Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-08-09
The Great Battles and Victories before
Atlanta.

The Great Battles and Victories before
Atlanta.
In the gloom and Encouragement occasoned
by the reyerses and want oil success Of our armies
in Virginia, we well may be comforted, and more
than comforted in being enabled to turn our glad
dened eyes to the star Of victory that has arisen
SO respendently over our immortalized army in
Georgia. 1t is now nearly ten days since rumors
aad indefinite accounts began TO reach US Of Sc
we're fighting and claimed Federal successes around
Atlanta. But knowing that Hood, the new rebel
commanderin.chief there, had telegraphed to
Richmond, claiming victory in one Of the con
tests, and acknowledging no reyerses in any Of
them, we scarcely knew what to think, and began
to fear the accounts Of our successes were errone'
Gus or oyer-coored. But within the last few days
news of the most definite character, chiefly EN-.
bodied in official accounts have arrived from
Shermans army and the tidings thus conveyed
are more glorious than ever rumor at FIRST made
them. These, now well authenticated accounts
inform US that three distinct, great and sangun'
airy conflicts, which were among the very fercest
Of the whole war, have taken place before Allan
Ia, and as many decisive victories achieved by our
troops, no less disastrous to the enemy than
glorious for them.
1t seems that the authorities at Richmond, be-
coming alarmed at the progress OF Shermanf
victorious forces against their quandom fayorite
DO johnson, who retreated from one Of his
Strongholds to another to the confines OF Atlanta
and showed a disposition to give up that even, in
the hope Of Turing the former further into the in
terror with view to his destruction had superse'
ded the latter and placed in chief command Gen.
Hood, who was opposed to the retreatlng policy
and was for giving immediate battle, at least in
defence of Atlanta. And the consequence Of this
sudden change of commanders was, that the rebe
army came out, and, though laboring under many
disadvantages Of position, probably, boldly assault
ed Sherman's 'orces. And the result was, after
a desperate contest, that Hood was completely
routed, with a loss of 5000 to Sherman's loss o
1888. This was on Wednesday, July 20. Or
Friday the %, Hood, grown desperate by his de
feat Of Wednesday, again advanced with hi
whole force upon our lines, and attacked then
with such determined fury that he at first took
several hundred prisoners and ten or twelve guns
This was the ground on which the lying rehe
commander claimed the victory, and the only
ground, for our forces promptly rallyng, turned
back the tide OF battle with such terrible effect or
the rebel host that they were utterly routed leay
ing dead on the field 2S42, and IN our hands
5000 prisoners, not including their wounded
which allowing even less than their usual rate Of
three wounded to one killed, would add $500
men to the rebel loss, and make their entire loss
in this battle 1865; while our loss was all told
but 5000, being rebel loss, even at our low es-
innate of the wounded, more than four to our
one.
There was another assault made on the 9th
BY Hood, to retrieve bis terrible disasters. But
il was worse than in vain for him for he was
again repulsed scarcely less decsivey than before,
and with heavy loss compared to ours, but not so
large as his loss on the 800, because be did not
stand long enough to permit it. The whole rebel
loss then in the two first battles is, as now may be
considered to be ascertained, poses, and that
number, when swelled by the losses Of the last
battle will probably amount to $4,000, nearly
half of the rebel army at Atlanta, the whole Of
which, without serious mistakes on our part, must
now soon be utterly annihilated.
All glory and honor, then, to our army II
Georgia. We'll and proudly may they shout tC
as at the North in the language of the old wal
song of 1872
"Freemen raise joyful strain,
Aoft our eagle towers,
We've met the foe gain, again,
Again again, have made them ours