried; two days later, the rebels were found in a strong position behind Camp Creek; and on the afternoon and evening of the 15th, a heavy battle ensued. John ston escaped during the night, and im mediate pursuit was ordered.

During several days following, from

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