The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-10-01
Late Ouorations Around Atlanta

An able correspondent in Hood army, in his last
letter to the Mobile Advertiser, gives what he was
informed was General Hoods plan. This is inter-
esting as a part of the history Of the operations
around Jackson and the evacuation OF Atlanta. We
have not seen it elsewhere from any other source.
As the correspondent says "the plan was certainly
bold and ambitious enough in its scope Hood, It
seems, was deceived by false Information from his
scouts, and the Yankees state as much on him. We
copy from the correspondence as follows:
I have been informed that the fogpwing was Gem
erM Hoods plan Of operations ron sfhs s0th Of
August, Yankee uowards grand corps Of eighteen
Thousand made forced march OF sixteen miles from
Farburn, on the West Point road, to jonesb0ro, on
the Macon road. They arrived at Jonesboro' on the
evening of the 30th, crossed Flint river, and took
position between the river and the town. This Is
the head OF Flint river and here IT is mere creek
about knee deep Hood sent Hardee's corps, which
was only twelve miles from Jonesboro', and Lees,
which was fifteen to meet this movement. do not
know when Hardee moved, but presume that he
moved during the day Of the 30th Lee never
moved until ten that night, and did not straighten
out and get fairly in motion until daylight Some
Yankees had struck his road and impeded his move
ment. Thus it happened that the Yankees reached
Jonesboro' from twelve to twenty hours in advance
of US. They had time to get position, to entrench
and to rest before we got there. How it happened
that they thus stole march" on us, and moved
over longer distance i'll a less time, cannot ex-
railroad to transport troops and yet they beat US by
at least twelve hours lii the race.
The object was to attack them while in motion and
unprepared. Ourtwo corps had an effective strength
OF more than twenty thousand inen-an excess over
the enemy. General Hood had entire confidence In
the result, thinking surely that with majority i'll
numbers, We would beat the Yankees. He was in
formed that Sherman line was twenty-eight miles
long. While We beat back Sherman's right, Stew
art, with twenty thousand men, was to fall ON
his left centre, cut it, and drive them down the river
thus cutting oil escape and capturing two-thirds OF
Sherman's army. The plan was certainly bold and
ambitious enough III its scope. In attempting too
much, he accomplished nothing 1t would have
been better had he been satisfied merely to drive
Sherman back and defeat his campaign believe
he could have done this by throwing all OF his army
upon part of Sherman's-the nearest part Of it 10
Atlanta. II, indeed, Sherman did divide his army
and scatter it line of twenty miles, Hood
followed suit by dividing his own, with twenty miles
between the fragments. But do not believe that
Sherman did commit this blIInder. His own dis
patches state that his army between Jonesboro'
and Rough and Ready, not over twelve miles from
right TO left. believe this his position; and it
follows that General Hood deceived by false i'll
formation from his cavalry and scouts. Andthey must
have been very taTdy Ill conveying information Of
Ifoward's march from Fairbu,n to Jonesboro'. 1t
must have been about night on the 3Oth when Gen
eral Hood informed of Howard's movement
upon Jone3boro', and before nehtlo was there.
On the night of the 3lst, whens afdee informed
Hood that our assault upon the enemy at Jones'
boro' had failed, he was greatly astonished. He
threw up his hands, it is said, exclaiming, "My
Godr' He had overestimated .the courage of his
army and the mistake had been fatal He fell into
the opposite extreme of distTnst, and ordered the
evacuation OF Atlanta, which he had not, until
then, contemplated. He still had the Augusta rail-
road, which the enemy could not reach, and which
would have enabled him to hold Atlanta. His army
was still but little hurt, and might still have fought
general battle on the next day, but he had lost
confidence in his army.