Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1864-08-12
FROn1 sHERMAN,s ARMY.
Letter from Capt. Speer.
cHArrlaoocn,s RAnsols HANDS,. O.

FROm saERMAN,s ARMY.
n Letter from Capt. Speer.
~ CHArrAnoocns RAILRoAp BnDos. Ga I
Il "a Ju,y 3st. 1851. =
J, MEssRs. EDIToRs On The 9th day Of
June the 18th Army Corps was withdrawn
from the position which it held near Dallas
and relieved the goth Corps near New Hope
Church where we remained until the Sth
inst.-when VIC marched to Acikworth, .
small village on the Chattanooga and Atlanta
Railroad. At Ackworth We were Joined by
two Divisions Of the nth Corps under Frank
P. Blair; and on the 9th we rested. Our
moving towards the Railroad caused Johns.
ton to fall back, and on the 10th inst. Sher-
mans entire army moved forward to new
pos ton near Kenesaw Mountain, on which
the enemy was again found in very strong
works. At Ackworth was obliged to 60 10
the rear on account Of sickness and remain
ed in hospital until the 10th of July. saw
a procession at our field hospital on the 4th
Of July which will not forget soon. Be-
tween three and four hundred sick and
wounded soldiers crawled from their beds
and marched round the hospital grounds,
preceded by fifer and tenor drummer, play
ing the tune entitled, Rally round the Flag
Boys" Their dress was uniform, to witt
Drawers, shirt and shoes. A large proper
x;ov, 81 tLo,, ,vcro ,,o,,n.1ol 7 r,,x;rpsJ thnt
many of them did not keep the step; but I
think they were cxcusabls as they, had ms
70, tunatcly,, lost legs and were Obliged to
march on crutches. Others again had arms
amputatcd or in sings. Some had strips Of
cotton cloth wrapped round their heads, but
it was not 70 keep the sun off. T6Naa5 q.
-Thsloss Of Co B, at Kcncsaw Mountain,
was Albert Heidi, killed, and VIM. II. Palm.
er slightly wounded in tho knee. After 10
days skirmishing, several assaults and much
the heaviest Smelling en- both sides which had
been done during the campaign, Johnston
fell back again to the Chattahoochee river
where he. had built the strongest works We
have ever seen. Between Kenesaw Mountain
and the river Sherman took 1000 prisoners.
In few hours our army had "dug itself I'M
der again near the enerny's works !; where
constant skirsnishing and Smelling was kept
up until the 9th day Of July, when ths
23d and 4th Corps succeeded in crossing. the
river about three miles above the Railroad
bridge. On the 10th inst. the 10th corps
marched back to Marietta, pretty village OIL
the railroad and about two miles south Of
Kencsaw Mountain--thence to Boswell, .
regular Yankee town on the Chattahoochce
river and about eight miles above the pom
toon on which the 4th and Esd corps crossed
the river. Several years ago a very good
covered bridge was built over the river a,
this place; which the rebels burned when
our troops entered the town. On the east
side OF Boswell is fine stream, atfording
splendid water power. Very wealthy mer
from New York and Connecticut, built very
large cotton mills, Touring mills, ETC., on this
stream some years ago. The Touring mills
have been furnishing large quantities Of corr
meal, and the cotton mills 1900 yards o.
cloth per day for Johnston's army. But here
after they will furnish neither meal or cloth
as they shave all gone up the spout" Or
I'D ->~-s.o. fallnxAd thu
10th to Boswell, and on the 18th the It'll
corps followed the 18TH But little time wa.
required to build a good temporary bridge o.
the piers and abutnents Of the old one. Oh
the 18th inst. the 18th and 10th corps cross
ed the river and rested during the 14th. Or
the 10Th day Of July the entire army Of tn
Tennessee marched to the railroad near Ston,
Mountain, which is about twelves miles cas-
Of Atlanta. After destroying sevcra; mile
Of railroad, it moved forward again and tool
possession Of Decatur without much opposi
ton. Three regiments Gncluding the 3ls
Iowa ,Volunteers) were ordered to remain q
Boswell and hold the bridge and also guart
the train and beef cattle of the army of thu
Tennessee. On the 2lst inst. five diffsren
couriers started from the front, with order.
for US to fall back with the train and destroy
the river bridge, as a heavy body Of rcbs
cavalry was moving towards US for the pur
pose of capturing our train. But the couri
crs were captured and Ne received no orders
to hack until the night Of the cath. Early
on the morning Of the 18th inst. VIC crossed
the river with our train and before nigh
were safe in tho rear of the 4th corps. The
distance from Boswell to Marietta was ter
miles and to our troops at the front was fif
teen miles. Our train consisted of 2 900 sir.
mule teams and 500 head Of beef cattle
And as our entire guard consisted of only
1920 effective men, think am safe in say
ing that all hands breathed easier when We
halted with the train under cover. of our ar,
my. On the 10th inst the enemy attacked
the 4th and 2Oth corps and the battle lasted
for several hours. During the engagement
the enemy lost in killed, wounded and pris.
oners, 5000 men. Again on the 22d General
Hood attempted to flank US on our left, which
was held by the army Of The Tennessee. In
the operation he lost, 10 killed, wounded and
prisoners, $4,000 men. Our loss on the 22d
was about thirty eight hundred. The Iowa
brigade Of the 18th corps suffered most Sc
.verely. During this battle welost our braye
and able department commander, General
MPherson.) He was always cool--ever in
the saddle, and his fall causes general lamen-
tation among tho men of his army. General
Howard now commands the army Of the
Tennessee. On the 22d General Walker,
who commanded General Folks old corps,
waskilled. On the eth General Hood be-
gan to mass his forces on our right. And on
the same day the army Of the Tennessee
changed position, from our extreme left to
our extreme right. During the afternoon Of
the 2Sth inst, the officers Of our signal corps
co,,nfed or rehcI stands If colore ,,,.,,;,,, -