. Redeeming the republic : the third period of the war of the rebellion, in the year 1864 . n, and which they knew wouldbe theirs could they but go with the men who carried the Stars andStripes. (8) They brought chickens, turkeys, and sucking-pigs to the sol-diers, carried their knapsacks for them, waited upon them, thus express-ing their gratitude. The movement was a blow which greatly crippledthe operations of the Confederate army for the remainder of the gave General Sherman an insight of the true condition of the coun-try : that there were abundant supplies of food in the Confedera
. Redeeming the republic : the third period of the war of the rebellion, in the year 1864 . n, and which they knew wouldbe theirs could they but go with the men who carried the Stars andStripes. (8) They brought chickens, turkeys, and sucking-pigs to the sol-diers, carried their knapsacks for them, waited upon them, thus express-ing their gratitude. The movement was a blow which greatly crippledthe operations of the Confederate army for the remainder of the gave General Sherman an insight of the true condition of the coun-try : that there were abundant supplies of food in the Confederacy, andthat a Union army might cut loose from its base of operations withoutfear of starvation. What came of this observation we shall see in duetime. Where was the force of cavalry which started from Memphis on the1st of February, and was to co-operate with the infantry? A militarycommander may lay his plans wisely, may think out a strategic move-ment which promises great results, but which may fail through the inef-ficiency of a subordinate officer. General Sherman had planned the 3 1. OPENING OF THE YEAR 1864. 17 movement not only to destroy Meridian, but to scatter Forrests cavalryto the winds. He had given General Smith a strong force, had directedhim to start on the 1st of February, but not till the 11th of the monthwas he in motion. He waited for a brigade which was on steamboatsdescending the Mississippi, and which was ice-bound at Columbus.(9)When at last he began his movement, Sherman was at Meridian, too faraway to co-operate with him. General Forrest confronted him near Oka-lona, on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. After destroying a portion ofthe railroad-track and a large quantity of corn and cotton, General Smith,finding Forrest so strong, returned to Memphis, accompanied by morethan one thousand negroes, many of whom, a few weeks later, were en-listed as soldiers in the service of the Union. The cavalry movementhad been inefficiently conducted, and General Forrests
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