ences on that day many pages, and still leave the matter imperfect and unsatisfactory. I had thought at least to have attempted some description of the events immediately succeeding the battle, and of the battlefield, — one of the most terrible and ghastly the darkening shades of night ever hid from human eyes. But it is perhaps as well not to recall such scenes; as well to let forgetfulness cover them from the thought, as, in the course of nature, the green grass and blossoming flowers cover and hid from sight the trenches and the rifle-pits for the possession of which, twenty-five years ago, brave men on both sides fought as only Americans can fight.

THE DEATH OF GENERAL JAMES B.

Two

MCPHERSON.

BY WILLIAM E. STRONG.

[Read October 13, 1887.]

WO army commanders only were killed in battle during the late war: General Albert Sidney Johnston, at Shiloh, April 6, 1862; and General James B. McPherson, before Atlanta, July 22, 1864.

The particulars of General Johnston's death are well known. He fell at the head of the Confederate Army early in the engagement, and died surrounded by his personal staff and friends.

General McPherson fell unattended by any officer of his staff, and breathed his life away with no one near him but a private soldier.

The circumstances of his death are not generally known. The opinion prevails that he threw away his life, - that he was far in advance of his own troops, and exposed himself rashly and unnecessarily; in other words, that had he been doing his duty as the commander of a great army, he would not have been killed.

General Sherman and many of the officers of his army know that McPherson fell while in the discharge of his duty as commander of the Army of the Tennessee. General Sherman, in his official announcement of his death to the Adjutant-General of the army, reports that McPherson had left his headquarters but a short time. previous, and was on the way to attend in person to the execution of his orders; and in his "Memoirs" he so states in the most positive language. Nevertheless, I meet people constantly who have different impressions of McPherson's death, and who tell me that he was killed

from ambuscade far in advance of his skirmishers or line of battle.

As a member of General McPherson's military family during almost the entire period of his service as a general officer, knowing all the circumstances connected with his death, and believing that great injustice has been done. him in this regard, I deem it my duty to write out the facts while they are still fresh in my memory. Numerous accounts have been published, but none of them go into details, and none that I have seen are entirely

correct.

On the afternoon of July 20, 1864, the Army of the Tennessee, commanded by General McPherson, moved through the village of Decatur, and at night encamped, well closed up, on the enemy's exterior line of works, which covered the city of Atlanta. About two and a half or three miles out from Decatur, the Seventeenth Army Corps, General Frank P. Blair commanding, which had the advance, struck the enemy's infantry in considerable force, and a sharp engagement followed, which lasted some hours, and till darkness put an end to it. The Third Division, commanded by General M. D. Leggett, and the Fourth Division, commanded by General W. Q. Gresham, bore the brunt of this fight, and both divisions behaved with great credit. The heaviest work, however, fell upon the Fourth Division, and its conduct and that of its commander was simply superb. The division was exposed to a galling fire from artillery, but finally General Gresham got into position the First Minnesota and Fifteenth Ohio batteries. The fire of the First Minnesota was very accurate and effective, and the Rebel guns were soon silenced or withdrawn. The Rebel artillery being apparently supported by infantry, Gresham advanced his division and drove the enemy back to a position not very far in his rear, where another stand was made. When the Rebel batteries first opened, General Blair was on the field and said to Gresham that there was nothing but a cavalry

force in front of him; that General Sherman had said we could go into Atlanta; and that he, General Blair, wanted Gresham to push ahead and get in there before any one else. After the enemy had been driven from his first position as described, Gresham sent word to Blair that the force in his front appeared to be infantry and artillery, and that his left was unprotected. An order promptly came back to crowd the enemy, which was dismounted cavalry supporting artillery. The order was obeyed. The Fourth Division again advanced in magnificent form, supported by the Third, driving the enemy steadily back, and finally, late in the afternoon, forcing him to the ridge or hill afterward called "Bald Hill" or "Leggett's Hill." Confronting the enemy along this ridge, Gresham had a heavy skirmish line or an open line of battle. The conformation of the ground indicated that there might be a deep ravine between the enemy and the division, which would make a charge by our troops unwise. Two staff officers were sent to get a view of the ground. They could not, however, see it without exposing themselves very much, but reported back that they thought there was no ravine. The enemy was stubborn; the Fourth Division was in advance with an exposed left flank, and General Gresham was anxious, not feeling assured that the ground was such that the men could charge over it, and so went forward to the skirmish line to get a view of the field, having necessarily to expose himself to the storm of bullets which at this time swept every approach to the slopes and crest of "Leggett's Hill." Just when he got the desired view, and became satisfied that there was no intervening ravine, he was dreadfully wounded and carried from the field. The sun was then about an hour high. Gresham at once sent word to General Blair of the exact condition of affairs on his front, but when Blair arrived, it was too late to drive the enemy from the hill that evening. Had General Gresham not been wounded, I have but little doubt that he would have