The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1883-12-12
PEACH TREE CREEK.
Why Hood Fail d to Win a Groat
Victory Near Atlanta
h Terrible sian litter Wrought by
h Canister OF Light Artillery
"a Federal Battery
Wiped Out
On. oand in Detroit Froa press.l

Military critics on both s.des have i'd
mitted that Hoods plans TO win a great vic
tory at Peach Tree creek, near Atlanta, were
laid with great nicely and promised success.
BE bad drawn Sherman into u trap. 10
waited until all was ready. and then sprung
the jaws. He had not figured a victory with
olt a hard fight, but he figured too nicely on
the efforts Of his own troops. Tho miscon-
struction OF orders eau ed his advances to
Striks haAf q dozen feeble blows on a long
line where Hood had planned one crushing
blow alta ccrtain spot. Had everything gone
IS lie planned for. Sherman Inust have been
St square in two.
Much has been written TO prove that Hoods
Udden and powerful assault WINS not q sur
prise. II it was not, then sons Of the Federal
commanders permitted Of very loose disci-
pline. Newton's division was dealt ono Of tho
aardest blows As tho Confederate Skin
nishers advanced upon his command, they
tound men asleep, mendtng their clothes,
gambling and reading Guns were stacked
zero and there, and btttery horses were
nunching their forage Had the Confederate
itirmish line along Newton's front been a
inc Of battle, be would have been run over.
As 1t was, 1t took five OF his regiments, do
allied as skirmlshers, 70 drive that skirmish
Inc over tho ridge.
Butte11leld's division nolS came up. and
connected with Newton's right, and q
general advance was ordered, preceded
~ q heavy line OF ski.nishers. Thi,
!ino had scarcely disappeared over
:ho ridge bafoie a vengeful sput-
Ter of muskctry was heard, followed by tro-
nendous chsering. This was from Hoods
idvanco-tbe advance which should have
rollod oyer the ridge and down upon the blue
lines before they had been warned 81 tho
,kirmlsheiA Tho crest of the ridge was blue.
The slope was gray. Newton was weak and
ItIung out; It seemed as If Hoods whole army
was striking straight at him. Line upon limo
anne into view. tho mon waving their caps
and cheering, the flags streaming above tho
.h,ckets- The 'popl popln Of the skirmisher,s
nusket was suddenly drowned In the terrific
crash OF voileys. Tho grosn forest seemed
lblazs Ia n single moment, and men who
looked upon the mighty advance from tho
crest OF tho ridge felt that the one poor,
weak division could not hold 1t In check 1--WE
minutes
ARTILLERY SLAUGHTER.
Now, without orders from Newton, and
without waiting for orders, a battery of ten
guns gullops to the Federal front an. unlim-
beIs on Newton's left hank. 1t is a splendid
position for field artillery. Ranks which were
wavering bocome firm as the guns come up.
Men ready to fly In a panic suddenly become
'o1N1As a. 2 uI1 boNt hIlhAl
nulimberod on one flank before a part Of the
First Michigan battery comes running up to
lake position ON the other. Fourteen gums
point down the slope against the Confederate
ines not over 300 feet away. They load with
canister alone, and next moment tho earth
IS trembling and the great trees quiverinZ
under the roar. Lying down in front OF thu
guns-amilst them-on the TANKS, the Federal
Infantry pour In an incessaut fire Of musketry.
I III IL. a. N-lI - q n -
tedcrato advance, but there arc NOR,
horrible sounts-Screams and shriexs and
curses. Lines are checked by that fire as the
pnygrrss Of travellers would be checked by d
wull fifty feet high.
The slope Is covered with trees and thickete
here and there al open spot. There Is no
h:eltar from that rain Of bull,t and canister.
Trees thu size Of q mans leg are cut to pieces;
:iickets are moved down: bush and saplin1
ire picked up by the booty hand and sent
whiting through the air. For every gunner
Who falls woun led twenty infantry arc ready
o take his plaos Every man fesls that all
'epends upon tho gunN C1itridg bearers ar,
enforced until thors is u solid line Of men
rom gun to caisson, each with a missile In
lis hand. A quarter OF IN hour Of this
olooiy work md NewtonAs division Is safe.
Against such u fire there can b. no advance;
Io:hlng living eau stan ! up against IT.
THE TERRIBLE CANISTER
The writer viewed thu ground In oom1aly
With a Confs lerite who fought thare. He
nidi "AS | looko | hack upon limo after lima
and noted tho daredevil deneanor OF our men
[ felt that thu force In our front would DO
walked over with hardly a halt The mus
ketry fire was pretty hot, but the bullets few
over our heads. I hadn't a man wounded In
ny company, although we were In the front
line, until tho batteries opened fire. In ten
minutes / had scarcely a man left. We lay
down TO esc1pa the c~1nister, but It seemed to
strike every spot MuSketry. in such q dtua
ton, picks OF a man here and there. Tha. eau
lster killed four or hve at a time. tearinr gaps
through three lines OF battle and throwing
our best troops into confusion. Had not a
man been struck the terrific whistle of tho
missiles through the trees, and the binding
showers OF leaves and dirt thrown over Us,
would alone have thrown our lines into con-
fusion. The men breasted the fire with rare
COURAGE, and they stood their grounl long
out OF tho question When we foil back II
was ~Erudgiugly and In fair order, but those
who livet 10 retreat beyond that awful fire
had all the fight takcu out Of them for the
rest Of the day.
ADATrERY WIPED OUT.
In this same battle the Confederate all
vince struck Geory on the right flank aud
passed It far enoush - enfillde hs right
brigade. In Eve minutes this brigade was 50
cut up by tho cruel croSs-1re that ,th1d to give
way. Bundy's battery came gnlloping IN to
ill the gap, and in n moment was belch 'ng
canister into tho advancing lines This fre
halted them until n part OF lreland's brigade
could take position in support, and then for
forty minutes il was n bloody fight at close
q~uartefs Confederate artillery was brought
up, the lines ensconcsd themselves and ma n.
tiins n sool ly frs. and one by ons tho
battery men melted away until there were
not enough left 10 work ono piece. Then e..
detail was made from an infantry regiment,
anil as fast as n man went down he was 70
placsd by another.
TIL LAST TWENTY MINuTEs.
During the la 1t twenty mlnutes OF the fight
at this point tho Fedsrnls were fighting on
three separa e fronts The battery horses
and ~caissous left what should have been the
rear and came to the front as a greater point
OF safety. One by one the horses were hit,
and by and by not one remained standin :.
Men working the guns were hit by as many
as n.ne bullets, and some Of the cnissons
were completely riddled- Ono gun
was dis iountoa and lost its
trunnions n tIe shock, another had O
foot Of its muzzls knocked of, and a third
was rendered useless by some other accident.
The original complement OF meu were all
wiped out excepting W. or three, every horse
was killed, throe OF the guIIt rendered useless
and at least twenty of The infantry substi
tutes were added 70 the list OF dead 1t was
tho battery which saved the gap and Gsary's
rear, but It's brave crew paid for their bercisn
with THAR liyox