Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-08-01


everywhere repulsed, aud driven in con.
fusion and dismay back to their barri.
eades. When this glorious consamma-
ton became fully evident, there rose all
along cur battle-begrimed ranks, so loud,
so strong, so exultant, so terrible cheer,
lha: it must have paled the cheeks Of
guilty traitors even in the streets and
houses Of Atlanta.
The country owes a debt Of gratitude
to General Hooker, which il never can
repay. He was everywhere in the hot
test of the battle, always hailed by en-
4, thuslsstic cheers, and By the very mag
0etlsm OF his personal presence infusisg
such spirit into his soldiers that had
they been confronted even by ten times
their number, they would not have
known how to hy Without disparge-
ment to any other portion Of our glori-
Gus army, but repeat what / heard the
commanding Gensral Of another corps
say, when | remark that it is doubtful
whether any other body Of troops in the
United States, than that led by General
Hooker, could have sustained such an
onset in an open field
Maj Gen. Palmer is another of our
leaders whose prudence and foresight
did mach to avert disaster this day, and
enable as to win victory. He seemed to
have an instructive perception Of the I'M
pending attack, and at midnight of the
IY.h, sent word to all his division com
manders, 10 strengthen their works
Had this not been done, the storm would
probably have burst on him instead of
Hooker. AS it was il touched only his
extreme left, with what result we have
already seen. Twas overcome with emo
ton when ! saw him lste in the evening
on the 20tb, standing near ridge swept
By rebel cannon, surrounded By Won
Shraeder, MeClung, Shaw, aud oae or
two other members of his excellent staff,
and rejoicing with almost boyish exulta-
ton at the result of the battle, which his
own wise precaution had contributed so
materially to bring about.
Gen. Johnson throughout the day ex-
hIbited that cool fidelity to his work, and
that careful discharge of all the duties
. incumbent upon u General of division,
which mark him as one of the safest and
trustiest leaders Of the Union army.
Our losses in this fearful conflict, includ-
ing every part Of the line, wilIamount to
about $500 men, Of whom very nearly
1000 fell in the fierce struggle on the
center.
leannot with the authorities now be.
fore me, place the rebel loss in killed
wounded and prisoners, at less than
$500 men.
Several points are worthy Of notice in
this battle, which / shall only briefly
mention
The rebels we're aware Of the existence
Of the great gap in our lines, and bad
they struck It, the consequences might
have been very disastrous As il was,
they were utterly surprised at meeting
Hooker whore they did
A. least one-half Of the rebel army
was engaged, prisoners being taken from
all three OF the corps
The tight was most dismal inaugu-
ration. Of Hood new command. On
this great change in the leadership Of
the hostile army, the eopious extracts
from rebel papers, whish accompany
this letter, throw considerable light.
There was considerable skirmishing
on Thursday Johnson and Baird ad-
yaneed driving the rebels from all their
deienses outside Of the main works, and
losing in the operation about one hun
dred men But there was no general
engagement and no 1000 prisoners
taken, as an Associated Press dispatch
has It.
On Friday morning began battle in
the very suburbs of Atlanta I heard
the noise of casnos as ! rode toward
Marietta, and saw from the top Of Signal
Hill, the heavy clopd OF smoke which
covered the combstanls. Ii was in this
fight that Gen Il h. Mcpherson was
killed, but know no further particn-
lars OF this / feel sertaia, however,
that githin eight days from the time
write, Atlanta will be altogether ours.
v