Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-05-16

WQuUNtut NVuflOlAbu A~A ngAACN
every officer and soldier In the army
of Tennessee that the siege of Atlanta
was about to terminate, and that
sooner or later the city would fall a
priEe intn the hands Of the enemy.
% the march out to that battlefield,
which was undertaken under the cover
of darkness, it was painfully evident
TO all who had the mind to observe
the conduct of the soldiers that the
cohesion Of the army was gone. Many
fell out of the ranks and skulked
away. preferring certsin disgrace to
the risk of being struck by shot.
This state of affairs might have
been attributed at the time, to two
direct causes, viz: The unwise change
of commander shortly before made by
President Davis, which was distasteful
to every one; and further, to the dele
terious effects of the prolonged retros
grade from Dalton, and the presence
of the Federal hosts in the very heart
of the Ccnfederacy. Whether these
were the only causes am not prepared
to state.
l only know that as facts these made
men respondent, and tie morale OF
the troops was badly shaken. When
the battle was begun, however, some
good fighting was done, for the pure
metal was on hand, the dross having
been left behind. Hardee was placed
to conduct this surprise movement,
but even this able commander was
iuoculated with the feeling of disap
pointmeut manifested by his troops.
He had been superseded by the ap
pointment OF Hood, and he very natu-
rally felt aggrieved. His old and tried
lieutsnants, Cleburne, Cheatham and
Walker, were with him, however, and
these veterans met the enemy with
something like their old time enthu>
siasm. Our line appeared as a slender
thread, and the rugged nature OF the
ground did not admit of splendid pre-
cision, but it swept on over the slight
earthworks and killed men and can.
tured drums. This mutilation was
mutual. too, for the slain of both sides
lay on the wooded slopes. in fields and
In the narrow roadways-not in heaps,
but here and there, wherever the fatal
shot had found them. The gray Law
athwart the blue. Our dead never
looked more wretched to my eyes than
on that day. 1t may be that the
corpses, when living beings, were void
of that spirit OF joyous animation and
hope which, when fixed by the touch
of the destroyer, renders the counte.
nances of the slain less repulsive to
look upon.
During the advance [ noticed the
corpse off sad faced youth stretched
on the roadside, his body partially on
the track, his arms extended upward
and lying at length on the ground.
Life had just left him, and the blood
from his wound was yet rudy and
warm, when an artillery van approach
ed, and the heavy wheels passed over
his arms and hands, crushing them
horribly. Gist's brigade of Walkers
division drove the enemy readily, as
did other brigades Of other divisions.
but soon the pursuit was halted. A
Carolina regiment stopped doubtfully
at the edge of field and appeared
unwilling. The enemy were massed
in strength in wood opposite, and a
masked battery was plyiHg the Caro-
linians with shell at short range. 1t
was just here that young Habersham,
of Savannah, died. He was encourap
ing this command, which had broken
into little clusters and were panicky,
when a shell exploded very near him
and his handsome folm sank into
mutilated, quivering mass. This
young officer was attached to Gist's
staff. HIS fami y and friends may
cherish his memory, for he died the
veritable hero.
1t waS about this time that a seri
Gus alteration occurred between Gem
erals Hardee and Walker. Hardee
urged Walker to forward, and this
fiery division commander was explain,
ing some of the difficulties in his
path when Hardee roughly interrupted
him and again ordered an advance OF
his troops. Stung by his manner
Walker moved away with flush OF
anger on his face, and soon after spoke
to General Gist of this order, and in
timated that be would need his ser>
vices after the battle ended. General
Gist mildly intimated to bis superior
that the time for discussing person
al grievance was inopDortune, and this
was the last OF it, for in half an hour
aiterward General Walker was killed.
He fell not great way from the
Forty. sixth Georgia, and Immediately
il front of the Sixteenth South Caro-
liha-in an open space or field from
whence the enemy had been expelled
shortly before.
The Federals were 10 strength in a
wood opposite, and the flight of rife
shot across this space was incessant at
times, while fragments of exploding
shell sawed the air disagreeably. The
Yankees were angry with the Geor.
gians, and were filling our position
each minute with tumult of wounds
and disorder. In the bright sun light
the CLEAN of uniforms and busy ram,
rods could be easily distinguished In
the thickets beyond. Our people were
hardly flush with ammunition and
their fire was not so inhamed, ant
with the instinct of self-preservatior
they lay fat down on the ground.
1t was about this time that Genera
Walker appeared on this open ground
accompanied by his staff-Cumming
Ross, Kenan, Talbot and probably
others. There was lull in the dis
charge of firearms at this moment
Every soldier in the Forty>sixth knev
their General by his iron gray
and his somewhat faded sombrero. H,
rode out to a spot where the lane
dipped toward sedgy wet place il
the field The tops Of some willow
growing in this hollow threw out thei