Chapter 16

           JanuaryandFebruaryof1864passed,fullofcoldrainsandwildwinds,cloudedbypervasivegloomanddepression.InadditiontothedefeatsatGettysburgandVicksburg,thecenteroftheSouthernlinehadcaved.Afterhardfighting,nearlyallofTennesseewasnowheldbytheUniontroops.Butevenwiththislossonthetopoftheothers,theSouth’sspiritwasnotbroken.True,grimdeterminationhadtakentheplaceofhigh-heartedhopes,butpeoplecouldstillfindasilverlininginthecloud.Foronething,theYankeeshadbeenstoutlyrepulsedinSeptemberwhentheyhadtriedtofollowuptheirvictoriesinTennesseebyanadvanceintoGeorgia.

           Hereinthenorthwesternmostcornerofthestate,atChickamauga,seriousfightinghadoccurredonGeorgiasoilforthefirsttimesincethewarbegan.TheYankeeshadtakenChattanoogaandthenhadmarchedthroughthemountainpassesintoGeorgia,buttheyhadbeendrivenbackwithheavylosses.

           AtlantaanditsrailroadshadplayedabigpartinmakingChickamaugaagreatvictoryfortheSouth.OvertherailroadsthatleddownfromVirginiatoAtlantaandthennorthwardtoTennessee,GeneralLongstreet’scorpshadbeenrushedtothesceneofthebattle.Alongtheentirerouteofseveralhundredmiles,thetrackshadbeenclearedandalltheavailablerollingstockintheSoutheasthadbeenassembledforthemovement.

           Atlantahadwatchedwhiletrainaftertrainrolledthroughthetown,hourafterhour,passengercoaches,boxcars,flatcars,filledwithshoutingmen.

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