, 1864-09-17
From Sherman's Army.
The Great Battle Of Sept, ],
Unacceuntable Delay Of the Fourth
Cerps--The Victory Won In
Spite Of II.

pulse hy the 18th corps, with the noyemen
and dispositions Of tho other corps whls
finished the day's work Of the Slst, ha,
: bern ALREADY narrated.
The esr closed with the army disposed
follows: Tho extreme left, tho SD corp
lay elerE the railroad with the lett Of Il
esrrs two nallea south Of Rough AID Road
Ssasien; adjoining II on the night was ths 1t
|, eetls Ihese coFrs froAteA cast, Betwee
tho hight sf the lth coslAs aud the len Of tn
ARMY VI ths Tennessee Was n Interval
s1ano iii sallos, which MA covered by th
1tth c"rl~ "lleh lay weAt Of Fllut Rlye
taasssd rear Kvntfs's Aouse. 10 u to coys
the tsaans and act ~ reserye In case OF nj
eesstsy. In trent S{ the len aud ccnter wer
ns works Ut any great Importance, I'll
as.ar sf the Tenaesaec held tho right. wit
Tie ss>,at If nze csrl~, tbs 18th its ledf~ aur
r*sssa ~ EE,ans's brigade. Of Weol.' d
vision af the 1;'h earrs, and its LETT .ctu.c
IL = Iuat1rs back tswas.ls the river, held b
| u aaslast,n pt kaH&on$a ltkh ctrpa Thn rv
s1eas Left ~ss covered hy Gasr2nl' Aeayalry
AID The ext~nae right e'y that OF khpntslck
nu1lsk the night taeu. Shes,usnss on1rr,
wese i:sue& tes the hattie Ut 1he suceerdln:
ias-the 1.t>
Tee 1s.A eos1~ MAS hroxnae1oss the rlrs,
- reserve 70 the Army Of the lrnpcssec
s1n*e up T. The srhel line, ~hlsh WA heaylf,
antEraehed and fortified With ratA1Acts. nh.t
~ ana rA.ssAsea- II nay explanation ef ~.
Issi H. .;s nss essp s9s; n;nassst:oe ~ 10
slos:' Of the battle of the Slst. wa srcnnisI,
ny the divisions ol Hardee and Lee. was II :
Line In front Of the railroad. and cnrr;s. .
NOM POINT near it north Of Joncsboso' in !
keuthwesterly course towards FlIut River
| oprosite TO 11a coFenng that village. Their,
WE ltne Of rifle pits running back 1t right
| their flank f-o'e@'ss
according to The plan of battle. NJ sct forth
iRGea. ShefmaA's orders, tie Ith Corps VIZ
70 msFe scuth A1apg the i:4ilrsGd, stArt.sE It
aasnsh, OF ;he ls:, tho 80 Corps following
II c!tAe'!-bo1h corps to move In fighting
tE1n, 1h ao transportation .xcspt Eubu.
ltue: ard ammunition tratta Bg tho tlwe
tSat the Atzd of column ut the 4:h Corux h i
Eetehcd An attacking positlcu. the l4th Coros
WAS to have c1uastd Fiiut River and aoYrd
Into position on tho right OF ths 4th Corn.
1ns Two corfa-tht 14tt ard 4th-Fc7e then
10 assault the cncmy's position eu the rfrht
flank 30 much Of this Army Of the Traucs-
ste 1s Was tn position WIS to mako demons
stration 1t The Sa1pc time for thr m -oo.e nf
deta'R'ng the rtbcle In their maain line cf
works. -
Alan early hour In ID. morning Of the 1.t
OF SEPTEMBER Gen. sherulan knd t;rn. Tho1u AZ
moved down TO the right near tlo Headqusr-
ttrs OF Gen. Howard d-nea1 tia feli Of tie
expected battle All night and ,ntoura tne
NkoIt toreuoon the rebels we're sufteiu1 and
Kept ur wicked fire. TO such demonstrs.
tions our troops replied. The llnes oere At
short distances. and the men, engaged In ex-
cltinE picket drine, reeorted to all tina STRAIT
egJ AID d-esse Of experienced akirmishcrs 10
sxTe themselves and kill thetr adversaries.
All along The 1lnts the 1rc of muskoiry 8as
equal to heavy tkirm1sh. Occasionally the
BATTERIES would br. ak loose, and ut each good
shot the infantry ,would cheer Justify. So
the norning passed.
Soon sitter II The 18th Corps crossed. tho
readily tosk the position assigned them on
the left of tht Army OF the Teuuessca.
Ju4tlnE out from the hills on the west
bank u Flint River II high spur, naked
promontorJ Of equal height with the dlvid-
From it The positions II beth srmie. % Ter. :h; IN
full view, excepting 1t those points whers
the liScs r.u through the patches OF timber
which alternated With the open fields. On
tbs ltfs, acrees N open ae1,, the railroad
Wa tn view, and on the right, over Oster-
hsus' lines, through thick grove OF oaks,
gliEtencd in the tropical sun. When passed
The church, after the battle, 1t was SCARED
.nd .pserc,d with balls Under Tho iu,pres-
sion that It was rebel lookout, cur rifemsn
hsd made 1t IN especial target. The sIlent
suggestions Of the Lofty spi-c were unheeiod
me hospital Of one army, ita steeple the tar
get Of the other. THIS spur, which stood
ont TOW ards the left Of The arc which the
lines 1o1msd 1t midday, waa the headnuar-
1rsa OF Generals Sherman. Howard and
lhomn- Logan and Ransom and Stanley
1nd nd. o1sis ~ ... ssd schofela were with taelr
The calculations Of the Generals were. TINT
o5 mld DAY, the 4th csrps would BE- up to tts
Position But one, two and three O'Clock
pa3scd, aud Stanley had not arrived with his
command. The 14th, 18th, 10th and 18th /
re e1e ail I'm n their places waiting aaxlously tor
Inc Assault upon the rebel flank. Bnt still It
came not fhe 14th corps moved its riaht
around and relieved the three regiments snd
TWO batteries OF the 17th corpa on the left of
Inc l3lh, and established connection with
ihe army OF the Tenneasee, md Blair was or
asLeo ..n to move bis l1!th) eo1ps arsund to the
Fitzpatrick lar. Everything looked AZ II
She eI1nan must vim q splendid victory md
Held crowned with g1orious resulta There
Y rs great nnx1cty during the hours that pass
cd alter Davis took Its position. Watches
into the distant fields from the tops Of hi.h
trees; stan officers plunged It tu1l speed into
The thick forest between the river and rail.
NaJ with orders to Stanley; md eager cara
listened every hour more Inten.lf and any
tous1y for the grrs Of the 4th corps. The
corps vas coming, but all too lelsurely. II |
came, but II CAME too late. |
htanThile the hours for b8ttle were nas-
eing. It Was after three when the f7th |
Corps bad moved towards the right. At |
quarter before four the 14th Corps, (which |
had kept up fierce artillery duel with two
rebel tattcriea posted on the opposite side
Of the open field in their front, moved out to /
attack. The rebcls were behind a strong
rife pit 10 the woods, = fer yards from the
nt1d. The line was held By Garrlp'e Brigsde
II Cja1 toms Division, Hardee'e Corps, ppd i
.t3 gun battery Of Mp oleoar, (1e pounders),
1nd four gun battery Of 20 ponder PA1rotts.
Tour cot1espol dent with that Corps Will
|urnish you With tho details Of brigade, regi-
y nental ard Individual conduct. Advancing
bis attacking columns under such cover IS
he rolling grounds, and the Wood skfrting
he 1eld afforded, Davis formed his lines
NTH great precition under terrible fire,
which seemed to almost s9eep the field, and
eveTt and wicked nre met them and the tlrBt
Inc wsEered, became disordsred aud was
epu1sed.
II was fierce and stubborn bstt16. The
lust OF the Dr.. corndeld, and the smoke OF
hc guns nned tle air snd 'enveloped the
|
ttcislvc strife one could see only the occa-
lona] CLEAN of = banner or the flash of guns
nd ehell-clear and distinct above ali the
pther din Of battle, tho cheers and yclls Of
he CONTESTANTS could be heard. Presently
be noise ceased the heavy pail Of smoke
nd dust dEifted leisurely away, and We saw
'ur troops moving ACROSS the held again in
hrec splendid lines. simultaneously with
bis attack Logan opened fire On his whole
rout The struggle OF the 18th corpe was
o be renewed, aud it WAS Of the first impor-
IL ce that all the t,sops in the works should |
e held there. Dayis's troops dre1o tho enc
~ thrice into and ont Of their works, and
apturra Gen. GarEin, great part OF his bril-
adc, and the ten guns. Clay TOMS division
stenlIted to retake the batteries, md were
Ion. For an heur the battle in the woods
Fas fierce, but the 14th held tts captures and
he position Gen. Gist-was severely
rounded.
II At that time the 4tl. corps bad been in
hc poeition assigoed to Gen Stanley, and
I'D moved promptly on the left Of Davis the
ave been captured. There never was a bet
er opportunity for the snnihilatlon OF q
ommand than the field that Johnston pro-
Ented at o'clock that afternoon. Who was
i the fault 1t is not my province here, and In
news letter to discuss, / simply gfye your
eatera the fxct4. Ii there W2s fault, either
+ head or heart, there are proper authorities |
, ascertain the author and proride against
le recurrence OF such failure In the future.
The day vas too tar advanced when Kim
als brigade OF NeWhouee's division Of tho =
h corps came up to attempt any new move
leLts or renew the attack, and tho day clos
1 With tremendous shilling Of the rebel :
otitions BY Logan's aud Rans0m's batteries. |
he results Of the days work, although eT. |