On Nov. 24, 1864, the Left Wing of Gen. Sherman's army [US], which had left Atlanta on Nov. 15th on its destructive March to the Sea, crossed the Oconee River at Milledgeville enroute to Sandersville. On the 26th, after delays caused by destruction of bridges over Buffalo Creek by Wheeler's cavalry [CS], the Left Wing (14th and 20th Corps -- Maj. Gen. H.W. Slocum, USA) reached Sandersville, the 14th Corps (Davis) having marched via Black Spring and the 20th Corps (Williams) via Hebron. Near Keg and Buffalo creeks their advance had been hotly contested, but the Infantry columns forced back the small cavalry units and entered Sandersville before noon. The invaders having been fired upon from the windows and portico of the court house, Gen. Sherman ordered the structure destroyed.
That afternoon, Jackson's and Geary's divisions, 20th Corps, moved to Tennille (3 miles S) to destroy the railroad from that point to Davisboro. Next morning, Ward's division, 20th Corps, and Carlin's division, 14th Corps, moved to Davisboro with the artillery and trains of both corps. Morgan's and Baird's divisions, 14th Corps, moved to Fenn's Bridge (13 miles NE), crossed the Ogeechee River, then turned toward Louisville.
On the 27th, Gen. Sherman, who had accompanied the Left Wing from Atlanta to Sandersville, changed to the Right Wing (15th and 17th Corps) which was then near Tennille.
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