Atlanta was destroyed so far as to render it worthless for military purposes before starting, Sherman himself remaining over a day to superintend the work, and see that it was well done.  Sherman’s orders for this campaign were perfect.  Before starting, he had sent back all sick, disabled and weak men, retaining nothing but the hardy, well-inured soldiers to accompany him on his long march in prospect.  His artillery was reduced to sixty-five guns.  The ammunition carried with them was two hundred rounds for musket and gun.  Small rations were taken in a small wagon train, which was loaded to its capacity for rapid movement.  The army was expected to live on the country, and to always keep the wagons full of forage and provisions against a possible delay of a few days.

The troops, both of the right and left wings, made most of their advance along the line of railroads, which they destroyed.  The method adopted to perform this work, was to burn and destroy all the bridges and culverts, and for a long distance, at places, to tear up the track and bend the rails.  Soldiers to do this rapidly would form a line along one side of the road with crowbars and poles, place these under the rails and, hoisting all at once, turn over many rods of road at one time.  The ties would then be placed in piles, and the rails, as they were loosened, would be carried and put across these log heaps.  When a sufficient number of rails were placed upon a pile of ties it would be set on fire.  This would heat the rails very much more in the middle, that being over the main part of the fire, than at the ends, so that they would naturally bend of their own weight; but the soldiers, to increase the damage, would take tongs and, one or two men at each end of the rail, carry it with force against the nearest tree and twist it around, thus leaving rails forming bands to ornament the forest trees of Georgia.  All this work was going on at the same time, there being a sufficient number of men detailed for that purpose.  Some piled the logs and built the fire; some put the rails upon the fire; while others would bend those that were sufficiently heated:  so that, by the time the last bit of road was torn up, that it was designed to destroy at a certain place, the rails previously taken up were already destroyed.

The organization for supplying the army was very complete.  Each brigade furnished a company to gather supplies of forage and provisions for the command to which they belonged.  Strict injunctions were issued against pillaging, or otherwise unnecessarily annoying the people; but everything in shape of food for man and forage for beast was taken.  The supplies were turned over to the brigade commissary and quartermaster, and were issued by them to their respective commands precisely the same as if they had been purchased.  The captures consisted largely of cattle, sheep, poultry, some bacon, cornmeal, often molasses, and occasionally coffee or other small rations.