, 1864-08-01
FROM SHERMAN ARMY
THE GREAT BATTLE
OF THE 22d,
Correspondence Cincinnati CONNIE ercial.1
Two MILE EAST OF ATLANTA.
Tnfv 9pr1

which they bad frst brought us to halt,
about tWo and halfniles from Atlanta, and
mile and bali nearer the city. Thla they
had done all along the line from the extreme
right OF General Thomas to the left Of Gen.
! MCPHERSON, shortening their front, Of course,
and enabling Us to shorten our own. As de-
veloped BY the subsequent startling move.
men.s and events of the day, their reason for
this move was obvious, and was the dictate
I'll daring and resoiute mind, such ~ now
sppears to be at the head of the rebeI armies,
ana 1:,;1 grew Us On after them into pursuit
Nnlcn came near proving unfortunate. It
seems 70 me TO have been simply this: They
designed, by thus shortening their lines and
reviewing some portions Of their army from
their lett, to push the relieved corps rapidly
ana desperately against onr lett wing carly
in the forenoon, before our marching Column
bad come In proximity to the rebel works.
and were teployed and b I'd thrown up defcn.
sea. They could rely on our folio wing them
9p closely as soon IS We discovered they had
fallen back; and, even II VIC did SO with the
| men fully deploycd in line of battle, they
hoped to strike us before any works could
beprt In our front to break the assault
:. That this Was their design appears from
the testimony Of u rebel Colonel who WAS
captured In the assault, and said that the or
dezs delivered to them were to assault our
lines early In the morning. Fortunately for
us. certain delays which took place In their
march, postponed the attack till nearly elev.
fnrvsrd ~ .. ~ "Hen ~ @ ~ 1n en nae ., moved
! rebel works, had deployed and partially, and
II some places wholly, completed their in.
trenchments.
n6 tos11los'
The Army of The Tennessee advanced along
the main Decatur Road In direction nearly
west and parallel to the railroad, with the
18th On both sides Of the railroad, and the
18th south Of It, its extreme left being about
TWO miles beloW 1t. The 23d moved along
= branch OF the Bucktown Road, which en-
tess Atlanta IN n 2 a.. southwest direction, and in
eon5s9penSn 1at o. the conysrgence Of these two
and thrown IN reserve, In which position It
was when the assault took place: The 4th
| Gorps moved neaflg parallel with the Sd,
oot no portion OF the assault was directed
! ASSAULT ON THE EXTREME LEFT.
| The rebel force which struck this portion
! of the line was the corps commanded BY
| Hardcc, and evidently expected to find In
| opposition only thin line, If it did not
o. hhN hhs,a gone nnsa 50 M around r. 4ps ,t q to
opinion. About eleven o'clock they debouch-
ed from the woods into an open field, In
which good part Of the works OF the 18th
Corps were constructed. along ridge called
With the utmost ferceness, according to
their usual manner. The Sd Division, Gen.
eral Leggctt, was on the LETT Of the corps,
and thar commanded BY General Giles A.
Smith. occupied the right, holding, a8 have
said, the general position Of three sides Of q
many deyiatfons and brelks from SO
exact . fgure: The men received th G
! onset with steadlness, delivering their fire
with all possible rapidity; but the overpow.
Ing numbers Of the enemy, rnnssed, as usual,
J In many lines, bore down all opposition at
HfHts and breaking over The Work. tbtV drove
our men back. some many rods and some less,
and appeared hkely to crush and scatter them
IN hopeless confusion and ruin, despite the
obstinate Valor OF The troops and their almos
gloomy indeed, and dismay cat upon every
sountenance save those OF the brave men
who contended in the ranks now, If ever, for
. the very existence Of the army Of the Ten.
nessee. Il they were utterly broken and
rest Of the gallant army, lanked is IT would
be, and right well did they know 1t.
In the rear fifteen hundred or two thou.
: sand ponderous supply wagons and ambu.
wsEs 1T gFs e. Ere s a1s came
9 (which till then was safe refuge), and ex.
: tended over far along behind the I'D, crowd
ing and }amming In the narrow roads, In the
d woods, In the greatest confusion and conster
J. quarters In hot haste surnmoniur eTcry mar
J. who had a oun or could ret one. to mouni
Z his horse md come to the fight. Every ous
! bestirred himselt: the escort ani the Provost
/. scene Of perji. and Ana such service IA theI
. were able. 1>< - ~'
j. Il was an evil honr for the 18th corDs an1
they were rnpidly approaching that poini
where the endurance Of the brayest hac
resched It's limit. ~N' ''''>
b " srccoR ARB1yzs.
): A. tbia cr1t,co, moment the Itb D,v;a;on A.
y The 1fth Cnrns md nno hriro5a ~ No.
!. rili,s nftha 81 Gthe other ,yos 81 Dsc,tnr1 ~
rived at he iett and STAYED The tide q II,
reoel onset, 10 Mosfrsi9Egaoe eaf1 nad CONE
d npa " is" III nu.es . oe.ole aos .sI: at.aeh com
anmeTh'at ~ tha rsat ~ ~ 1n y ~ 9csi
Gn1s Ar nt a eoa y ~ ~ ~ aae ~.
nnshei back tSey % ~ ~ once e 1eaned dSel + tha}
Pn1ea 5 =. onJt 'sapeu ~. 11es tIeis
H;n1s as I t,st {%ar a,ssa VII sr,at'ad hnIst
: tn1o H." nrsn ae15 and ~ tha n',a,,o =, :,
!, ! to face, They held their Ground flrmly, ami
+ when the rebels at last fell back carried, of
: their dead md wounded behind their breast
: works. The 18th, thus timely reinforced
= old one, and held II throughout. All this
was t1anEpiring on the lett Of the corps. Il
/, | Is Extremely difficult to give connected
+ narrative Of the various turns Of fortune
through the whole corps, 20 great was the
|. partial success OF the attempt to flank them
e The ground was uneven and sharply farroW
E ed BY gnl!eys, with bushes growing, thicl
i along the bottom Of tnem: and ahreds ane
u patches OF bteast#orks dotted ma streakec
the ground IN Almost every dlrection. s Int
4 terrible and confused cna!actcr Of ne stTns
= may be conceived when It ts related that TIT
il Iowa brigade, of General Smith's division
d fought successive times during, the tW6
e dreadful hours of the battle. on both sidet
a Of their works. They would fire upon thF
! \ rebels n front OF them until they were some
= what repulsed, and By this time they, would
2 be attacked BY another party, or part Of tn
+. same, In their rear, and, facing about, Wonle
e pour into their antagonists 1rc rom TN
:, other SIDE ! mysen visited Inc seene 0
d this ateaa1ul sllaggle lae mornine alteI
Wafa, ana EeeelSea eGnn1natlon " 1ns a.
most Mclealn1G storl oy Seeing tne rsoe
corRees HlnE ple4L!iuuy Auo9t " ootu s!ue
ol Ae uleasl"oths, Wluslea Will tuose
~ ou1 oNn MeA.
:. DEATH OF GENERAL AfHERsos.
=. About noon the General rode along tn
a. front lust on the left of the 18th CORDS. ant
N made some fnauiries as to the progress Whic]
ss the 18th CORDS was makiup furtRer to III
IL left. Not being satisfied he rode forward Il
ascertain for himself He was accompanied
,e By only two OF his staff and portion Of hi
=. escort. 4 1atal impulse carried him into
ID gap Of several hundred yards between th
! 18th and 10th, and OF which both be and hi
staff were entirely ignorant, and advancing
J, to the ton Of & ridge, with his staff some
2. What in the rear, be was suddenly confront
ed bT party Of rebels who rose from am
bush, and calling on him to halt, at the sam
| time fired yolley which injured none bu
| h{vnua1f A hn1t rforea3 b1s t.;rh+ ],~oaef o.,t