Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-07-26
THE ARMY In GEORGIA.
DESPERATE FIGHTING BEFORE
ATLANTA.
The First Hand to Hand Contest
OF the Campaign.
SPLENDID UNION VICTORY {!
Our Loss not over Two Thousand.
Rebel Casualties six Thousand.
ONE THOUSAND REBELS KILLED
OUTRIGHT. i.s
ATLANTA IN OUR POSSESSION!
PARTIAL LIST OF CASUALTIES
SPLENDID UNION VICTORY
Our Loss not over Two Thousand.
Rebel Casualties Six Thousand.
ONE THOUSAND REBELS KILLED
OUTRIGHT.
ATLANTA IN OUR POSSESSION /!
PARTIAL LIST OF CASUALTIES.
From the Cincinnati Gazettp.l
ATLANTA, Ga, July %,
VIA NASHVILLE, July "a.

our occupation of this city. A brief re-
s1snae Of events for the past few days will
not be uninteresting to your readers.
On July 18th, the last of our forces
crossed the river ChattahOOchee, and near
ly all that day and the next were occupied
by the army in getting into line. Moth
ing more serious than sllirmishing occurred
| during the 18th. The weather was very
fine for military operations, it being only
moderately warm, and refreshing showers
falling almost every day. For the first
four miles on the southeast side of the
Chattahoochee, the country was exceed
| ingly rough and broken, consisting of hills,
ridges and ravines, eonvered with oaks and
pines the whole resembling the Alatoona
mountains.
Until the evening of the 19ih, our ad-
vance was resisted principally by dismount-
ed cavalry firing from behind logs, rocks
and trees. By the morning of the 10th
we had reached the north bank of Peach
Tree creek-a considerable stream run
ming north of Atlanta and westward into
the Chattahooche. The rebels were post
ed all along the south bank of this stream,
became exceedingly sensitive to our furth-
er advance. Parts of Schofeld's and How
ards corps crossed the creek, however on
the 18th, and established themselves on the
south side. Meantime our left wingeomposed
of Army of the Tennessee troops which first
crossed the Chattahoocnee, have swung
around until they had reached the Augusta
railroad, two miles west of Stone Noun
tain, in conjunction with Gerrard's cavalry
division. They drove away the rebels who
where on this road, and tore up several
miles of track. Rousseau had seriously
interfered with communication along the
Mobile railroad, if indeed he had not in
terrupted it altogether. Only the Macon
road was left open to the rebels, and their
situation began to grow desperate. On
the 18th Of July, Joe johnson was reliev-
ed of his command of the rebel army, and
Hood appointed to succeed him. AS the
rebel papers next morning made itevident
that Hood was put i'll command on
account of his desperate fighting quail |
ties, we began to look anxiously for |
a battle on the afternoon. On the 18th |
portions of Palmer's corps crossed Peach, |
Tree creek. Dilworth's, formerly Dan. |
McCock's brigade, of Davis division, which |
with the exception of Morgans brigade |
and some skirmishers, was on the extreme |
right of our line, was met by fierce oppO- |
sition. AS it advanced toward a high |
ridge held by the rebels, one regiment, |
the 52d Ohio being somewhat ahead of the |
Others, was so furIously assailed that it |
was compelled to give way, and its COM
manding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Clan
cy, was captured. The integrity of the |
line, however, was speedily restored and |
the brigade finally established south of the |
creek. Colonel Mitchelrs brigade was |
hurried down to the support of Colonel |
Dilworth, and also crossed the creek. Our |
loss in this affair was little short of two |
hundred and fifty men.
On the morning of the 10th, General |
Hookers corps crossed the creek to the left |
of Palmers, and took position in some low |
ground along the stream, without fortify- |
ing.
Stir further to the left, Newton's divis-
ion of Howard's corps has crossed, and |
moved out of the bottom and to higher |
ground-ir deed, upon a portion of the
same ridge before spoken OF, as extending !
along the south side of the creek, and Oc-
cupied by the rebels. Immediately upon
advancing to this position, General New |
toms men commenced to fortify. They
were still engaged in this work, when,
about halEpast three in the afternoon, they
were assailed with desperate energy by
Bates and Walkers divisions, of Har-
dee's corps. The rebels came up in
some places in two lines, and some
in three, and, in spite of the
most fearful losses, advanced rapidly to
within two or three rods of our lines
Kimball's brigade was on the right of the
division, and for a moment seemed to
falter, but fresh troops was hurried up to
form on Kimbalrs right, along Blake's
front, to Bradley's extreme left. The en-
tire division stood as firm as a rock. The
storm which had struck Newton so tiercely
rolled over toward the left of Hookers
corps. Gen. Wards division held the left
Of the corps; Geary the centre, and Viii
liams the right. The advance Of the
rebel skirmishers towards HOoler's lines
indicated their intention to attack; and
his troops, in anticipation of the same,
were speedily brought forward from the
low ground along the creek to higher
ground. In front of this high ground
they were in line with Newton's division
on the left and Johnson's division of
Palmer's corps on the right. Just as they
had reached the crest of the ridge, with
considerable stretch of open ground in
front, they were met by the rebel battal-
lions, composed of Stewart's and parts of
Hoods old corps, also advancing hastily
three lines deep from the woods beyond
the open ground For the first time in
campaign, fight took place with neither
party behind works.
Ah41ss tne whole of Hooker's corps was
struck simultaneously, although, as the
wave of battle rolled from left to right,
Wards division was engaged minute or
two sooner than the others. Face to face
the combatants stood, firing deadly volleys
into each others bosoms. At times the
lines were not more than fifteen feet apart.
On Colonel Harrisons front, hand to
hand conflict actually took place, in
which officers as well as men took part.
On Colonel Colburn's centre, the lines met
each other so furiously that they passed
one beyond the other, and each changed
front to renew the conflict. From Col
onel Woods extreme left to Harrison 5
right, Wards entire division with the
exception of two regiments was in
the front line and furiously engaged.
Geary was involved moment afterward,
! and Williams simultaneously with Geary.
If the left of Geary wavered for a moment
under the first rude shock, it was only to
illustrate its discipline and excellence, for
J instantly it rallied, reformed its line, and
fought with redoubled vigor.
General Williams division also glorious
" distinguished itself Knipe's brigade
composed exclusively of Eastern troops
contended in patriotic and glorious rival
rv with Colonel Robinson's which are near
ly all Western; while Ruger's. made W
from both sections, did its duty as well.