Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-08-01

| the Cumberland except Howard I
corps.) had reached the southeast side
Of the Chattaheochee, Mcpherson had
made material advance, moving hi'
extreme left along road which run.
from Marietta direct to Stone Mountain
over a branch Of Peach Tree Creek
named Nancy Creek, through the small
village Cross Keys, and forward so as
to threaten seriously the line Of the Geor
gia (or Augnsta) Railroad. SchO6eld
next to McPherson's troops on the right
and Howard, on Schofelds right, made
corresponding movements. BY 10 A.
NJ. on the 18th, Hooker and Palmer
being then over, all portions Of the line
advanced, almost everywhere encounter
ing the enemy's skirmishers, principally
dismountea cavalry,l and everywhere
driving them back. Portions ofStanley q
and Wood divisions very handsomely
distinguished themselves during this
movement. and by night Of the 18th
nearly the whole army had crossed 10
the south side Of Peach Tree Creek.
On the right, The brigade recently com
manded by tbesnob'e Colonel Daniel Nc
Cook (now under the leadership Of Col.
Dilworth Of lhe 85th IlliE0is) met with a
determined resistance as it passed
over late in the afternoon, and
lost nearly. two hundred and
fifty Of its number, killed, wounded
and captured Inspired, however, by
the gallant spirit of it's recent leader, it
maintained itsground until Col John @.
N;t.Loip. L-ska.fa h,d oouoa m 20 ifs
support, when il drove the rebels from
its front, and dirhmediately threw up for
tifcations The menof Kneflers brig
ade (Stanleys divisionS Howards corps)
swan the stream un5era fire Of artille-
ry, and captured near City prisoners on
the south side. Logan corps, the 18th,
moved over to the left Of the Army of
the Tennessee, and advancing with rap
idty and energy, tsleft flank well Gov
cred by GarraFd' caYalry division, II
struck the Augusta railroad at a point
about two and a half miles west Of Stone
Mountain, ard immediately commenced
tearing up the track. This brilliant
achievement, siu connection with Ros-
seau remarkable and daring raid upon
the Atlanta q West Point { Mobile) road,
must have greatly armed the enemy,
and probably determined him to make,
the next day desperate effort to drive
us back.
On Wednesday morning then, behold
our eutire array south Of Peach Tree
Creek, on a line erunning nearly east and
west and confronting the rebel battalion
who occupied strong works just before
them Day had scarcely .dav ned when
the left wing Of the army was in motion
The 18th Corps tBlair's) passed to the
extreme left, while the fjih, (Logan's) }
marched westward along the Augusta
Railroad, tearing up the track as it
went, until IL reached Decatur, eight
miles from Stoae Mountain. Sehodeld
advanced toward Atlanta, connecting
with General odgessdiyision Of Ne
Pherson's army, an ths left Howard,
marched by tie left flank, formed n june
ton with Scho6eld; and Hooker, march
ing by the right flank, filled up the in
terval between Howard and Palmer
by noon Of the 20Ih, The whole army
was in line of battle, nearly in the fol
lowing order:
The 18th Corps Palmer > on the ex-
treme right the 20th, lHookers s) mex. /;
the 4th, (Howard' > next; the 23d,
(5choGeld 81, next; 10th, {Dodgs's), next,
although partysin reserve; the 18th,
(Logan' - next; and the eth, (Blair's),
on the extreme left sGArrard's caval-
ry division covered our right fla NIX, while
Gen. Ed. McCooA.s held the fer ries along
the river Fe ~
During the nfternoon of the Goth, the
whole left wing Of the army advanced,
driving the enemy before them in se-
ries Of sharp and brilliant skirmshes
which, occurring betwean small armies,
would be called battles.s 1t was in one
of these that Gen. Gresham, command
ing the right division ofthe 18th corps,
received seeere if not dangerous
wound. By nightfall our extreme left
had advanced nearly ten miles south of
the Augusta railroad, aud rested a, a
point which was little south of east
from Atlanta ~
The line whiehnl spoksof as existing
at noon on Wednesday, was not every
where complete a line of skirmishers
(the l2lst Ohio. Col Banning connect
ed Gen. Palmers fright with the Chatta-
hoochee, and only a streug line Of skir-
mishers connected the Iefl, Of Gen. New
tom division wjthathe remainder of the
4th coprs-a gap Of nearly two miles be-
ing thus held TIE sitaa1ion was a dan
gerous one, aud Gen. Thomas with his
accustomed wisdom and peomptness, i'm
mediately comalenced a series of move
ments for the purpose of closing it. Sab
| seuuent events ard the statements OF
/ rebel prisoners, revealed the fact that
! the enemy were aware of the. existence
/ OF this gap; were actually hunting for il
when they made their furious assault
| apon us in the evening, and most provi-
| deutially failed 10 fnd it.
| Shortly after leaving the south bank
Of Peach Tree Geek, the groaad begins
to rise. A prolonged stretch of high
ground extends thus all along the creek
/ to the river, forming ridge, cut with
deep ravines, in Howard S front; sort
of broken table land in Hookers; and
/ rising into two considerable hills in
Palmer's. On 3tbls range Of height, but
at considerable distance frsm the
northern edge, wasshe enemy's prineipa
/ line Of works. Fhe ground in front o.
Howard was densely wooded, as was
mostly that in front of Palmer; but on 9
great part of Hooker's front, after as
| cendiny to the table land, was eonsid
erable space of open fields, on the other
side of which. in the direction of Allan