dearth of medical stores. The losses in present and prospective
food supplies were even more in Sherman's favor; for his
devastations had begun. Yet Jefferson Davis was bound that Hood
should "fight"; and Hood was nothing loth.

Davis went about denouncing Johnston for his magnificent Fabian
defense; and added insult to injury by coupling the name of this
very able soldier and quite incorruptible man with that of Joseph
E. Brown, Governor of Georgia, who, though a violent
Secessionist, opposed all proper unification of effort, and
exempted eight thousand State employees from conscription as
civilian "indispensables." Then, when Sherman approached, Brown
ran away with all the food and furniture he could stuff into his
own special train; though he left behind him all arms,
ammunition, and other warlike stores, besides the confidential
documents belonging to the State.

Brown had also weakened Hood's army by withdrawing the State
troops to gather in the harvest and store it where Sherman
afterwards used what he wanted and destroyed the rest. Yet Hood
kept operating in Sherman's rear, admirably seconded by Forrest's
and Wheeler's raiding cavalry. Late in October Forrest performed
the remarkable feat of taking a flotilla with cavalry. He
suddenly swooped down on the Tennessee near Johnsonville and took
the gunboat Undine with a couple of transports. Hood had
meanwhile been busy on Sherman's line of communications, hoping
at least to immobilize him round Atlanta, and at best to bring
him back from Georgia for a Federal defeat in Tennessee.

On the fifth of October the last action near Atlanta was fought