Page images
PDF
EPUB

THE CHATTAHOOCHEE REACHED.

329

effect" of a successful assault would be good. But it is equally true that the "moral effect" of an unsuccessful one is bad, and the chances here were nine to one against him. Besides, he after all, had to fall back again to his old flanking system, the only wise course when it can be taken against such a strong position as Kenesaw mountain was.

Gathering up his bleeding army, and, burying his dead, under a flag of truce, he sent McPherson forward to the Chattahoochee, far in the rear of Kenesaw Mountain. As soon as Johnston was aware of this movement, he evacuated his strong position, and Sherman rode into Marietta. The result showed that this would have been the proper course at first, and that he could have had the strong position without the loss of a man.

Sherman now pressed forward, in hope of catching Johnston in the confusion of crossing the Chattahoochee. But the latter had provided against such a contingency, and covered his movements so well that no considerable advantage could be gained over him, though more or less fighting occurred all the way to its banks. On the 4th and 5th of July, the rebel army crossed the river in safety. On the 7th, Schofield effected a lodgment on the farther bank, and laid a good pontoon and trestle bridge. Sherman handled hist troops with such skill, that by the ninth, he had secured three good points for crossing over his army above the enemy's tete-du-pont, when the latter reluctantly abandoned his last line of defense, and fell back to Atlanta.

In the meantime Rousseau, with two thousand cavalry, was sent around Atlanta, to destroy the railroad at Opelika, Ala., south, and cut off Johnston's supplies. This force was gone twelve days, and succeeded in accomplishing its object, and returned, with the loss of only thirty men.

The control of the Chattahoochee, Sherman said, "was one if not the chief object of the campaign," but Atlanta lay

330

ATLANTA IN SIGHT.

only eight miles distant, and he determined to capture it. But after the heavy marching and fighting of the past few weeks, the army needed rest before entering on such a des perate undertaking, and it pitched its camps along the stream, and gave itself up to several days' repose. From a neighboring hill the steeples of Atlanta, and the smoke of its foundries could be seen. Around it stretched a beautiful country, dotted with plantations, while in every direction, the smoke of locomotives, as they sped along the plains, revealed the various lines of railroad that centered in the place.

CHAPTER XXV.

JULY-SEPTEMBER, 1864.

ATLANTA REACHED-HOOD'S FIRST ATTACK-HIS ASSAULT ON MCPHERSONDEATH OF THE LATTER-HOWARD PLACED OVER THE ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE-STONEMAN AND MC COOK'S RAID-HOOKER RESIGNS-FIERCE ATTACK

ON HOWARD-SHELLING OF ATLANTA-AN UNSUCCESSFUL ASSAULT-WHEELER SENT TO CUT SHERMAN'S COMMUNICATIONS-KILPATRICK DISPATCHED TO CUT HOOD'S-SHERMAN RESOLVED TO PLANT HIS ARMY ON THE MACON ROAD-BATTLE OF JONESBORO'-ATLANTA CUT OFF-HOOD EVACUATES ITSLOCUM TAKES POSSESSION-THE REBEL ARMY PURSUED TO LOVEJOY'S STATION-REST TO THE ARMY-SUMMING UP OF THE CAMPAIGN-SHERMAN ORDERS ALL THE INHABITANTS TO LEAVE-HIS CORRESPONDENCE WITH HOOD AND THE MAYOR, ON THE subject.

ON

the

N the 17th of July, the whole army moved forward, fighting as it advanced, and, at length, Atlanta greeted eyes of the weary, suffering, yet enthusiastic troops. Johnston, at this time, was removed from command, and Hood put in his place. A new mode of conducting the campaign was now to be inaugurated. The Fabian policy was dropped at once, and the impetuous Hood, the moment he obtained the control of the army, broke into a furious offensive. On the 20th, Sherman was in the act of forming his new lines, about five miles from Atlanta, with no enemy in force apparently near, when suddenly, nearly the whole of Hood's army came pouring forward with shouts and yells, that rolled like thunder over the field. Newton's division of Howard's Corps, and Johnson's of Palmer's, received the first shock. They had just before thrown up a breastwork of rails, behind which they poured in a galling fire. Hooker's Corps, however, was entirely uncovered, yet stood like a flaming citadel in the open fields. Where this onset was

332

HOOD'S FIRST ATTACK.

made, a gap in the lines existed, which Hood hoped to pene. trate. Had he succeeded, disastrous consequences would, doubtless, have followed. But though the assault was sudden as a thunder-clap, and found our troops partially unprepared, it failed to break through our lines. The rebels threw themselves forward on our batteries with a recklessness that was frightful to behold. Their ranks melted away before the fire like the sand bank when caved by the torrent, yet the living never faltered. Over their own piled-up dead, they still crowded the gates of death with a self-devotion never surpassed. The sacrifice was great, but it did not avail, and the bleeding, shattered host fell back to its intrenchments, having lost in this short, fierce engagement, according to the estimate of Thomas, five thousand men. Our loss was about half that number.

Two days after, Hood abandoned his extensive line of de fenses, falling back to his interior position of redoubts, in front of which were almost impenetrable chevaux-de-frise, with water between them.

While Thomas was thus pushing forward in front, Mo Pherson, from Decatur to the eastward, was moving down the railroad toward the city.

Hood, two days after this terrible repulse, made another desperate attempt to break through the net that was steadily closing round him. Leaving just enough troops in the intrenchments to hold them, he massed his entire army against McPherson on the left, who had not yet got into position. The onset, if possible, was more terrific than that of two days before, and, at one time, came very near overwhelming the Army of the Tennessee. Blair caught the first blow, and then the shouting, yelling, frantic mass poured down on the whole line with a fury that, at first, seemed irresistible. In the meantime, a heavy force got in the rear and captured some twelve guns. The enraged gunners rushed back for

A BLOODY CONTEST.

333

their pieces, and a bloody, hand to hand fight took place over them. In front, the rebels, with their usual daring, dashed unflinchingly through the fire that wasted them, up to the very breastworks, and planted their colors alongside of our own, and fought like tigers around them. "For a

half an hour, the two armies fought face to face each side of the same line of intrenchments, with the battle colors of the respective parties flying from the same works." The struggle was so close and deadly that orders were of little avail-it was a contest of the old Greeks and Romans, when everything, for a time, rested solely on the valor of the soldiers. Sherman, with Schofield and Howard, stood on an elevation that commanded a view of the battle field. Planting two batteries on two hills—one on each side of him—which poured a converging fire into the enemy, he sent word to Logan, in the centre, to mass his troops and charge. "You must retake those guns," was the stern order. No sooner did the gallant Logan receive it, than he swiftly massed his troops, and riding alternately at the heads of the columns, shouted them on. Wood's division led the charge, and a loud cheer rolled down the line, as it advanced. The enemy supposing we were thoroughly beaten, were astonished at the sight, but moved boldly out to meet the onset-the artillery, on both sides, playing over the heads of the troops. Soon, however, it ceased as the approaching lines came close together. A crushing fire, a cheer, and then we were upon and over them, scattering them in flight, and retaking part of the guns.

The struggle was a short one, but while it lasted, death reaped the field with rapid strokes. Six tremendous assaults were made on the Fifteenth, Sixteenth and Seventeenth Corps, but when darkness closed over. the field, victory was ours. The dead lay everywhere-sometimes in ranks, as though whole companies had been swept away by a single volley. Logan reported the enemy's dead at over three

« PreviousContinue »