Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-07-27
SHERMAN'S ARMY.
BATTLE OF PEACH TREE CREEK.
Detailed Account of Battle near At.
lanta, July 2O-Splcndid Repulse of
the Rebel Army.
Correspondence Cincinnati Commercial ]

and against the most discouraging Odds
| The tremendous rebel attack OH our right
on the evening of the Goth, was one of those
| rare instances in warfare where the elabO-
rate plans of commander for the destruc-
| tion of his adversary succeed in every pre-
| liminary, yet fail totally in the fruition.-
Hood, whose reputation for doing desperate
things has elevated him over the shoulders
OF a man beside whom he is pigmy in
nearly all the essentials of generalship, was
to assume the offensive under the guidance
of the dangerous Bragg. 1t was evident
from the tone of their newspapers thai
something new was brewing. Our army
was closing around Atlanta, practising tc
some extent one of its delicate flank move
ments.
| Singular to say, our army, step by step
| fell into the rebel tolls, without missing 0
link. They crossed Peach-tree Creek al
points where the rebels made asuspiciously
| feeble resistance. The whole army effected
the crossing without serious loss, leaving a
gap of three miles which the rebels refused
to yield. When, on Wednesday morning,
Hood made his feints against our left Woods
and Stanley's divisions of the 4th Corps
went to its support. The troops on the
right, consisting of Hooker's and Palmer's
corps and Newton's division of the 4th
Corps alone remained on the right, and they
were ordered to advance. With what eX-
treme nicely we involved ourselves in the
rebel snare! Newton and Hooker advanced
from their trenches, captured some prison.
ers and listened to their unanimous story
that no considerable body of rebels were
within mile and half. Could bait be
swallowed with more than this mathemati-
cal eXactness? The signal was given and
like storm the rebel host rushed upon our
lines to complete their plan-how was mis-
carriage possible? They poured down in
torrent-like columns upon our few devoted
divisions on the right-and in three or four
hours were crushed, Inundated, and on
some parts of the line, routed. Perhaps,
in perusing the details of the fight, your
readers will ascertain without difficulty,
where they made their grand miscalcula-
ton.
The attack. in that it was unexpected, was
a surprise. But it did not find our troops
without muskets in their hands, or beyond
easy reach of their arms. l have not seen
the time during this campaign when any
portion of the army has not been in COM
plete battle trim. 1t is useless to deny that
there was vast deal of danger in the tre-
mendous attack. If successful, Sherman
could no longer with his remaining forces
carry on offensive operations with vigor;
and if the rebel army, under Hood, could
force him for moment to relax his hold on
its throat, it would be the highest victory
they have dreamt of.
Your kilograms have fully described the
situation at the beginning of the fight
Briefly, McPherson's extreme left lay
across the Augusta railroad, Schofield's, and
other forces, Joined him on the right. Then
occurred an interval of three miles, cover
l. ats Naxutnn,c 1iuiciop thop
the right wing, composed of troops already
enumerated, who sustained the whole
weight of the fight. The country in their
front was broken and rolling dense forests,
fields of corn, barren ridges, marshy mead
ows and deep washed creeks being well
jumblcd together in the topography.
Peach tree Creek is a narrow, sluggish
stream, with sudden banks, fringed with
briar patches, and almost impossible under
growth, and would be, without bridges,
fatal bar to the escape of routed and pur-
sued army. In the rear of Palmer, Hooker,
and Newton, there had been built over ten
bridges, rendering speedy retreat feasible,
pi iovided access to the bridges was not de-
MED.
ASSAULT ON NEwTON'S DIVISION.
Newton's splendid division, which, dur
ing the campaign, has lost more heavily
than any other in the army, held the left
flank of the corps advancing from the
north. The interval along which we had
no force was picketed by three or four reg
iments of Newton's division, thus reducing
his force in the trenches to less than =
men. The impression that an attack was
impending on the left, gave Newton more
territory to guard than he had. troops to
cover. His slender brigades, eked out new
er so gingerly, did not furnish one line of
men, though holding the most delicate spot
in our lines. His troops were shifted from
right to left, from left to right, from center
to flanks, and the reverse, to suit the emer-
gency of the moment.
Repeatedly during the morning Newton
had received orders to advance to Atlanta,
the impression seeming to prevail in high
quarters that as the enemy was evidently
massing on our left to deliver battle, his
lines in front of our right must be vulneTa-
BILE. But the enemy had reconnoitered our
lines with extreme nicely. His movements
to our left were feint; he knew our weak
point precisely, and having determined on
an attack, he was quite right in aiming the
full force of his formidable blow where it
fell. Newton's left covered the bridge
across Peachtree Creek, the road on which
our trains were gathered, and along which
communication was kept up with the heavy
masses of our troops on the left. Newton
crushed, our trains were open to them, and
the army was completely cut in twain, one
fragment facing Atlanta on the north. and
one on the east. In that case the whole
rebel army could be hurled against either
fraction, and with Napoleonic vigor, Sher-
man was to be whipped in detail. That
part of our army on the north, consisting
| of Hooker's and Palmer's corps and New
| tons division, was to be driven into the
river; that done, the left though too strong
perhaps to be overwhelmed, ,scould, never
theless, be confronted and foiled. -
During the morning, as have already
said, Newton received repeated orders tt
advance, but Hooker had not been able tt
connect on Newton's right, and the latte
of course could not Safely advance unit
this was Effected .-Asbout noon Butterfield'
division, commanded by Brig.-Gen. Ward
came up and occupied a ridge on Newton
right. Preparations to advance were mad
Immediately. Newton ordered five regi
ments to be deployed as skirmishers, an
about p. NJ. the bugles sounded the for
ward. Then broke out the allegro of live
ly skirmish. A thousand muskets sputteI
ed, and woke the primeval echoes of the fol
ests to the siren song of battle. Up tn
ridge our men slowly forced their wa.
driving at every step the wavering line
| rebel sharpshooters, turning at bay dete
, minedly one moment, but changing the
minds the next, and stealthily gliding
: the rear. In half an hour our skirmishe
S had forced them from the ridge entirel
1 with small loss to themselves. With Il
ruling passion of the campaign, as soon
Kimball's and Blake's brigades occupied Il
ridge just carried, the men fell to buildiI
n a barricade of rails and earth. A fresh Iii
r. of skirmishers was adjusted, and order
forward to relieve the painting heroes WI
. had Just taken a military fee-simple of t