Sherman's Meridian Expedition From The Southern Side

"Negroes were alternately persuaded and coerced to go with them; robbed, stripped, cursed, and yet the poor devils went; some assigning as a reason that they should all starve if they remained. They burned three houses in my yard and moved the negroes out of theirs to burn them—two of my old negro men, on their knees, implored them out of the notion. The buildings were near each other, old and easy to take fire,..."