The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-08 00:00:00

next after 'Wood's. Geary had advanced half a mile
from the trenches ha occupied in the morning, and
just marched his troops to the top of a ridge, when
the rebel columns were thrown on him with terrible
violence. The 33d New Jersey, which was thrown
out to fortify a hill in advance of the main line, lost
over half its number in the first few minutes of the
charge. The most of Geary's lines were through a
dense wood, and his right flank was exposed by an
interval of two or three hundred yards, which
Williams' division was endeavouring to close.
When the enemy came on Gen. Bine's brigade, on
Geary's right, was speedily enveloped on the right
and rear, and fell back, after a stout fight, to the
trenches it occupied in the morning, where it was
reformed. Portions of Col. Ireland's brigade, in the
centre, were also enfiladed and driven back. By
turning one of his batteries from the front to the
right, Gen. Geary succeeded in reforming his ideate
tered line, where it stood, and not another foot did
it yield, rolling
back charge after charge. From 4
o'clock till long after dark the rebels endeavoured
to force their way through the gap they had opened,
but the pluck of our lads triumphed. Geary held
the hill at the end as at the beginning of the assault.
That portion of his line that fell back was reformed,
and in about an hour went back into action, on Gen.
Williams' right. The tremendous rebel assault
spent its fury on Gen. Williams' division, next on
Geary's right. This division had advanced also about
half a mile when the rebels swept on it. The shock
was met without flinching. The division refused to
give an inch, and though the enemy made three
several charges on it before nightfall, it repulsed
them all without wavering, though in doing so it
sustained heavier loss than any other division on the
right. The fighting on this part of our lines was in
dense woods. The attack grazed the left of Palmer's
corps, which had not left its trenches, but was pre-
paring to do so. Col. Anson Al‘Cook's brigade was
partially engaged, behaving nobly and repulsing
the enemy from beginning to end. About 9 o'clock
in the evening the enemy abandoned the fight in
front of Geary and Williams, carrying off many of
their dead and wounded, and falling back to their
heavy works about a mile distant. In front of Ward
and Newton he was compelled to leave all the dead
and severely wounded. Judging from great piles
heaped up there, the enemy lost in killed and
wounded alone over 5,000. We captured about 1,000
prisoners. The loss in Hooker's corps (official) is as
follows—Williams's division, 627 ; Geary's 451 ;
Ward's, 527—total, 1,611. Newton's division
(official) 102 ; 14th corps, 200: total loss, 1,913.
The statement that our troops were in fortifications
is untrue. They were advancing to take a new posi-
tion when attacked, and save with Newton, who
had some half-finished barricades, the field was an
open one. Even the aggressive Hood is not fool
enough to attack us in trenches. Prisoners were
captured from every corps in the rebel army, all of
whom said the programme was to drive us into the
Chattahoochee river, and that nearly their entire
army was engaged. During the progress of the fight
various corps on the left advanced over a mile,
M'Pherson at nightfall being within two and a-half
miles of Atlanta, and no portion of our lines more
than four miles distant. I left the front July 21
at 2 p.m. At that time our right was estabe
lished on the battle field, about four miles i.rom
Atlanta ; the left was within long range shelling
distance. The enemy stuck closely to his heavy
works girdling the town, a mile or two outside the
suburbs."
The correspondence of the Cincinnati Gazette
gives some additional particulars, under date At-
lanta, July 22. It states—
" Our loss will amount to 2,000 men, principally
on Hooker's front, because his troops fought in an
open field. The rebel loss in killed, wounded, and
prisoners will reach 6,000, of whom fully 1,000 were
killed outright. Three rebel brigadier-generals
were killed, Stephens, Weatherstone, and Long. On
Baird's and Davis's front heavy skirmishing took
place during the day. On the left wing INlTherson
drove the enemy several miles, Blair operating on
the extreme left, Logan next and Dodge next,
partly in line and partly in reserve. Blair's corps
advanced a mile and a half south of the Augusta
Railroad. Gen. Gresham, who commanded his right
division, was previously wounded. Altogether, the
operations on the left wore highly etaeuessful. On
the morning of the 21st Johnson's and Blair's divi-
sions, of Palmer's corps, were moved forward, and,
after a brisk contest, in which we lost perhaps 100
men, the rebels were driven from the ridge in the
front, the whole of which was now in our posses.
sion. By the morning of the 22d the rebels had
withdrawn entirely from Palmer's and Hooker's
front, and at 2 a.m. part of our army entered A,-
lanta. We may have more fighting yet for the full
possession of the city, bat consider that for the pre-
sent the campaign is substantially closed."
The attack upon Sherman's lines was renewed
upon the following Friday. Washington despatches
to the Baltimore .Republican, on the 25th of July
states :

"Despatches to the Government represent that a
great battle was fought in Atlanta on Friday, result.
ing in a horrible slaughter, and a complete repulse of
the enemy at every point. The rebels, holding the
largest part of the city, assaulted our works on that
day with great fury, evidently expecting to drive
our forces out of the city. The 15th Corps com-
manded by General Frank Blair, seemed to be the
special object of rebel wrath, as they massed against
it in overwhelming force. The 15th received the
shock gallantly, and held its own until General
Dodge, with the £6th Corps, came up, when the
rebels were hurled back with great slaughter.
General Logan, at the head of the 17th Corps, went
into battle with the rally ingi cry of ' Remember
M'Pherson.' This corps, as well as Blair's 15th
Corps, both constituting the army under Major-
General M'Pherson, fought desperately, the news of
the death of their brave commander having been
communicated to them just before going into battle.
General M`Pherson was shot while reconnoitering.
He became separated from his Staff for a moment
and a rebel sharpshooter shot him from an ambush.
The terrible struggle ended by repulsing the enemy
at every point of the line. It was arranged that on
Saturday the dead of both armies should,be buried
and the wounded be removed under a flag of truce.
Our troops buried 1,000 rebels left on the field
within our line; besides which the rebels buried
many of their own dead themselves near their
works. Upon this basis it is estimated that the
rebel killed and wounded on Friday will exceed
6,000, the proportion of killed to wounded in battle
being about one to seven. Oar loss will reach
about 2,500 in killed and wounded. The 15th Corps
suffered severely, the enemy's troops having been
massed against it. It was this act of the enemy in
part that cost him suchheavy lose. While the work
of burying the dead and removing the wounded
was going on on Saturday Sherman's heavy
artillery was playing upon the city. At the same
time large fires were observed in different parts of
Atlanta, supposed to be caused, by the destruc
tion of supply depots and other rebel pro-
perty which the rebels could not carry off,
and did not wish to fall into our hands. This is
considered as evidence of their intending to eva•
mate the place. Several rebel generals are reported
to be killed, but their names are not yet given."
The following are further details
" Washington, Monday, July 25.
" The enemy's cavalry at the onset turned our left
flank, and the line at that point was driven back.
One dis ision retreated in some disorder. The troops
were rallied there, however, and the rest of the line
repelled the enemy. The enemy suffered seriously,
but did not leave so many prisoners and wounded
in our hands as on Thursday. Before the attack
was made Gen. M'Pherson was killed by a sharp-
shooter while reconnoitering alone in front of his
lines, and some distance is advance even of his per-
sonal staff. Gen. John A. Logan succeeded to the
command, and exercised it during the day. Yes•
terday there was no general engagement, but Gen.
Thomas, who has established himself on the north
and north east, and within a mile and a half of
Atlanta, bombarded that city continuously. No
news of its positive capture has been received. Gen.
Hood's whole army is now posted in and about the
place. A despatch to-day from Gen, Sherman states
his loss in the battle of Friday at less than 2,000,
while that of the enemy cannot be lees than 7,000,
owing to the advantage be took of their of 'or; 10