Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-08-06
SHERMAN'S ARMY.
THE THIRD BATTLE BEFORE
ATLANTA, JULY 2STH.
PARTICULARS.
Correspondence Cincinnati Commercial
Two MILES WEST OF ATLANTA,t
- July 20, 1864.
THE NEW POSITION.

|
| .. pa. .s July 20, 1854.
THE NEW POSITION. r
When wrote you last, dated my letter
two miles east of Atlanta, and, to-day, the
center of interest and activity is as far to
the west. Immediately after the great bat
tie fought by the Army OF the Tennessee
on the 22d, in which they ran so near upon
the perilous edge of disaster, but saved
themselves at the last, and gave the rebels
a severe punishment, preparations we're be-
gun to transfer this part Of the army from
the left to the right wing. The 18th Corps
was busily employed good part of day
in tearing up the rails and ties of the At
lanta and Augusta Railroad, to render it
useless to the rebels when we should aban-
don it; and the hospitals were transferred
from the rear of the three corps which had
been engaged, around behind the 4th Corps
to place of safety. 1t is hard necessity
which compelled the removal of all those
hundreds Of wounded men, just as their
wounds were beginning to heal. but it must
be done. When they were all safely re-
moved and provided for, the left wing took
up its march quietly, in order to evade the
attention of the rebel pickets, and, passing
nearly two-thirds of the way around At
lanta, took up new position on the right.
1t was expected the rebels would discover
the movement at an early hour, and endeav-
or to harass the columns on the march, and
preparations were made accordingly. The
left of the 23d Corps, which was now to be
the extreme left, was swung clear around
1 back, so as to face the rear, and occupied
the old rebel works, which were the first
we had encountered on approaching the
city, while General Stanley's division, of
the 4th Corps, which lay next the 23d, COM
pleted his rear line, extending it far around
! to the rear of the 4th Corps. Thus the hos
pitals, with their thronging crowds of help
| less men, were completely surrounded, and,
as it were, folded in by friendly wall of
strong men, who would look well to it that
no harm came to their suffering comrades.
| On the morning of the 9th Major Gen
eral Howard succeeded to the command of
the Army of the Tennessee, in place OF
Gen. Logan, who had temporarily held the
command since the death of Gen. McPher-
son. This was by the appointment of the
President. ..... ...
On the morning of the 2Sth the three
corps came into position on the right, in the
following order from lett to right: 10th,
18th, 15th-the 10th lying next to the 18th,
on its left. The two first corps were eX-
tended in a continuous line, almost due
north and south, and about mile and
half from Atlanta, while the 10Th, occupy
ing the flank, was bent back almost at right
angles with the other two, and faced to the
south. The Georgia and West Point Rail-
road track was about two miles in the rear
of the 18th corps, and turning west, ap-
preached the line of the 10th considerably
nearer. The average distance of the line of
the three other corps from Proctor's Creek,
which was north of them, was about one
mile.
Such was the situation, briefly set forth,
with which the army met the fourth rebel
assault, or sortie, about Atlanta, ON the
2Sth. t
POSITION OF THE 10TH CORPS.
Since it was this corps alone which bore
the brunt of the rebel assault, it is necessa-
ry to give. little more in detail, the order
of its divisions, and the nature of the ground .
on which the fight was made.
Colonel Wangler's brigade, of the 1st Di-
vision. held the left, the 4th Division the
center, the ID the right. The remainder of
the lst Division was held in reserve, until
the severity of the attack rendered it neces-
sary for its various regiments to reinforce
weak and wavering portions of the line
which they did, with promptness and
efficiency that saved them from probable
defeat. Their line was drawn up in dense
woods. part of the distance just in the edge
of it, fronting cleared field, across which
the rebels charged, but mostly in the depths
of the forest, rendering the employment of
artillery extremely difficult. Not cannon
was fired till late in the afternoon, nor did
the rebels hold positions on which they
could plant artillery with advantage, so
that the fight was almost entirely one ofmus-
kerry. The batteries were not at all lack
ing in endeavors to secure points of attack,
but were, for some time, unable to plant
their pieces where they would not inf1ict as
much loss ON our own lines as on those of
the enemy.
THE ASSAULT.
About half-past ten in the forenoon, 1t.
Worley, signal officer of the 10Th Corps,
reported to Gen. Logan that heavy column
of infantry could be seen issuing out Of At
lanta, going southwark. with the evident
intention of attempting to turn our right
flank. Hitherto the skirmishers had en-
countered nothing but cavalry, but upon
this announcement they halted at once, and
began to throw up works. They had time
only to complete rude defenses of rails and
poles, without throwing shovel of earth,
when the rebels drove in the skirmishers,
and rushed upon them with their usual i'm
petuosity. This was about noon. They !
evidently thought they had made circuit
sufficiently wide to bring them upon our
flank; but they were mistaken, and came
up front to front with the works. The
woods were so thick that am persuaded
they could not see the extent of our works,
and besides that, prisoners stated that their
leaders had represented to them that we
were retreating, and needed only to be at
tackled with spirit to be put to utter rout.--
The heaviest shock of the assault fell upon
the I'd and 4th Divisions, and for time it
was not absolutely certain that they would
be able to maintain themselves. A timely re-
inforcement of single regiment, judi =.
ciously distributed, quickly determined the
question, and the rebels were driven back
with heavy loss. But they were not to be
thus easily and expeditiously discomfitted.
From twelve O'clock till nearly night the
firing was incessant, swelling out, as the
rebels charged, into fierce and steady roar,
and again dying away as they receded, to a
fitful rattling, and, during the afternoon,
the rebels made seuen distinct charges and
after nightfall two more, in the vain at
tempt to recover the hundreds of dead and
diving who had fallen near our lines. Nine
fearfully obstinate charges In the afternoon
of summers day, when the fierce rays of
Southern sun were intercepted by no
passing cloud! Could human pertinacity
do more? 1t is useless to urge that such
men had been made drunk, or that they are
demoralized and ready to abandon their
desperate cause; and It is a source of sad
pride that such valor was displayed by men
who, though deluded and traitors, are yet
American citizens, and not foreigners.
All this, however, was worse than useless,
though they kept gradually moving. to oir
right, SO that each assault threatened more
to swing around and flank us. Still our