The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-07-12
ASSAULT OF ALAT00NA
The Fierce Struggle for the Posses
sion of the Pass.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:

To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
On Monday, esd of October, 1864, it was known
TO General Sherman that General Hood. with
COCO foot 10 600 horse and supplied with the nee
ess.sry munitions OF war, was the north side of
the Chattahoochee River moving northward
Never before in the history of the war had there
been such succession of vexatious events. The
bridge over the Chattahoochee had been washed
away in storm, Forrest had severed commuIliea-
tons between Chattanooga and Nashville, drift
wood had leyeled the bridge spanning the Oostan-
aula River Mt Resaca, and large body of rebel
cavalry held Big shanty Such was the situation
on Monday morning. 1t was apparent to Sherman
that Hood would throw considerable force against
the weak garrison at Alatoona Pass where
stored over 900 ratons, and he knew if these
were taken his men would be in perilous position
Signaling from the summit of Kenesaw, thirty
miles across the country, to General Corse, COM
manding at Rome, he directed him to take all his
available force to Alatoona Pass and hold it against
all opposition until he Shernan) could arrive with
help. In compliance with these orders General
Corse with the Twelfth Illinois infantry and Colo
mel Rowlett's brigade consisting of the Seventh,
Fifteenth, and Fifty-Seyenth Illinois infantry, and
the Thrty-ninth Iowa infantry in all about 500,
took the cars for Aatoona where they arrived late
in the night and found division of Hoods army,
commanded by General French, already surrounds
ing the place. The train that carried Corse and his
I,5O0 might have been checked but the enemy saw
the train approaching and permitted it to pass in
unnoIested, thinking it was a train from Chatta-
nooga loaded with supplies for Sherman'S army.
and would therefore, make fine addition to their
| game which, with their overwhelming force, they
train moved through the pass the regiment leaped
from it. General Corse and Colonel Rowlett soon
formed their battle lines making all necessary dis
positions of their forces for the threatened battle,
after which the were ordered to lie down upon
the ground to rest but it was "a night before the
battle.n when soldiers cannot rest Men are hur-
rying to and fro; their voices are hushed, for
thought is busy with them all they are thinking
OF the coming strife-thinlxing whether they will
live to see the old Unions battle flag float these
hills MISUNDERSTANDING of the tokens of grief
which will be unfolded in memory of those who will
lie down to sleep the sleep which knows waking
ere the sun sinks again behind the western hills.
The rebels were at work all night preparing for
the assault In the morning, companies L and
H. commanded by Captain Smith, were depioyed
forward on skirmsh line down the railroad south
of the depot. A demand for General Corse to sur
render was made by General Trench, who said, .
have Alatoona surrounded by q superior force, and
to stay the needless effusion of blood demand
your surrender" General Corse replied, Il am
prepared for the needless effusion of blood"
OPENING THE BALL.
Firing soon commenced upon the skirmisf line
from the south and directly a rebel battery opened
with grape and canister upon line, killing one
nanbelonging to company H. Private John Etter-
lain who was the first to fall in Aatoonas great bat
tie About 10 o'clock discovered the enemy mass
ing their forces the Gainesville road west of the
railroad Colonel Rowett perceiving that the main
battle would be on his 'front.' sent Captain Rattrey of
his staff, to order the companies forming the Skin
nlish line south to report to the regiment imme-
diately. The skirmsh line fell back in order con-
testing manfuly every foot of ground. We turned
our eyes to the southeast and beheld heavy force
moving towards the depot. The force soon struck
our left and forced il bdck The whole rebel force
six thousand strong ROW swept on to the Alatoona
hills. The Seventh Illinois and the Thirty ninth
Iowa stood like avail of fire in the outer works to
/ the right and left of the Gainesville road The
| storm broke upon them in all it's mad fury, the
Seventh struggling against the reckless rush of the
| front. The sixteen7sheoters did their work well ;
the very air seemed to grow faint as it breathed
their lurid flame Colonel Rowlett. soon after the
| first onset. discovered /, rebel regiment charging
on the right flank from the northwest threatening
to sweep it back like SO much chat. Captain
smith, with company F, was ordered to stem
the tide IN that direction. In moment he doubled
| into confusion this rebel regiment 1t was soon
discovered that it would be madness to attempt to
hold the weakly constructed outer works A re-
| treat was ordered. The Seventh and Thirty-ninth
Iowa fell back slowly. Rebel shot filled the air
everywhere. Men were falling and the ground
was covered with the dead and dying Colonel
| Rowiett was taken to the fort wounded, but
| presently rallied however, and vigorously en-
/ tered into the fight. The forts were reached by a
/ fearful sacrifice. Colonel Rowlett with the Sew
enth and few companies of the Thrty-nfnth
iowa. were now in the fort west of the railroad.
| Colonel Tourteilotte with the Nnety-third Hi
nois and Fiftieth Illinois Colonel Hanna's old half
hundredl took possession of the fort east of the
railroad. General Corse took his position in the
| fort with Colonel Rowletts brigade where seemed
to be the main drift of battle The retreat into the
forts and the necessary dispositions were all per-
| formed In a moment-perforlned amid fire and
smoke, while noble men were dying The hurried
retreat into the fort seemed to encourage the reb-
els. On, with fiendsh yels, they came, rushing to
the breach Over the hills and up the ravines they
charged. 1t was now hand to hand man to man.
Colonel Rowlett and his men fought desperately.
| General Corse was wounded. He had been fight
| ing manfuly, and contending against fearful odds
Painting from loss of blood he fell back upon the
| blood-stained ground. 1t 1890 o o'clock.
/ Colonel Rowlett assumed command. His first or
der was TO send for Colonel Hanna and his half
hundred" He knew they were true as steel. Blythe
severe ire from the fort west of the railroad the
enemy's lines We're broken. Colonel Hanna now
cut his way to Rowletts fort Crossing the railroad
near the depot he struck the enemy while attempt
ing 10 burn the warehouse containing the rations
and in gallant manner drove him back. He then
rushed into Rcwletts fort, but not without heavy
| loss. The rebels We're now preparing for another
desperate charge. Reformed, they rushed up like
| nadmen, threatening TO crush into dust the gall
| liant fifteen hundred. The hills trembied and the
fort was wrapped in fearful flame. Amid dying
groans the cannon crashed, sweeping down the
charging rebels. The grand half hundred the
reckless Seventh the undaunted Fiftyseventh Ilii-
nois, and the fiery Thirty ninth Iowa barricaded
| the Alatoona walls with steel The rebels driven
to desperation, attempted to cross the defenses,
but We're driven back in wild confusion. But they
| rallied again. preparing for a third charge. Again
they rushed on to engage in the awful work of
narge.
THE DECISIVE STRUGGLE.
Closer and closer the determined rebels came
| Many had fallen. The Seventh, with their six
teen-shooters, which had been the main depend
enee, We're now running short of ammunition, and
Colonel Rowlett ordered them TO hold their fire
and let the Fiftieth Illinois and the Thiry-ninth
Iowa bayonet the rebels in case they attempted to
scale the detenses. General Corse partly rose from
bis mattress and cried Hold Alatoonai' ~ For the
third time the rebels were driven back from thefort
They then prepared for the fourth charge. Colonel
Rowletts fort had become one vast slaughter-pen.
/ The frenzied rebels came again swarnng up to
the breach. They passed over their already beaten
road stained with blood. Again they charged up
TO crush the Spartan band. 1t was now l o'clock.
For three long hours clouds of darkness had man
tied those hills, which now seemed to be growing
darker. The command was every moment grow
| ing weaker and weaker. A large portion of the
fifteen hundred had been killed or wounded but
still the battle ragged in its mad fury and still the
besieged were pressed hard. Colonel RowIett now
succeeded IN getting the artillery, which for some
time had been silent, loaded and manned. The
guns We're shotted to the muzzle Into the very
hurled and the volley repeated sever, times COM
PEELED the rebels to give way in despair Just at this
moment-half-past o'cock-Colonel Rowett was
badly wounded in the head, and Captain Rattrey,
member of his staff being the ranking officer left
assumed command and heroically carried the
| battle. The work of death was drawing to q close
The Seventh, with their sixteen-shooters, per-
formed a terrible work of death. The enemy was
driven from the Aatoona hills like chaff before the
winds OF heaven, and the battle of Alatoona was
over Corse, Rowlett and Tourtellotte flung their
tattered and blood-washed banners trumphantly
over this field of death, but at terrible cost AS
yictors OF the pass, they stood with about half oil
their number lying dead and wounded at then
feet. e SUBSCRIBER
An Old Controversy and New One.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
Vuaa tlnfur 4