The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-02-22

On the 10th, Lieutenant-0eneral Hood, finding
the Federal left covered by division which had in
trenched itself in the night thought u inexpedent
As the resulting delay made the attack inexpcdent,
even if it had not been BEFORE by preventing the
surprise-upon which success, IN great degree,
Skr1nishing continued until the 18th Of june the
enemy gradually extending his intrenched line to-
wards the railroad at Ackw0rth On the morning
Of the 9Th, the army was formed, with Its left at
Lost mountain its centre near Gilseth church, and
its right near the railroad On the 18th, the right
covered by MONDAY creek, was extended across the
AckwOrth and Marietta road Inc enemy APP
preached under cover OF successive lines OF IN
trenchments. There was brisk and incessant Skin
mishing until the 18TH
On the 14th, the brave Acknowledgement FOLK,
distinguished in every battle in which this army
had fought. fell by cannon shot at an advanced
post. Major General Lorng succeeded to the COM
mand, which he held until the 18th OF July with
great efficiency.
On the 4th of June a letter from Governor Brown
informed me that he had organized division of
infantry, and placed it under my orders. These
troops, when ready for service about the middle OF
the month, under Major-Gcneral u. W. smith,
were employed to defend the crossings OF The Chat
tahooche to prevent the surprise ol ALBANIA py the
Federal cavalry.
On the 10Th, a new line was taken by the army.
Hoods corps, with its right the Ma,ietta and
Canton road Loring's on the Kennesaw mountain,
and Hardees with its left extending across the Lost
| mountain and Marietta road. The ene1ny ap-
In this position there was lIceSsant lighting ana
skirmishins until July Sd, the enemy gradually ex-
tending his intrenched right towards Atlanta. On
| the Goth of June, Wheeler, with eleven hundred
men, routed Ganard's division Of Federal cavalry
on our right On the list Hoods corps was trans
ferred from right to left, Wbeclcrs cavalry taking
charge Of the position it had left On the 3d. Lieu
tenant General Hood reported that IIindmtn's and
Steyensons divisions, OF his corps being attacked,
drove back the enemy, taking line of his breast
works, but compelled to withdraw by the fire
l of ipI thp II.
mishers formed line of battle, as did Stevensons,
| of Hoods corps, on the 18th. On the 9th, after
| furious cannonadc of several hours, the enemy
| made general advance, but was everywhere re-
pulsed with heavy loss. The assaults were most vi
gorous on Cheatham's and Cleburne's divisions, OF
| Hardco'5 corps, and ErenCh's and FeatherStones,
| of Lorng's. Lieutenant General Uardee reports
| that Cheaham's division lost, in killed, wounder
| and missing, che hundred and ninety-fvc ne
enemy opposed to it, by the statement OF stain OH
| Ger subsequently captured two thousand the loss
! OF Clehurne's division, eleven; that OF the enemy
on his front, thousand! and MaJor-Gcnerai Lo-
ring reported two hundred and thirty-slX OF his
corps killed. wounded and missing; and The loss oil
the enemy, by their estimate, at between. two
| thousand five hundred and three thousand, which
| he thinks very small.
| On the LIST Of July, Major-Gcncr.l Smiths diyi-
sion was ordered to support the cavalry on our lett
Their effective total was about fifteen huudrod. On
the ID, the enemy's right being nearer TO Atlanta
| by several miles than ouc left, the army fell back
! during the night to Smyrna church. On the Attn,
| compelled to withdraw the morning CT N" 9TH
! to the line OF intrenchments covering the railroad
| bridge and Turner's ferry. The army was, there
FORE ordered to retire at the time to that NEe
to secure our bridges The cavalry crossed the
| Chattahoochee Wheeler observing 1t for some
| twenty miles above, alid Jackson ds far below The
| enemy advanced, rs usual, covered by lntrench-
| ments. Skirmishing continued until the Jth. Our
| infantry and artillery were brought to the south
east side Of the river that night, because two Iede
raj corps had sed it above Powerss ferry on the
,I,I 7 1tCr.1, (.nf.
| took command of the corps on the 'th.'
| The character of Peachree creek and the numer-
| Gus fortis in the Chat!ahoochec above it's mouth
prevented my attempting defend that part OF the
river. The broad and muddy channel OF the creek
would have separated the tHo parts OF the army 1t
and the river below its mouth were, therefore, taken
| our line 4 position on the high ground south
Of the creek was selected for the army, from which
| to attack the enemy while crossing. The engineer
officers, with large force Of negroes, were set to
! work to strengthen the Notifications OF Atlanta
and to mount them seven heavy r1tes borrowed
! from Maor-Gcneral Maury. The Chief Engineer
was instructed to devote his attention-rst to the
works between the Decatur and Marietta roads, to
put them in such condition that they might be held
by the State troops, that the army might attack
| the enemy in flank when he approached the town
this in the event that should be unsuccessful in
attacking the Federal army III Its passage OF Peach-
| tree creek.
After the armies were separated by the Chatta-
hoochee, skirInshirg became less severe. On the
lith division Of FEDERAL cavalry crossed the r'ver
| by MoOres bridge, near Newman, put was driven
back by Armstrong; brigade, sent by BriSadlet-
General Jackson to meet 1t.
On the 18th, Governor Brown informed ME, orally,
that he hoped to reinforce the army before the end
of the month with ten thousand State troops.
| On the 18th, the main body Of the Federal army
crossed the Chattahoochee between Roswell ana
| Powers ferry. AT 10 O'Clock T. NJ, while l was
! giving Lieutenant~C cione Freshman, chief cnSi-
neec instructions regard to his work OF the next
day the Notifications Of Atlanta, q telegram was
received from General Cooper informing me, by Oh
rection OF the Secretary OF War, that as L had
failed to arrest the advance OF the enemy to the
vicinity of Atlanta, and cx; roSsed confidence
that could defeat repel him, was relieved from
the command OF the Army and Department OF len
Ecssee, which would be immediately turned over to
General Hood. This was done at once. On the
morning OF the lSth the enemy was reported to be
advancing, and at General Hoods request, con-
tinued to give orders until afternoon, placing the
troops the position selected near Ieachtee creek
In transferring the command to General Hood,
explained my plans to him. First, 10 attack the Fed
eral army while crossing Peachtree creek II we
were successful great results might be hoped for, as
the enemy would have both the creek and the river
intercept his retreat. Second, II unsuccessful, TO
keep back the enemy by intrenchlng to give time
for the assembling of the State troops promised by
Governor Brown; to garrison Atlanta with those
troops and, when the Federal army approached the
town, to attack it on the most exposed flank with all
| the Confederate troops.
These troops who had been for seventy-four days
in the immediate presence of the enemy, labonng
and fighting daily, enduring toll exposure ana dan
ger with equal chcerfulness, more confident and
hsh-spiri:ed than when the Federal amy presented
itself near Dalton, We're then inferior to none who
| ever served the Confederaey.
| Under the excellent administration of BrigadIcr-
General Macsall, chief of stall, the troops were well
| equipped and abundantly supplied. The draught
animals of the artillery and quartcrmastes depart
ment were in better condition the 18th Of July
| than on the 9Th of May. We host no material in
the retreat, except the four field pieces mentioned III
| the accompanying report OF General Hood.
commenced the campaign with General Bcagg's
army, of Missionary ridge, with one brigade
added (Merccr's and two taken away lBaldwin's
| and Quarlessl. That opposed TO us was Grants
army Of Missionary ridge, then estimated at eighty
officer iucreascA