New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-06-13

carried his shelter tent or rubber
and he comrade who was his partner inauv Vi
the two comfortable protection from te "ca , no,,
His haVcrSack contained his ratlonS' MS u. -
and small tin cote pot or pail clat,oIeu ~ d s
belt and IN bali an nour of halt, the veteran kheW
how ~ prepare wholesome ana apunu"n' n
The ration of meat. bread coffee ana suiai 49, wa,
Largo one and of excellent quality, ana Nv loIaE
ing or traffic extras could be added 10 IL Oh 'ho
way.
mess ot d,visi Nj headquarters boosted that be-
ginning with nothing thcy had accumulated klO
consisting Of a tin plate four tin cups Without
handles three round oyster cans doing duty as
cups. two sardine boxes for extra plates, and
coneepotl Poclet-knivcs were the only cutlery
needed, and for dishes nothing could be better
than one of the solid crackers tamiliarly known as
"hard tack" This outfit they declared was
luxurious compared with that OF the General-ln-
Chief
For instantaneous communication between the
Commanding General and MS principal suDordl-
mates the military telegraph was organized
hight train OF wagons carrying wires ana lnSuatoIs
moved with the headquarters the forest trees were
used pCcs; an operator with ms instrument ac-
companied each army commander, who could mus
converse directly with the central station and with
General Sherman himself. This was supplemented
by the ordinary flag signals used by the Signal
Corps whose officers pushed TO the very front, ana
from any commanding hill or tree-top. waved their
flags. conveying information or orders ny means OF
a code OF cipher signals OF which the Key was ire
Quenty changed TO prevent It's Interpretation oy
the enemy.
Sherman. who had rested beside log in the
woods during the night, CHEEKY and undislurOed
as if the most ordinary business were going on sat
upOn log aud sSetched upon a leaf Of his pocket
memorandum book map Of Che supposed situation,
for the use OF the officer leading the column. It's
firm, delicate lines and neat touches, even to the
fine lettering OF the names Of houses and roads,
showed how completely his nerves were unaffected
by the night Of battle and storm.
Tit,, mo- 10 will
skrnshing and the hostile lines were ut nlghtiall
iutrenched close 10 each other that Tor several
days n pickering fire was almost ncesslnt from the
breast works on both sides, and sElrmlshcrS como
only he relieved in the darkness indeed they could
only lie kept out mt all by making each man cover
! himself hv means Of pit or by help OF log OF
! few fence rails. Casualties were of frequent &C.
currence within the lines; and there were openings
bctyctn the knobs across which no mounted officer
could ride vi hout being target for the cnemys
| sharpshooters who were constantly on the watch
for opportunity 10 PICK of whoever came within
range. -. SO dense had been the wood through
which the centre moved that skirnishers two hun
dred feet in advance OF the line coud not be seen.
and the direction could only be kept by compass.
Even then the SkTmsh line took ground TO the left,
and partly uncovered the front without being
aware of it. The division commander noticing that
the dropping skIrnsh lire was ceaslng spDlrcd for
ward to if the SkiImis,ers were IN position.
| Crossing little iavine he was met by the IRE OF
the enemys picket at pi,to range, and CAPTAIN
Saunders. the Division Adiutant General, fell NOR
! tally wounded To wheel, meet the line and deplOy
forward a fresh line of skrmshcrs was the work OF
| q
and blind all movements IN such tangled wilder
must be- and what constant risk there was OF
accidents like that hch beiell Mcpherson later III
the season.
From the combat at New Hope Church onward.
it may be said that every advanced line on both
sides intrcnched itself as soon as position was
| assumed On side the practical method was
this A division having been moved 10 a place 1t
was expected 90 hold, the General IN command by
rapid reconnaissance Of the Topography, determined
the most available line for defence, and drc5ted
brigade commanders to form thelr troops upOn it,
following the outline of tie ground and making
such angles, salient or TeentIaut as II required.
The shrmsh line kept in front, the rest
stacked arms few PAGES III rear of the intended
place for the breaStwOrk, intrenchlng tools were
taken from wagons that accompanied the ammuni-
non tralI, OF Were carried by lhc IruolS III the
movement, and each company was ordered to cover
its own front. Trees were felled and trimmed, and
the logs, often two feet thick rolled into the Inc
The timber revetment was usually four feet high
and the earth thrown from the ditch in front varied
in thickness according to the exposure. When
likely TO he subjected to artillery fire il from
ten to thirteen feet thick at base, and three feet
| less on the upper line of the parapet. Skids or
poles resting the top of the Tcvetment at right
! angles to it, sustained hcad-lOS, horizontal
o0phole for firing under being about three inches
wide. The skids. when left IN place, served 10 pre-
vent the hcad-iOg from falling upon the men in the
line if it were Knocked off by cannon bail. The
timber in front was then slashcd so Is TO fail out
ward, making an entangIenent winch was 100
heavy for removal, and which utterly LroNe the
formation of any line attempting to pass it. In
deed, IL would he only palhluiIy ana SLOWLY lhat
single men could Chamber through it, As the troops
| became familiar with the work. they were able to
| cover themselves with ntrenchmcnt of this kind
| within an hour from the time they stacked arms.
| Circumstances would OF course, vary the charac-
ter of these lines and in special cases the engineers
| would plan particular works. The usual custom,
! however, was that stated, and the intelligence of
the soldiers such that their eye Tor position
was often quick and keen as that of any OF their
officers. Foreign officers. visiting the army, often
expressed their amazement at seeing the troops of
| the line doing instantly and without engineering
! assistance what was elsewhere done by corps of
! sappers under direction of the scientific staf
The Confederate troops were differently situated
and proceeded little differently Anticipating the
| necessity of rotreatng TO a new line. Johnston
| directed his chief engineer. Colonel Freshman, to
| prepare it beforehand. 1t carefully surveyed
| and marked from near Powder Springs to Lost
! Mountain. thence TO Pine Mountain and Kenesaw
| making curve facing the northwest and six or
| seven miles rear Of the lines at New Hope
Church. still another line was aftcrward located
| III the same way along Nchaiack Geek, and
! yet others at the Chattahoochce, Peach Tree
! Creek, and Atlanta ia the construction of these
the Confederate engineers used the Georgia militia
| and impressed negroes and IN some respects they
! were even more elaborate than those built by the
| National army. At exposed places they were GOV
cred by cheVauXdc-insc, made OF LOGS pierced With
sharpened spokes and by sharpencd palisades along
the ditch. This, however, WAS exceptional and the
general character Of the works the same on both
| sides. No clear understanding OF this remarkable
campaign be bad unless the difficult character of
the country and the formidable nature OF these ar
fetal dcfences remembered. II has seemed worth
while TO anticipate little N order to give an idea
of Their construction, and to save recurrence TO tho
| subject.
DOutte owing to the military relations he bore
TO fellow officers, General Cox INDUCES in few cri-
cisms, and there no sketches of the leading
| generals with the single exception of Sherman,
| whom author describes of nervous and
restless temperament with tendency to irrita-
bility" who had the rare faculty of becoming
more equable under great responsibilities and IN
scenes OF great excitement" az which times " his
eccentricites disappeared, his grasp of the situa
ton was firm and clear his judgment cool, and
his mind seemed never so clear, his confidence