New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-02-21

sho'gs brigade, sen. by Bnged.es.GensIal Jackson
meet 10.
% lie l5ih Governor Brown informed me orally,
thlt D. hored 10 rcg8folco the army before the eaO
I he monihwith neor ten thousand STATE troops
On TIC 7h The main body OF the Federal army crossed
The Chatalocoheo between Roswell and Powers Jerry
~ I'D O'clock p m. while / was giving Licut..C
Prc3man' ChiefEngineer instructions In regard 10 bis
work oil ne next day tle iCiihc6 ions Of Atlanta,
Telegram was received ron Gen. Cooper morning me,
/ w. direction OF the Secretary Of War, that as Lld
icd 10 arrest The advance Of the enemy tothe Vicinity
defeat or repei him, was relieved from the eonmard
OF TIE army aud department OF IeAne see, which would
be mmedia.ey turned over 10 Gen. Hood. Tbs was
done ~ once. o. the morning Of DC ls.h tie enemy
WIS reported 10 be sdyoncin, End ~ Cen Hoods -
quest continued 70 give orders anil afternoon plac-
ins The troops on the position selected near PeaoAtree
In transferring tie command 10 General Hood Tex.
piained T. plans 70 him-iigt 20 att1ck the Fed9th
sSy y gS o9 1ess b. GoS n we a. ~s he
enemy wo have both The creek anil TIE river to in.er
cent lis retreat Second, II ulsnece sfni to keep Dack
tha enemy b. intronching 10 give time for the as
scmbn ol Stale troops promised by Governor Brown
10 garrison Atlanta with those troops, ana when t.e
Federal army approached The town attae. II on TIE
most e1po.ol flank with all the Confederate troops
These troops, who had been Tor scyeAtyiour 1a!s
file immetiate presence Of the enemy laporng ara
fighting daily. enduring toll exposure ana danser WIN
90 sal checrfuli ess more confident ana hlShstitea
than when the Union army presented itself near Daton
were then ncior TO none who ever served The Gomez
era"v, n,,,.
General Mackall Chief OF Staff the troops were wen
EQUIPPED aud sbundaDty supplied Inc draugLt an.
mas d the artillery and q9srterihsstgrs arpsftneh,
5th OF Nav We lot material IN the retreat except
tho four Geld pieces mentioned In the accompanying re-
port Of General hood
of Missionary Ridge. with oIe brigade added-Aer'
Ger 3, and two taken away-Baldwin's and Qdares's.
That opposed TO US was Grants army of Missionary
Ridge, then estimated ut $1,000 by our principal obi
GERS increased, have stated, By two corps, dlyis
ion and several thousand Iecruisin al at least 10000
men Tic cavalry Of that army was estimated by MAJ
Tie resnforcenents which joined our army amounted
10 hf,een thousand infantry and artillery and four o1
bers Joining the United States Army-garrispn and
bridge guards from Tennessee and Kentucky relieved
b. zone hundred days men and the Seventeenth
Corps with two tbODs and oaTdiry.
The loss Of orr infantry and artillery from the Jt OF
May had been about 1000 in killed and wounded. and
400 from al other causes mainly slight sickness pro-
dUced by heavy cod rains which prevailed IN the later
hall June These and the slightly wounded were BE-
gnning TO rojon their regiments. For want Of re-
porte unable to give the loss the services Of the
cavalry which was less under NY eye than the rest OF
the army. The effective strength was increased ny
about TWO thousand during Tie campaign
! The effective force transferred 70 Gen. Hood was
about ~ 600 nflnIy and artillery, aid 1000 clYary
According 10 the opinions OF our most experienced
officers daily reports Of priseners aud Statements Of
northern paper, the eneDy's loss In action could not
have been ess than five times great IN tho
in which We had the means Of estimating It, II
ranged nom seven to one to nipety'onc to one CON.
pared with OuTs, and averaged thirteen 10 one. The
Union prisoners ooncgrcd in sayina that their Heaviest
loss occurred in their daily attacks made In line Of bat
tie upOn orr skirmshers in their rife-pts. Whether
they succeeded in dislcgiuf skirushers or not,
their loss was heavy and ours almost nothing
At Dalton tie great numerical superiority Of toe enc.
ny made the chances OF battle much 0galnst ne, and
beaten they bad safe refuge behind the fort
fed pass Of RnygOh and in The fortress OF Chatta-
nooEi on refuge, in case Of defeat was in Atlanta,
100 miles oil. with three rivers intervening There
lore victory cOuld have been decisive while de-
fca. would have been utterly disastrous. Between
Dalton AID the Chgttahooche could have given bat
lie only By attacking the enemy atrenehed or 80 near
inIenchuents that the only result OF success TO ne
voud haze been his failing back into them While de-
feat would have teen our ruin.
In tie pursued, our troops always bgLting nm
Der cover lad cry riiing losses compared wth those
they inflicted; that tho enemys numerical iuiegiorty
reduced daily and rapidly and we could reasonably
have expected to cope with The Union army equal
ground By the time the Chattahooebec wac passed DE
feat this side OF tho river would have been IL destruc
tiOn. We nboatcn. had place OF refuge In Atlanta
too strong TO be assaulted and too extensive 10 be in
! vested had hoped also that by the breaking of
the railroad in its rear the Union army might 10 com
PEELED attack IN position Of cur own eEoosilg or
Il a retreat easily converted into rOEt.
EjAner We crossed the Etowah rive detachuents Of
cavalry were lively SENT with Instructions 20
destroy as much they could OF the railroad between
Dalton and Etowah. All failed because TOO weak we
could never sp.re sufficient body Of cavalry for this
service Us it, assistance was absolutely necessary Ia
The defence al every position we occupied. Captain
Harvey. officer OF great courage and sagacity was
lta OF June and remained for several weeks near the
railroad frequently imterrnptng although not strong
enough 20 prevent its use.
Eailv in the campaign the statements Of the strength
OF the cavelry in tie department Of Mississippi and
Fast Louisiana given me hy LieAt.-Gen. Polk Just
from the command of that department, aud ny tele-
grapaio correspondence with bis successor LeE'seA:
:. ID. Lee. gave reason To hope that a competent
force could b. sent from Mississippi and Alabama 10
prevent the Of the railroad by the United Sta;es
army therefore suggested 1t 10 the Presiden. direct
~ on the 18th juno and Gth July and through Gen.
Bragg the 10th. l2h, l3th l6l and goth OF juno;
and also 20 Lieut. Gen. Lee on the lOth May and 50,
nth and 10th June. did SO IL the belief that ths
cavalry would serve lie Coniedeacy better by causing
the defeat Of Msj.Geu. ShcrmGns army than by re-
pcling raid IN Mississippi.
Besides tie OF my removal, alleged in the teIe
gram announcing IL. various other accusations have
been mede against me-some published IN newspapers
in such 10 appear to have official autloiy,
and others circulated orally III Georgia and Alabama,
aud imputed 10 Gen. trseg.
The ngiucipa are that perssiertv disreg lrded tho
Instructions Of tic Prcide.t; at would not fight tho
cncmy; tia, refused DEFEND Atlanta; that reics
operations OF the army that egaEded bis enreates
H. change my course and attsck the enemy and gross
cSaggci atoms Of The losses Of the army.
lad not the advantage OF receiving tie Presidents
instructions in relation 10 the Of conducting The
campaign. But a. tie conduct Of NY predecessor N
rercatrg before odds less than those confronting noe
las apl aTanty been approved, and ss Gen. Lee, IN
kceplng on tie defensive ard re,rcating towards
Grants objective point. under circumstances Ike nhe
was adding 10 his great fame both in the estimation
Of tie Adminsiraiion aud people, supposed mat my
now. that i was The only one at ny command which
promises success.
] think tLat lie foregoing narrative slows t.st tie
army Of Ienressee did light and with at least ne mueh
eject rs have done before.
Tac proof, that intended TO hold Atlanta arc tle
fact that under my orders the work az strengthening
It's defense was going vigorously, tie eonimuniea'
the subject made by ne " Gen. Hood. ana the
fact tina; my fariy IL the town. That the paDlc