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unknown to me he went off towards Covington and did not again communicate with General Garrard at Flat Rock. General Garrard remained there until the 29th, skirmishing heavily with a part of Wheeler's cavalry, and occupying their attention, but hearing nothing from General Stoneman, he moved back to Conyer's, where, learning that General Stoneman had gone to Covington and south on the east side of the Ocmulgee, he returned and resumed his position on our left. It is known that General Stoneman kept to the east of the Ocmulgee to Clinton, sending detachments off to the east which did a large amount of damage to the railroad, burning the bridges of Walnut Creek and Oconee, and destroying a large number of cars and locomotives, and with his main force appeared before Macon. He did not succeed in crossing the Ocmulgee at Macon, or in approaching Andersonville, but retired in the direction whence he came, followed by various detachments of mounted men under a General Iverson. He seems to have become hemmed in, and gave consent to two thirds of his force to escape back whilst he held the enemy in check with the remainder, about 700 men, and a section of light guns. One brigade, Colonel Adams, came in almost intact. Another, commanded by Colonel Capron, was surprised on the way back and scattered; many were captured and killed, and the balance got in mostly unarmed and afoot, and the General himself surrendered his small command, and is now a prisoner at Macon. His mistake was in not making the first concentration with Generals McCook and Garrard near Lovejoy's, according to his orders, which is yet unexplained.

"General McCook, in the execution of his part, went down the west bank of the Chattahoochee to near Rivertown, where he laid a pontoon bridge with which he was provided, crossed his command and moved rapidly on Palmeto Station of the West Point road, where he tore up a section of track, leaving a regiment to create a diversion towards Campbelltown, which regiment fulfilled its duty and returned to camp by way of and escorting back the pontoon bridge train. General McCook then rapidly moved to Fayetteville, where he found a large number of the wagons belonging to the rebel army in Atlanta. These he burned to the number of 500, killing 800 mules, and carrying along others, and taking 250 prisoners, mostly quartermasters and men belonging to the trains. He then pushed for the railroad, reaching it at Lovejoy's station at the time appointed. He burned the depot, tore up a section of the road, and continued to work until forced to leave off to defend himself against an accumulating force of the enemy. He could hear nothing of General Stoneman, and finding his progress east too strongly opposed, he moved south and west, and reached Newman on the West Point road, where he encountered an infantry force coming from Mississippi to Atlanta, which had been stopped by the break he had made at Palmetto. This force, with the pursuing cavalry, hemmed him in and forced him to fight. He was compelled to drop his prisoners and captures and cut his way out, losing some 500 officers and men. Among them a most valuable officer, Colonel Harrison, who, when fighting his men, as skirmishers on foot, was overcome and made prisoner and is now at Macon. He cut his way out, reached the Chattahoochee, crossed and got to Marietta without further loss.

"General McCook is entitled to much credit for thus saving his command, which was endangered by the failure of General Stoneman to reach Lovejoy's. But on the whole the cavalry raid is not deemed a success, for the real purpose was to break the enemy's communications, which, though done, was on so limited a scale that I knew the damages would soon be repaired.”

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On the 26th, Major-General Howard assumed command of the Army of the Tennessee, by order of the President. General Hooker was offended at this promotion of a junior, and asked to be, and was, relieved, and Slocum was appointed to command the 29th Corps, but as he was at Vicksburg, it was placed under General H. S. Williams. General Palmer also resigned the command of the 14th Corps, and was succeeded by Jeff. C. Davis, while General Stanley succeeded Howard in command of the 4th Corps.

Hood made another of his desperate attempts to cut our force in twain. In obedience to orders, the Army of the Tennessee had drawn out of its lines on the night of July 26th, and on the 27th moved behind the rest of the army to Proctor's Creek, the extreme right beyond it to prolong the line due south, facing eastward. Lee and Hardee fell on Howard, on the 29th of September, coming out of their works at Jonesboro. A stubborn contest of two hours followed, when the baffled rebels withdrew, leaving their dead and wounded. This victory was decisive. Sherman had seen that

Atlanta was not to be taken by assault, hence, after arranging his forces carefully he made the retrograde movement heralded through the South as a retreat, as the abandonment of the campaign, but which was one of the most masterly movements of the great tactician. Hood came out of his defenses, as Sherman anticipated. The assault began on Hazen's division of the 15th Corps, and was manfully resisted. The 15th took possession of a hill commanding Jonesboro, and rested for the night, the 16th on their right, the 17th on their left, in front of them the dead and wounded.

Sherman was attempting to thrust the left-center of his army between Stewart's Corps, holding Atlanta, and Hardee and Lee in the field. General Schofield had succeeded in reaching the railroad near Rough and Ready, and was destroying it; General Stanley had reached it south of Schofield, and General Baird within four miles of Jonesboro, all tearing it up.

The rebel forces were divided, and full attention turned to the wing at Jonesboro. Garrard and Kilpatrick hung with the cavalry upon the rebel flanks. Davis assaulted the enemy's lines and carried them, capturing a portion of Gowan's brigade and two batteries, one of which was Loomas', taken from us at Chickamauga. Stanley

and Schofield were ordered to hurry forward, but could not get into position until night rendered further action impossible. That night explosion after explosion was heard, supposed to be either from the dismantling of rebel works at Atlanta or his magazines.

Morning showed that Lee and Hardee had abandoned their works, and retreated. Pursuit was ordered south, and the enemy was overtaken at Lovejoy's Station, which was assaulted. General Sherman saw that this stand was made to secure communication with the McDonough and Fayetteville road, and immediately news came that Atlanta was abandoned on the night of the 1st, and was occupied by Slocum; that Hood had blown up his ammunition trains, and that Stewart was retreating to McDonough. He could not prevent the junction of the rebel forces, and he paused. Hood was in retreat. Atlanta was occupied by Slocum.

The army moved back to Atlanta by easy stages, and paused for it sadly needed rest.

The march had been made to Atlanta, and the mountainous center between the Ocean and Gulf slopes secured—the granary of the rebellion was ours. By careful forethought, and marvelous executive energy our long line of communications had been preserved, and by Western patriotism the army had been kept from reduction. Sherman had been promoted to Major-General of the regular army, and through the country rang the shout, accompanied by ringing bells and booming artillery, Atlanta is ours, won by our Western troops ! Another "Ebenezer" was set up on the path of the Union army toward a restored Union and universal freedom.

CHAPTER XIII.

HOOD TURNS NORTH.

THE SITUATION-WHAT WILL HOOD DO-WHAT HE MIGHT HAVE DONE-HIS CHOSEN POLICY ATHENS SURRENDERS-ROSSEAU-FORREST IN THE TOILS-MARIETTASMYRNA-ALLATOONA-ILLINOIS NINETY-THIRD-LIEUTENANT-COLONEL TOURTELLOTTE -CORSE COMES " EFFUSION OF BLOOD"-DESPERATE DEFENSE-SEVENTH ILLINOISCOLONEL ROWELL-CORSE'S REPORT-SHERMAN'S SIGNALS-TWELFTH AND FIFTIETH ILLINOIS-VICTORY-OUR LOSSES-RAUM AT RESACA-VARIOUS MOVEMENTS-TROOPS SENT THOMAS-THOMAS' ARMY-RANSOM DIES-ARMIES SEPARATED-HOOD CROSSES THE RIVER-BATTLE OF FRANKLIN-BACK TO NASHVILLE-HOOD'S POSITION-FEDERAL TROOPS-DELAY-PREPARATIONS-MOMENT-ORDER OF BATTLE-BATTLE OF NASHVILLE-SMITH AND SCHOFIELD-NIGHT-SECOND DAY-WOOD'S CORPS-SteedMAN-ASSAULT-VICTORY-REBEL RETREAT-THE EIGHTY-EIGHTH THE SEVENTYSECOND-BRYDGE'S BATTERY-THE SEVENTY-FOURTH.

W

HEN Sherman sat down to give his weary men time to breathe, Grant was holding Lee at Petersburg, Sheridan was closing up the passes of the Shenandoah, while in the Carolinas little was being accomplished-the angry contestants were confronting each other in lowering inaction. On and west of the Mississippi there were no movements of any magnitude, and all eyes were turned on the two great armies of the Union.

Sherman evidently meant to advance. If he should head his column southeastwardly he might reach the sea-coast and effect a junction with Grant. "What will Hood do?" If he should do what Johnston would have done, abandon the Chattahoochee and the country west, and place his disciplined force west of Atlanta, confronting Sherman boldly if he moved down the Atlantic slope, or hang with vengeful opportunity upon his flanks if he turned toward the Gulf, at the same time sending his cavalry against the Federal

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communications, then it was apparent that the difficulty of the Great March was yet to overcome, for between Sherman and Lee would be Hood; the rebels would have the interior lines; the concentration of their two armies would be possible, and with it the attacking of our force in detail.

Another policy was adopted. Hood was to move northward. When this was detected, Major-General Thomas was sent with an army to Nashville, to defend the rear, and, as it subsequently proved, to break Hood's army into pieces.

September 23d General Forrest appeared before Athens, and on the 24th summoned Colonel Campbell to surrender, which he did, only to see in half an hour, the approach of reinforcements, which in turn were driven after a sharp engagement. Forrest advanced, breaking the railway until the 27th, when he encountered General Rosseau, who, with a hastily collected garrison, successfully resisted him. Forrest moved round to the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad and began to break it up, but Rosseau advanced upon him before the main body of the rebel cavalry came up, and General Steedman crossed the Tennessee the same day with 5,000 men, and the butcher of Fort Pillow fell back through Fayetteville, and the railroad was repaired within twenty-four hours. Forrest sent one portion of his command under Buford against Athens, where it was repulsed and fell back across the Tennessee, Forrest threatened Columbia, and finding the toils enclosing him, turned and succeeded, October 6th, in getting south of the Tennessee at Bainbridge. But for unforeseen difficulties, the plans of General Thomas must inevitably have accomplished the capture or entire destruction of his command. On the 1st of October Hood moved northward. His cavalry was sent to strike our communication at Marietta, while he threw his three corps of infantry over the Chattahoochee and marched by Dallas. Slocum was left to hold Atlanta and the railway bridge of the Chattahoochee, and, on the 4th, Sherman marched his army to Smyrna camp-ground, and the next day to a strong position at Kenesaw Mountain.

The rebel cavalry and a division of infantry struck the railroad at Big Shanty and destroyed it and the telegraph, and advanced rapidly on Allat ona Pass where were a million of our rations in charge

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