Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1864-09-16

the capture OF Auhnta!
BRILLIANT CHARGE.
About : n'cluCk, +. M, September lst, Gen.
Davis formed lis command for a Gnal charge,
overlapping the Cucmy's right with his left.
The 4th ccrrs meantime, unperccived by the
rebels, had dCrloycd a line on their right flank,
90 as 10 close aronnd them. At the word ui
command, forward went the lilh corps, with a
cheer, In three lines. Thcii ranks moved by a
terrific discharge Of mnsketry, canister, and
shell, they reserved their lire, and pressed on to
The very parapets, when they delivered their first
fire over the breastwnrks, and then charged in
with the bayonet. The enemy were confoundcd,
ouln inked, crushed, and about 1000 threw
Town their arms and surrendered. Among
'thera, Brig. Gen. GOvau and several colOues
aud other commissioned officers were captured.
Eight guns were also captured, (ton were at
irst reponed,) among them part of LoOmis's
celebrated battery, which was lost at Chicka-
mauVa.
Daring this brilliant charge Gen. Morgau's
division led the advance, supported by Gems
Baird and Carnn. This yietorious turn in the
fortunes of the day closed the contest, aud
night drew her mautlc over the bloody field
Gicn. Davis asserts that had there been an hour
more Of daylight, he would have captured the
whole of Hardee'e corps. They escaped under
cover OF the darkness.
HOODS RETIRE At.
Lee had proceeded scarcely half way to At
lanta before the intelligence of Hardeos defeat
and ofthe evacuation of Jonesboro' had reached
him. For two days Atlanta had been in O fer
ment; now there was a panic; hurrying to
and fro, and mounting In hot haste. hood
saw that the game was up; that he had been
gcneralcd-HoOd wi'ikcd, and beaten. Moth
ing remained for him but to gather up the
militia and Stuart'B corps, and save himself as
best he could. Tho militia stood not upon the
order Of their going. If citizens speak truly,
many of them threw down their arms and took
to the woods. Hood ordered the destruction of
all the military stores and munitions, and left
FcrgusOn's cavalry to carry out the order ns
soon as the troops were fairly clear OF the city.
Hood took the load to Augusta, whittier he
sent tue raw troops, and then marched for
Griffin, whore he expected to make junction
with llardcc. The whole movement of the
rebel army now indicated fear that Sherman
might push his success, and by some sudden
and uulookcd.fOr "1ank movement" turn up
at Macon.
GENERAL SHERMAN ANNOUNCES THE FALL OF
ATLANTA.
Late on the evening OF the Cd, Gen. Sherman
received official information of the occupation
of Atlanta, aud issued the following order,
which was read to the troops and everywhere
greeted with cheers:
al .ADQERs M,L DIV. or THE MI6sIsSlPPLl
In the FED NJ tR LovrJpY'B TATIUS,
GEOrOlA. S6pi.s
ESPECIAL FIELD ORDERS No. G2.-The gene
raj commanding announces with great pleasure
that be has official Information that our troops
under Major General Slocum occupied Atlanta
yesterday, at II O'Clock, a. m, the enemy hav-
ing evacuated the night before, destroy cd vast
magazines of stores, and blew up, among other
things, eighty car loads Of ammunition, which
accounts for the sounds heard by US on the
night of the 10th inst.
'0ur present task is, therefore, well done,
mud all pnFl nf fngt ~ Inn ~ all nd
cease.
"By order of Maj. Gen. W. T. SHERMAN.
"L. ". DAYTON, Aid de camp"
THE CITY.
The centre of the city is compact, and along
Whitehall street the buildings are of brick, and
some three or four stories. Here the place
bears q business nspcct-at least, the signs of
former prosperity. Now all the stores arc
vacant; with very few exceptions, the doors
stand open, and the Windows are smashed. A
large hotel In the middle of the square, lately
In use for a rebel hospital, is to 10 SET apart
for soldiers home. Most Of the buildings
along this thOroughfsre have been struck by
our shot or shells. In some cases they have
badly shattered tho buildings, but generally
have inflicted little damage. Five thousand
dollars would repair all this class of damage
to the town. The heaviest loss has been from
fires, which have consumed several valuable
stores, caused probably by the bursting OF
| bnclls. luc IRON lOuuuTltS, UhCulnc euOpsl
| and other buildings along the railroad leading
northward out of the city, have suffered most
Here are whole stacks Of chimucys knocked
down, aud holes as large as a barrel blown In
| the roofs and sides; doors are knocked from
| oil their hinges, and a wreck generally made
of the works. some of the small houses still
occupied by families show large holes through
sides and roofs.
DESTRUCTION or CARS, AMMUEITIoN AND LOCO
MOTIVES.
On the night of the lsI of September Atlanta
witnessed one of the most terrific explosion,
and couilagrations ever seen Ia the history 0
| war.
| Eighty-odd cars, nearly half of which wcrt
loaded with fixed ammunition, were set on tire
standing upon the track Of the Augusta rail
road not a mile from the heart OF the city
The flames lit up the heavens, throwing thG
| luTCd light far over the city aud surToundiuI
country. The detUnatiOl of the bursting shell
shook the city TO its foundations, and filled tn
air continually for the space Of seyeral hour
with fragments and the debris of the genera
wreck. The explosions were heard twenty Il e
miles from the city. Visiting this spot, say
the naked trucks and axles of cars for near
half mile In extent, the ground for a long dis
tance on both sides of the track covered owe
with the evidences OF the terrible agents whcI
had been at work. A large locomotive ha
been thrown off the track at one end by the ex
plOslOns. 1hrec locomotives arc said 10 hay
been captured In running order. Four fe
guus were lying near the track In one place
and four 33pounders in another place. Tn
latter had but recently been brought up 70
siege guns.
A considerable number of guns, which tn
rebels could not take away in their hurrie
flight from tho city, were buried, and head
boards, with lying epitaphs, placed abov
them TO pcrsOnate graves of old soldiers
General Sherman states the number OF gun
captured as twenty-seven, and seven lOCOmC
tives. The number of prisoners taken, aC
: cording to the same authority, Is nearly tire
| thousand, during the series of engagement
, which preceded the fall of Atlanta.
suERMAS's PRESENT POSITION.
The army of General Sherman Withdrew
from the position rear JOnesboro' on the 81
and 9th, and fell back ON the city. The pal
ticular disposition of the forces would be cor
traband TO publish. Suffice 1t to say that tn
10Th corps occupy the city and It's immediat
defences; and the other two wings of the army
that of the Ohio and Tennessee, command th
only and important approaches, at dstanC
Of several miles south and east. The whOl
| combined rebel army, including Lec's, cUul
not dIslodge us from the place. Atlanta
which our army will be able to radiatO in an
desired direction south and east.
OUR LOSSES.
, These Gen. Sherman estimates at not Oy(
fifteen hundred during the immediate action
Q prisoners. We took about three thousand pr
oners, and the enemies loss In killed an
wounded Gen. Davis estimates at not less tha
Lon nun Tl, oft lnpH fN