The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1864-07-30
The War in Georgia.
The Battles Before Atlanta.

22d, gives full and highly interesting details
of the movement Of Sherman's army since
the crossing of the Chattahoochie river
On the morning of the 18th, the whole line
advanced; McPherson taking position on
the extreme left, Schoheld having the left
center, Howard the center, Hooker the right
center and Palmer the extreme right.
On the morning Of the 18th our advance
reached Peach Tree Creek, stream run.
ming four miles north of Atlanta, and after
considerable skirmishing the enemy was dis
lodged and portions of Towards Corps
| crossed, our left wing in the meantime swing
ing around to the Atlanta and Augusta rail.
road near Decatur, and tearing up several
miles of track.
On the evening of the 18th and The morn
ing of the 10th Generals Howard. Hooker
and Palmer crossed with the balance of their
corps, forming in line of battle along the
north bank Of the creek. AT three O'Clock
P. NJ. the Rebels made desperate and sud
den assault on Howard in great force. The
attack soon extended to Hooker's Corps,
the Rebels advancing three lines deep. A
portion of our line first wavered before the
terrible onset but were quickly rallied and
stood firm as rock. Upon this portion of
our line was massed over half the entire
Rebel army, both parties fighting for the
first time in this campaign in an open field
Before dark the Rebels were entirely de-
teated, having failed to break our lines at
any point and retired in disorder, leaving
most of their dead and two hundred woun-
ded on the field. Our loss will reach two
thousand men, principally from Hoohers
Corps. The Rebel loss in killed, wounded
aud missing exceeds six thousand, including
three Brigadier Generals.
On the extreme left our operations were
equally successful, General MCPHERSON driv-
ing the enemy for several miles.
General Blair's division advanced n mile
and half south of the Augusta railroad
On the morning Of the Dist Thursday
the enemy were driven, with but small loss
to US, to their works Immediately around
Atlanta, and on the 22d friday they had
withdrawn entirely from Generals Hookers
and Palmer's front, and TT 2 p. NJ. on that
day portions of our army entered the city.
Battle on Friday.
The Washington Republican gives the fol-
lowing:
Dispatches to the Government represent
! that great battle was fought in Atlanta on
Friday, resulting in terrible slaughter and
complete repulse Of the enemy at every
point.
The enemy, holding the largest part of the
city, assaulted our works on Friday with
great fury, evidently expecting to drive our
forces out of the city. The Fifteenth Corps
commanded by Frank Blair, seemed to be
the special object of the Rebel wrath, as the
enemy marched against it in overwhelming
force.
The 18th received the shock CALAMITY, and
held its own until General Dodge. with the
10th Corps, came up, when the Rebels were
hurried back with great slaughter. X
Of In ~
Corps, went into the battle with the rallying
| cry of Remember McPherson."
| This corps, as well as Blair's Fifteenth
| Corps, both constituting the army of Major
| General Mcpherson, fought desperately, the
| news of their brave commander death hav
ing been communicated to them just before
going into battle.
General Mcpherson was shot while recon
| noitcring. He became separated from his
staff for moment when Rebel sharp
shooter shot him from an ambush.
The terrible struggle ended in the city by
repulsing the enemy at every point on the
line.
1t was arranged that on Saturday the dead
J of both armies should be buried and the
wounded removed under flag of truce.
The Union troops baried one thousand
Rebels, left upon the field in our lines. The
Rebels buried many of their own dead near
their own works, and upon this basis it is
estimated that the Rebel killed and wounded
on Friday will exceed six thousand, the
average of the killed being about seven
wounded to one killed.
Our loss will reach $500 in killed and
wounded, the Fifteenth Corps suffering Sc
yerely, for the reason named above, that the
enemy massed against it. 1t was this act in
part that cost him such heavy loss.
While the work of burying the dead and
removing the wounded was going on on Sat
urday, Sherman's heavy artillery was play
ing upon the city, and at the same time large
fires were observed in different parts of
Atlanta, supposed to be the destruction of
the supply dcpots and such other property
as the enemy could not convey away and
did not wish to have fall into our hands.
| Several Rebel Generals are reported kill
ed, but their names are not given.
Naturalization A. W. Kelley, late Mayor
of Natchez, arrived at Louisville. on Tues
| day, from the front which he left on Monday
night. He states that after the battle on
Friday, in front of the Fifteenth Sixteenth
and Seventh Corps, our men buried three
| thousand two hundred and twenty-o one Rebel
| dead, and captured one thousand sound prs-
oners and eleven hundred seriously wounded
with eleven stand of coors.
Among the prisoners there are thirty three
| officers, from the rank of Colonel down.
| The slightly wounded were taken off the
| field by the Rebels.
General }. A. Logan estimates the Rebel
| loss at $1,000 Our loss, including killed,
wounded and missing, at 1920.
Atlanta is in plain view, but General Sher-
man does not desire to enter il at present !;
in two hours he could establish his head.
quarters there.
General Stoneman is en- route for the Ma
con and Atlanta railroad.
General Garrard at the head Of cavalry
force, marched to Covington, and destroyed
several bridges and engines large number
of cars and 1000 bales cotton.
Sundays Chattanooga Gazette mentions n
rumor that the Rebel General Hood was
wounded in the fight on Saturday before
| Atlanta.
1t is stated that in the two battles in front
| of Atlanta, we have destroyed the better
portion of the enemy's two best corps All
the prisoners captured on the 22d and 23d
insts., unite in the statement that the Rebel
General Hood was killed on Friday.
Ma or General Rousseau and Staff arrived
Wednesday night at Marietta. His raid was
the most successful during the war. His
total loss is five killed and thirteen wounded.
He captured and paroed two thousand Reb-
els, and killed and wounded two hundred.
He also captured eight hundred horses and
mules, and about the same number of con-
| trabands. He also DESTROYED thirty one