The New York herald., 1865-12-06


cautious and skilful general The campaign opened
the 9th day Of May and tho I'd day OF September tho
national forces entered Atlanta This achievement 10
thAs described in General shermans Field Order
No. 6s:-
:. the 1st of May our armies lying in garrison.
seem ngly quiet from Knoxville 70 Huntsville and our
enemy lay behind his rocky faced barrier al Dalton
proud, defiant and exulting. He had had time since
Christmas TO from his discontinue the Ms
sion Ridge, with his ranks filled and commander
inchief and second In tho confederacy for
All at once &c, our armies assumed life and seon and
appeared before Dalton. Threatening Rocky Face
We threw ourselves upon Resfacca, and the
retreat aided by the roads with which he
familiar and which strange to Again he took
circuit towards Dallas and subsequent movement to
Acworth we gained the Allatoona Pass Then iollowed
the eyentu battles about Ksnesaw and tho escape Of
), The crossing OF the Chattahoochee and breaking Of
the Augusta road most handsomely executed by us
and viii be studied as an example in the art OF AT
this stage OF game enemies became dissatisfied
with their old and skful commander and selected one
first boldly and rapidly on the 10th Of July fell on our
right at Peach Tree creek and lost Again, on
the 22d he struck our extreme lef and severely
punished, and finally, again on the 28th, he re-
have become satisfied for since that date he has remained
lines about Atlanta feeling for the railroad which sup
piled the rebel army and made Atlanta place OF I'M
We must concede to our enemy that he met these
efforts patiently and skfuy, but at last he made the
mistake we had waited for 80 long and sent his cavalry
TO our rear far beyond the reach OF recall Instantly
cavalry was on his only remaining road and we followed
quietly with our principal army and Atlanta fell into
our possession the fruit OF well concerted measures
backed by brave and confident army"
MARCH
For military reasons, stated in the report Of the Lieu
tenant General II determined that Atlanta should
be destroyed and Shermans armies push forward to
Savannah or some other point on the Atlantic coast
been superseded in command Of the rebel army by Gen.
eral Hood, who adopting different system from that
oy MS cautious predecessor boldly assumed the
offensive with view to force General Sherman
from Georgia by cutting Off his communications and
invading Tennessee and kentucky Pursuant to this plan,
Hood, by rapid march, gained and broke up at Big
Shany the railroad that supplied Shermans army, ad
vanced to Dafon and thence moved towards Tennessee
Hood was followed from Atlanta by General Sherman far
enough north to his purpose and assure him
against Hoods interruptng the contemplated march to
the sea coast Sherman turned back suddenly to At
nnta That city and all the railroads leading to it
destroyed and on the 18th Of November the march COM
mcnced for Savannah Advancing in three columns,
other large towns occupied without resistance.
& neral Shcrman's command, the 10th OF December,
nah" Fort McAliistcr gallany carried by assault
on the same day The city of savannah, strongly ort
fed and garrsoned by large force under General Har
dec, was summoned but surrender re used Pre-
paratons tor assault we're made and in the night of the
10th of Dec mber Hardec evacuated the city and with
large part OF his garrison escaped under Of darkness
The United tates troops entered the city early the
morning Of the 2lst Of December. Immense quantities
arms ammun tion ordnance and military stores were
captured and the cotton that fell into our hands amounted
in value TO many millions Of dollars.
HOOPS CAMPAIGN or NASHVILLE
While General Shermans army was marching south
from Atlanta to the scacoas the rebel army under Hood
strongly reinforced was moving north, threatening
foe and defending the border States from INVASION
entrusted to Major General George r. Thomas who
Sehoneld In his report General Thomas says
~ found myself confronted by the army which, under
General j. e. Johnston, had so skfuly resisted the ad
vance OF the whole active army Of the military division
OF the Mississippi from Dalton to the Chatahoochee
nforced by well equipped and enthusiastic cavalry
by one Of tho bodest and most ucc successful
cavalry commanders in the rebel army My
information from all sources confirmed the reported
strength stated of Hoods army to be from forty forty
fvo thousand infantry and from twelve fifteen thou
sand cavalry. My eG ctve force at this time consisted
General D. s. Stanley; the Twenty third corps about
ten thousand, under Major General Schoned Hatchers
division OF cavalry about four thousand Croxtons br
gade two thousand 1--WE hundred and Capron's brigade
OF about one thousand two hundred Tho balance Of my
force was distributed along the railroad and posted at
Murfreesboro, Stevenson, bridgeport Huntsville Deca
tur and Chattanooga, to keep open communications
and hold the posts above named If attacked until they
10 determine which course Hood would take advance on
Nashville or turn towards Huntsville Under these cir
instances was manestiy best to act the defensive
unti! sufficiently reinforced to justify taking the ocn
sYe On the 18th OF November Communication with
General Sherman was severed, the last despatch from
past two r. N. that date He had started on
his great expedition from Atlanta TO the seaboard,
ieavlng me 70 guard tennessee or TO pursue the
enemy il he followed the commanding generals column
II was therefore, with considerable anxiety that we
watched the foco ut Florence discover what
they would pursue with regard 10 General Sherman
movements, determining thereby whether the troops
under my command numbering less than half those TN
der Hood to act the defensive in Tennessee
take the offensive in Alabama"
BATTLE FRANKLIN.
When the possibility OF Hood following Sherman was
over, General Thomas took TO act the de-
fensive. Reinforcements Of regiments hur-
red forward to him by the Governors OF tho Western
states All troops 1T for any military duty collected
and forward the hospitals absenees on leave
called in the employees In the Quartermasters De-
partment were armed and organized for duty In the
t-enchments and two divisions of veteran infantry
der command OF General A. j. Smith, that had been
serving the Red rvor and afterwards In Missouri,
were pushed forward to General Thomas. BY these
means his forces speedily sweed, when conccn-
rated 10 an army nearly large that OF the enemy.
The public property and garrsons were drawn in from
exposed positions and points not required TO be held the
Publications OF Nashville were strengthened and every
preparation was made for struggle OF ordinary mag
nitude. Hood advanced 10 Columbia where his attempt
TO cross Duck creek was checked for = while by
General schohed, who repuiscd the enemy many
times with heavy loss. Scholelds main force in front
o Couinba was withdrawn on the night OF the 10Th Of
November and position taken at Franklin ON the
morning Of the 3otl Here took place one Of the most
fierce and bloody battles OF the war. "The enemy"
says General Thomas, In his report, followed closely
after General Schonclds guard In the retreat to
formed rapidly and advanced 10 assault our works re-
petne attack aer attack during the entire aferrrcn,
and as late as ten T. his efforts to break lines
chosen with both TANKS resting the rvcr ana his
men firmly h Id their ground against overwhen-
ing enemy who rcpused In every assault along the
whole line 0nr loss, as given by General Schoncld in
his report transmitted herewith (and 10 which respect
fully rcfcr Is lS9 killed. 033 wounded and l04 miss
ing making an aggregate OF 1926 We captured and
sent to Nashville 702 prisoners including general
officer and 3s stands of colors Major General D. S.
Stanley, commanding Fourth corps severely
ut Franklin while engaged in rallying portion OF hi
command which had been temporarily overp0wered by
an overwhelming attack Of the enemy Al the time Of
the battle the cnemys loss known 10 be severe and
was estimated at 1900. The exact figures only OBJ
ained however the reoccupatoD OF Franklin by
forces after the battles Of December 10 and 10, at
brentwood Hills, near Nashville, and arc given as
iolows-Prred upon the field, 1,750; disabled
and placed hospital at Franklin, $500, which, with
the l02 prisoners already reported, make an aggre-
aatc loss Of 6,252, among whom were. six gene
raj officers killed, six wounded and captured The
important results or this signal victory cannot be
highly apprccintcd for not only seriously checked the
enemys advance and gave General scboIcd time to
move his troops and all his property TO Nashville but IL
also caused deep depression among the OF Hoods