, 1864-06-26

from Our Special Correspondent
NAtHvnLE, June 81, 1854.
Yesterday morning carly, runore Of a bat |
tie in front were current on the streets; and |
as they did not take the form usually as. |
eumed By grapevine rumors, Immediately !
tracing them out. This was q |
difficult matter, end I might have tried In |
yaln to obtain the desired information, had T |
not luckily fallen upon an old friend, IN |
Eastern correspondent, who left the front,
early on Friday morning, with his account of |
tue battle, which took place On Thursday,
10th inst.
THE REBEL POSITION.
The rebel lines extend from Lost Noun
tain to place d mile and a half or two miles
east Of the railroad, and are posted on the
summit Of line Of hills, which embrace
Lost and Kenesaw Mountains, beside num-
ber;of other "bills" of less importance, and
which.are NOT to be found on any Of the maps
yet published. Lost Mountain, on which
their left rests, is decidedly their st5ongest
position: and while they hold 1t, Il ,Atoye-
ment to flank them, can be PERFORM. only
by difficult aud dangerous maueuvres, which
might lead to disaster to our forces.
Immediately to the rear Of the rebel posi-
tfon is the town of Marietta, and level,
cred with large cotton plantations, for which
Central Georgia is go famous. The ground
In front OF the rebels is exceedingly un-
even, the ascent of the hills steep, and the
briers and undsrbrush difficult to penetrate,
and as to the summite Of tue hills, they arc
uneven; every foot Of the country between
our forces and those Of the rebels can be
swept By cannon, With winch Johnson's
army appears to be abundantly supplied.
sHERMAE's POSITION.
sherman's line fronts that of Johnston; his
breastworks, By which he is strongly torti-
fed, occupying q ridge of highlands Of con-
siderable elevation, bnt not near SO high rs
the mountains occupied BY the enemy. To
his front is valley, 80 that to attempt d.
rect assault he must descend several hundred
feet and tnen ascend quarter Of g mile OF
more, meeting nearly q dozen lines Of rite
pits on his Wny, all strongly guarded by
brigades and divisions Of the enemy. who
could fight in comparative safety till driven
out by the fayopet, when they could fall
back few hundred yards and make another
| stand behind get stronger intrcnchmcnts,
as this line is more formidable than the one
| directly in 'front.'
WHAT IS TO DE DONE?
| appears to have been q subject which ugita-
ted Gen. Sherman's mind considerably aud
| am surprised after his splendid successes
! in lanking, that he did not attempt It again !;
but I presume he had his reasons for doing
| otherwise; orpossibly flank movement be-
ing impructicable, while the rebels held Lost
Mountain. But without attempting to dis
cuss the Generals reasons for the course he
| finally adopted, ! will proceed to narrate, rs
nearly as possible, what WAS actually done.
| M'PurRsox's OPERATIONS.
IcPherson'e army holds the left, and on
/. Wednesday afternoon (the 15th) 1t made a
number Of demonstrations, without u d,rect
y deceived lie rebel General, who believed,
pow that Blair had Joined him, that it was
the intention to attempt to turn his {John-
eton'B) right, and get between him and At
lanta- During the day, both the center and
left Of the rebel army was materially weak
ened to meet the anticipated assault from
Mcpherson, Rs could not only be seen from
Sherman's headquarters, but as was rcnd By
our signal officers, who have managed to de-
cipher the rebel signals; aud accordingly
early on Thursday Scho6e1d and Hooker, to
Whom the real fighting was assigned, CON.
menccd their work.
PINE AND LOST MOUNTAINS.
Lost Mountain Is detached knob, zost from
the rest OF the snuge, and hence Its name
| while Pine Mountain Is the name OF mucf
smaller peak, in the midst Of a ridge, and
The ascent 1p II, It presents comparatively few
ored nna o WIKI
tillery, chiefly however, and 12-pounders-
brass pieces. To capture Pine Mountain
was the task assigned to
GEN. souoF1ELp,
who commanded the Esd corps. He ad
nil aS aot a .hs hst of 5
ried line nfter line of the rebel rifle pits, til
it reached the last on the summit Of tht
u1ountaiE. The rebels at this'point did no
fight with their usual vfgor; indeed thc]
i abandoned formidable intrenchments almos
without struggle; and many. say 800, war
captured-the most Of them willing prisoners
Having rcached the top, from which th'
; rebels had managed to take all the artillery
: except one or two disabled guns, Schofiel.
+ rested his troops for several hours; but flnal
: IL fell back to the first or sccoud line OF rch
el intrenchments, to escape CALLING fire.
GENERAL HOOKER,
, who met with terribly stubborn resist
/ ance, failed to dislodge the scbels from Los
i Mountain. He managed his corps admir-
bly,, and the men fought with all the hero
, | Ism md endurance which charucterizcs tn
American; up steep roeks, ,end through undel s3
: defended. combined to prevent the gallau
!. aesatlat t. from getting absolute possessto
4 of all the cuemy's works. At some point
;; two and at others three of their lines Of it
= trrnchmcnts were carried, and night closc
e In on the bloody field leaving our boys MAJ
: ters Of half the Mountain, With firm dete
h minatlon never to yield the struggle mt
:. the Stare and Stripes waved in triumph ove
the last stronghold on tue summit
c Our lose in the o3d corps is not large; bt
i Hooker suffered severely, losing at lea
zoo In killed and wounded. How man
=. rebels bit the dust cannot estimate; bt
the number was By no means small; IN
= hundreds fell from bayonet wounds.
cATuREs.
Beeides the captures made by Schoael1,
which I have already spoken, Hooker sc,
to the rear about $50 prisoners, 1856 of who
i have reached this city, including two {
o three Colonels and innumerable line officer
j. | The 31ft and 10th Alabama and 18th Tcnne
;. | see regiments were captured almost in
| body. We likewise took from eight
twelve cannon, which were left behind
n the rapid flight which tho rebels we're cor
u | pelled to make.
It LA1ER.-A gentleman who left Big Sham
!, on Friday evening states that all day hea1
- firing nas gong on, both with large al
l. small arme, on our right, and that hundrc6
e of wounded were arriving at Big Shaut
J. Hc was unable t6 give any particulars, exec
"a tliat the caunonading gradually grew mo
:. dist Mt, from which be inferred that the en-
~ my were being driven By Hooker and Sch
u field. He wns q sutler, and confess p7
l. little confidence In what he says, because
e t1istrust his Judgment It WAS the first ba
"a tie hp had witnessed, and he was inclined
magnify the losses. The battle WIS rcnews
l. | m E1fdnr however I hn1tcye and Of Il