boats, etc., was a necessary incident to our occupation and destruction of the inland routes of travel and supply. But the real object of this march was to place this army in a position easy of supply, whence it could take an appropriate part in the spring and summer campaigns of 1865. This was completely accomplished on the 21st of March by the junction of the three armies and occupation of Goldsboro'.

"In conclusion, I beg to express, in the most emphatic manner, my entire satisfaction with the tone and temper of the whole army. Nothing seems to dampen their energy, zeal, or cheerfulness. It is impossible to conceive a march involving more labor and exposure, yet I cannot recall an instance of bad temper by the way, or hearing an expression of doubt as to our perfect success in the end. I believe that this cheerfulness and harmony of action reflects upon all concerned quite as much real honor and fame as 'battles gained' or 'cities won,' and I therefore commend all, generals, staff, officers, and men, for these high qualities, in addition to the more soldierly ones of obedience to orders and the alacrity they have always manifested when danger summoned them 'to the front.'

We have already remarked that the failure to defend Columbia was the turning point of the campaign, and necessarily involved its loss, since it enabled Sherman to move either on Charlotte or Fayetteville at his pleasure, and compelled Johnston to sacrifice one of these lines to the defence of the other. In like manner, the inability to cripple Sherman's army in detail, and thus prevent his occupation of Goldsboro', carried with it the impossibility of preventing his junction with the Army of the Potomac. For, should Johnston attempt to oppose Sherman in his progress to the Roanoke, on the Weldon road, he must necessarily expose himself to the danger of having his right turned and being compelled to fight a battle between the Neuse and the Roanoke, with his back to the sea. Should he retire behind the Roanoke to dispute its passage, his rear would be at the mercy of Grant,

and with a large river and a powerful enemy in his front, he must then choose whether to abandon the attempt or submit to be hemmed in without supplies. Again, if Johnston should decide to refuse his left and retire on Raleigh or on the south bank of the Neuse, he would, by that very act, abandon all hope of being able to restrain the accomplishment of his adversary's purpose. The last alternative, though ineffectual to oppose Sherman, was the best of the three, being the only one that did not point to immediate destruction, and it was the one which General Johnston promptly and very properly adopted.

CHAPTER XXX.

THE LAST STROKE.

SHERMAN immediately began to prepare for the new campaign.

On the 24th of March, the day after his arrival at Goldsboro', he issued the following orders for the reorganization and supply of the army as the first step in that direction :—

"I. Major-General Schofield, commanding the Department of North Carolina, will, out of the troops of his command, organize a force equivalent to two corps, or five divisions, and proceed to equip them in the most complete manner for field service. This force, while operating with the other armies in the field, will be styled the 'Centre.' For the present, General Schofield will post his command to hold Goldsboro', and cover the railroad back to Wilmington and Morehead City. He will also aid the railroad department with details, to enable it to finish, in the shortest possible time, the two roads, and equip them for service.

"II. Colonel W. W. Wright, of the railroad department, will use extraordinary means, night and day, to complete the two railroads from Goldsboro' back to Morehead City and Wilmington, and to equip them to the capacity of three hun dred tons per day of freight.

"He may pay any price for labor, call for details of soldiers, and draw rolling-stock from Savannah, Charleston, or any point within this command, and all commanding officers and quartermasters will give preference to the shipment of such stock over any other work whatever, not involving life. The

work of these railroads is limited and restricted to the transportation in the order following: 'Army stores'—1. Ammuni tion; 2. Food for men; 3. Clothing for men; 4. Grain for animals; 5. Camp and garrison equipage; 6. Hay and long forage.

Until there is an accumulation of supplies at Goldsboro', enough to fill the wagons of the army, no officer, soldier, or citizen, or any private stores whatever, will be carried on the up trip, unless it be mail matter, and officers or couriers bearing orders for army headquarters, nor these to exceed one carload per day. All else must march or use horses and wagons, from the salt-water to Goldsboro', until the army is thoroughly clothed and equipped. Return cars may load according to the discretion of the quartermaster in charge, provided there be no delay.

"To facilitate the completion of these roads, Colonel Poe will cause the First Michigan Engineers to work back towards Newbern. General Howard will cause to be built the railroad over the Neuse, near Goldsboro'; General Slocum, the wagonroad bridge on the Mount Olive road, and General Schofield the railroad-bridge over Northeast Branch, near Wilmington, leaving Colonel Wright with his working parties to look after the laying or ballasting the track, and getting the cars in motion.

"III. The chief quartermaster and commissary of the army in the field, Generals Easton and Beckwith, will repair at once to Goldsboro', and there control the movement of supplies according to the necessities of the army and orders issued at these headquarters. All estimates and requisitions will be addressed accordingly.

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IV. The right wing of the army will group to the front and right of Goldsboro', looking north; the left wing, in front and left of Goldsboro'; the centre to Goldsboro', with detachments to cover the railroads to the rear. The cavalry will be posted at or near Mount Olive Station. All will send forag ing-parties into the country, being careful to have them strong enough and well guarded."

Slocum's left wing now adopted the title of the Army of Georgia, and Major-General Joseph A. Mower succeeded General Williams in the command of the Twentieth Corps.

The centre, under Schofield, composed of the Tenth and Twenty-third Army Corps, respectively commanded by MajorGeneral Alfred H. Terry and Jacob D. Cox, perpetuated the use of the name of the Army of the Ohio, hitherto belonging only to the latter organization. Terry's tenth corps consisted of the divisions of Brigadier and Brevet Major-General Adelbert Ames and Brigadier-General Charles J. Paine. Cox's twenty-third corps comprised the divisions of Brigadier-Generals Darius N. Couch, Thomas H. Ruger, and John T. Reilly.

The right wing, under Howard, still retained its original designation as the Army of the Tennessee, and was composed, as during the preceding campaign, of Logan's fifteenth and Blair's seventeenth army corps.

Having given the directions just quoted, Sherman turned over the chief command of his army to Major-General Schofield, the next in rank, and hastened to City Point, to have an interview with Lieutenant-General Grant, for the purpose of arranging the time and manner of their co-operation during the coming campaign. He arrived at General Grant's headquarters on the evening of the 27th of March, and there met President Lincoln, for the first time since the year 1861, General Grant himself, and Generals Meade and Ord, commanding the Armies of the Potomac and James. After a long and full conference as to the campaign just closed, and the final operations now proposed, General Sherman received his instructions from General Grant, and set out on the naval dispatch-boat Bat, to return, by way of Hatteras Inlet and Newbern, to his headquarters at Goldsboro', where he arrived on the night of the 30th of March.

General Sherman had informed General Grant that the 10th of April would be the earliest date at which he could be ready to move, and all things were now arranged accordingly.

The troops were still busy in repairing the wear and tear of their recent hard march from Savannah, and in replenishing