Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-07-20
SHERMAN'S ARMY.
The Passage of the Chattah OOchie.-
Details of the Operations.
Correspondence Cincinnati Commercially

Correspondence Clnclnuhll OoInultIclhisJ
IsHAM's FORD, GEORGIA, July II, 1854.
The announcement which / made in a
previous letter, that the rebels had crossed
all their forces over the river in our front,
was Ito use the words of General Sherman)
''premature." They had at that time dis
appeared entirely in front Of the 4th and
14th corps, but Hoods corps defiantly
maintained hold upon this side, in front of
the 2Oth and 18th corps, until the night Of
the 9th. But the pressure upon them from
our artillery gradually became too heavy,
and on that night they withdrew finally
and fully to the south bank of the Chatta-
hoochie, and in the morning the smoke of
their railroad bridge in flames was visible
| to the entire army. As sOon-as it was GER
tainly ascertained that they had crossed,
orders were issued for the 4th corps to
march at once up the river and take up
| position on the north bank ready to sup
port the 23d corps, in case they should be
attacked, as it was expected they would be.
This morning the corps is in camp at this
ford, with the exception of General New
| TONS division, which marched to Roosevelt
and crossed the river there on the 9th at 2
o'clock in the afternoon. One corps, also,
of: the Army of the Tennessee Il can not
| learn Which) had made circuitous march
toithe rear and left, and is probably across
the river this morning, at point about ten
miles above here. A..E ~ f.-+
Thus, it will be seen that the army Is
slowly executing another great fanking
movement-thist time to the left, as the pre-
vipus two had been to the right. The en-
tire success with which it has been attend-
ed thus far Is made the more brilliant and
gratifying by the fact that, as yet, not
single life, so far as | can learn, has been
lost in crossing the river-that river which
was to be made so bloody and fearful to us,
by the desperation of its defenders. Two
of the attempts made by us--that on the
right and the one in the center-have been
successful, though unattended with loss of
| life, because so cautiously made. The at
| tempt to cross on the right was made first.
The entire Army of the Tennessee was
massed near the river, above old Sweetwa-
ter's factory. about five miles below the
railroad bridge, and. on the 9th, the pom
toon train attached to that army was sent
down within a short distance of the river,
| and a cannonade was opened upon the op-
posite bank, to ascertain if it were practic-
able to cross at that point. The enemy
were discovered to be in too strong force,
and too well strengthened by artillery to
allow the crossing without great sacrifice
of life. On the 9th of July, the pontoon
train attached to the Army of the Cumber-
land, commanded by Colonel Buell., Of the
5Sth Indiana, was brought down within
| three quarters of a mile of the river, in
front OF the 4th corps, but here again the
enemy were awaiting lis, and our cannon
elected such replies as made it plainly evil
dent that the crossing should not be at
tempted there.
On the EVENING" of the 9th, the train was
withdrawn to position few miles in
rear of this ford, where it remained over
the 9TH, and arrived here in the afternoon Of
the sth, in time for the 23d Corps to cross
that evening, as has been heretofore nara
ted. Fortunately, our superiority in num-
bers enabled us to leave large bodies oi
men at the points where we had previous
ly attempted to cross, who made such DEM
onstrations there as induced Che rebels to
believe we still intended to attempt to cross
while we sent others still further up the
river, who reached above the rebel line anG
i crossed without opposition. To me 1t seems
great mistake on the part Of the rebels X
cross the river in detail, as they did, instead
of making the passage with their entir'
army simultaneously, and deploylng a
once to the greatest possible extent alonl
the banks to oppose all attempts. Still, !
was only question of time, since the Chat
\ tahoochie is too narrow and too shallow Il
form an obstacle to an enterprising Gener
al and a great army .E Y. +. Il.