American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1865-06-28
NUMBER 80.

with view to cut of hoods retreat We
found him intrenched in Ships Gap, but
the leading divisions (Hood's) of the
Fifteenth Corps rapidly carried the advance
posts held by two companies of South
Carolina regiment, making them prison.
ers. The remaining eight companies es.
capped to the main body near La Fayette.
The next morning we passed over into
the valley Of the Chattooga, the Army Of
the Tennessee moving in pursuit by La
Fayette and Alpine, toward Blue Pond
the Army ofthe Cumberland by Sommer-
vile and Melville postofice to Gayles-
vile, and the Army of the Ohio, and
darrards cavalry, from Villanow, Dirt
town and Covers Gap to Gsylesville.
Hood, however was little encumbered
with trains, and march with great rapid
ity, and had succeeded in getting into the
narrow gorge, formed by the Lookout
range, abutting against the Goose rever
IN the neighborhood of Gadsden, He
evidently wanted to avoid fight
THE COMBINED ARMIES AT GAYLEsvILLB
On the 19thal the armies were group
ed about Gaylesville, in the rich valley
Of the Chattooga, abounding in corn and
meat, and determined to pause in nv
pursuitof the enemy to watch his move
nents and live in the country I hoped
that Hood would turn towards Gunters.
vile to Bridgeport. The Army of the
Tennessee was posted near Little River,
with instructions to feel forward in sup
port OF the cavalry, which was ordered to
watch Hood in the neighborhood of Viii.
lis Valley, and to give me the earliest
notice possible Of his turning northward.
The Army Of the Ohio was posted at
Cedar Bluff, with orders to lay pontoon
across the Coosa, and to feel forward to
Center and down in the direction of Blue
Mountain. The Army of the Gumber-
land was held in reserve at Gaylesville;
and all the troops were instructed to draw
heavily for supplies from the surrounding
country. In the meantime communica.
tions were opened to Rome, and hea-
w force set to work in repairing the
damages done to our railroads. Atlanta
was obundantly supplied with provisions,
but forage was scarce, and Gen. Slocum
was instructed to send strong foraging
parties out in tbe direction Of Sont river.
and coll ct all the corn and fodder posi-.
BILE, and to put his own trains in good con.
dition for further service. ~
THE MARCH THROUGH GEORGIA PLAN
! NED.
Hoods movements and stratagy had
demonstrated that he had an army capa.
bic Of .endangering at all times my COM
muuications, but unable to meet me in
open fight. To follow him would simply
amount to being decoyed away from Geor-
gia, with little prospects of overtaking him
aud overwhelming him. To remain on
the defensive would have been bad policy
for an army of SO great value as the one T
then commanded, and was forced to
adopt course more fruitful in results
than the naked one Of following him to
the Southwest. had previously SUBJ
mitted to the Commander-n-chief GEN
eral plan, which amounted substantially
to the destruction OF Atlanta and the
railroad back to Chattanooga, and sally.
ing forth from Atlanta through the heart
Of Georgia, to capture one or more of the
great Atlantic seaports. This I renewed
from Gaylesville, modified somewhat by
the change of events.
DIVISION OF THE ARMY
On the 26th Of October, satisfied that
Hood had moved westward from Gadsden
across Sand Mountain, detached the
Fourth Corps, Major General Stenley,
and ordered him to proceed to Chattanoo-
ga and report to Major General Thomas,
at Nashville. Subsequently, en- the Both
Of October, / also detached the 2sd Corps,
Maj. Gen. Schoield, with the same des-
tination; and delegated to Major General
Thomas full power over all the troops SUBJ
jeot to my command, except the four
corps with which l designed to move into
Georgia. This gave him the two divis-
ions under A. S. Smith, then in Missouri,
but en- route for Tennessee; the two corps
named, and all the garrisons in Tennessee,
as also all the cavalry Of my military d.
vision, except one division under Brig.
Gen. Fitzpatrick, which was ordered to
rendezvous at Marietta. General Wilson
had arrived from the Army of the Poto.
mac, to assume command of the cavalry
of my army, and dispatched him back to
Nashville with all dismounted detach.
! L. II u