ed in the paradise portion of
Georgia, the country around being rich, and on the whole, level and
fertile. The city itself is laid off with much good taste, the streets
being wide and handsome, and the buildings sparsely built along them.
The private dwellings, for the most part, were framework, not costly
and extravagant, but constructed in plain and wholesome style. The
State House, however, was especially grand in its design and material.
On leaving this place our forces destroyed many of the public
buildings. The Oconee river, which flows along the east side of the
capitol, is a narrow, deep stream, and very handsome. Over it was a
good wagon bridge, left unhurt by the rebel fugitives. While crossing
this bridge all pack animals over one to a company, were taken and
appropriated to other use, for by general order only one was allowed to
a company, but in spite of orders the boys would cling to their mules,
one company having sometimes several span. These creatures were a great
help to us in carrying our heavy plunder. On the march from
Milledgeville to Sandersville the command was for the first time
molested seriously by the cavalry of the enemy. About these times they
captured many of our foragers, nineteen of whom it was said were hung
on the spot.

The day on which the command entered Sandersville it had its first
encounter with the enemy's cavalry, under rebel General Wheeler, which
had gotten in our front and attempted to arrest our progress.

But there was no halting on Wheeler's account, for our troops made
their way on, he and his getting out of the way. While the division was
at Sandersville it gave the country around a healthy forage. A certain
wealthy planter living near had five or six score of French or Spanish
negroes, with a dwarfish stature and a gabble like so many geese. This
planter lived in Savannah in high life, as most wealthy planters do.
His possessions would seem changed when next he saw them; his cotton
and out-houses, his presses and gins were burned up, his productions
taken and plantation gleaned; but he is not alone in his misery, his
neighbors are as bad off as himself.

It was amusing to see the slouchy negroes obey the soldiers' orders,
for they had to be obeyed. Twenty or thirty of them would run after the
same chicken, heading and tripping each other as they went. These, like
all negroes, were delighted to see the Yankees waltz in and make old
massa "shell out." They would point