The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-07-19
Letter from Sherman's Army.
SHERMAN's ARMY, Ca,
Ruff7s Station, July 4. 1864.

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While we are waiting with deep interest the
operations Of to-day (which l will chronicle as
asequel to this letter If / am spared and the re-
suits are important enough to warrant the
narrationl will begin with the date OF my
last letter, and give you sketch OF the more
marked events.
The hill which Whitaker (of Stanley's div,
4th corps) took, and which was mentioned in
Shermsn's dispatches as an important position
gained d-we continued 10 hold, fortifying
strongly within Is yards OF the ensmy's main
works-so close that no pickets could be put
out on either side. The rebels made seven
assaults upon the hill the night 1t was taken,
but failing to retake it then they made no fur
ther attempt The Bald Hill captured next
day by Wood and Stanley in conjunction, was
also permanently held, although it continued
30 be point against which the enemy would
often vent his spleen with artillery. On the
left Mcpherson could gain but little ground
butted against Kennesaw mountain as he was.
His skirmish line scaled the sides and clung
there two thirds Of the way up but could get
no further. The rebel guns upon the summit
would occasionally open Ia Lookout noun
tain, but our batteries would always reply with
vigor and from treble the number of guns SO
that they would fire but few rounds when qpr
shells could be seen to burst about them
throwing up the dust-and sometimes explod-
ing q caison-and then Immediately the rebels
would cease firing. Scofeld gained ground
on the extreme right, and Thsmas's army
stretched out, thinning the line to enable it to
do so and keep up the connection.
On June 9th four assaults were ordered by
Gen. Sherman-one by Mcpherson on the left
two by Thomas in the centre and one by
Sconeld. Mcpherson was TO make his real at
OF the mountain. but he was also TO make
feint with Cavalry and division of Infantry
70 the left Of Kennesaw i. e. two or three miles
further East and to the left of the railroad.
Gen. Thomas directed Gen. Howard to make
an assault and Gen. Palmer another in con-
junction and near the right OF Howard's front.
Gen. Palmer had two divisions free for this
purpose, holding his front with one. General
Howard had one division entire (Newton's)
with which the assault was TO be made, and,
besides, two brigades from each Of his two re-
naming divisions ready to support or make
the most OF any advantage gained. At frat
the artillery was freely used and then the as
sault was made simultaneously by Newton
l4th A. C.l and Davis (l4th A. C.) Thick
woods had to be passed through and hill as
cended upon which the rebels had fortified
their line strongly and constructed batteries.
Gen. Harker's brigade was leading Newtons
division, and Col. McCooks the division of jeff
c. Davis. 4
No better troops ever charged rebel works,
and never were troops led by more gallant Of
fcers. First word came that Davis column
had failed to carry the works and given way,
but it proved that they held on within thirty
PAGES of the works and there fortified SO close
them. Col. Daniel McCook was badly wound
ed upon the very breastworks Of the enemy.
The next word, sad message, was that Gen.
Harker was killed and that his brigade could
get no further. They held the enemy's picket
trenches In which they captured a number OF
pr soners. Gen. Howard at once pus shed for
ward another brigade (Kimball'sl which as
saulted vigorously farther to the left. They
were subject to q hot fire Of grape and canister
at close range from the enemy,s works, but
some regiments reached the works and one
color-bearer planted his flag upon them, but
was Immediately pierced through the body by
absyonet and fell-the flag falling inside the
rebel works. This noble color Sergeant was
borne to the rear still alive and the surgeons
found that he had received two bullet wounds
besides the bayonet wound, but the latter PROV
ed mortal. The flag lost was that of the 9th
Illinois, but this was an instance where the
losing Of the flag was an honor to the regiment
This assault failed also and the remaining brig
ade OF Newton's division had been too harshly
used by the rebel artillery to make it advisa-
BILE for them to renew the attempt. The re-
suit Of McPherson's attack was about the
same. The losses in the three columns was
nearly 5000 men. Scofeld found only cavalry
in front Of his extreme right and pushed them
some three miles, gaining decided advantage
If not In fact turning the enemy's left flank.
This was accomplished by Cox's division.
Gen. Sherman speaks of this advantage,
as compensatiye for the great losses in the
oher assaults. After this, he determined to
turn their left flank completely, and either
strike the railroad between Marietta and the
Chattahoochee, or force them to leave their
present strong position, in order to save their
communications. The assaults were made on
Monday, June 9th. The army rested until
Saturday night, In the meantime renewing
supplies and filling up wagons, to the extent
OF 20 days, so that we coulI even abandon
the railroad for that time. In truth. Gen
Sherman resolved upon the bold alternative
of swinging of again from his line of COM
munications as he had done at Kingston IN
1anking Altoona Pass; bnt this time he had
no angle OF the railroad in his favor. so that
y would seem inevitable that he must whip
the rebels, or run the risk of losing entirely
his own line of communications. There was
another chance, however, in his favor. He
had decided to move Mcpherson, who was
upon the railroad, from the extreme right, to
the extreme left, SO that Gen. Thomas, who
was entirely west and south of Kennesaw,
fnd from two to three miles from the rail