The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-07-31
CAVALRY RAIDS.
The Inflated Expeditions to the Rear
of Atlanta.
THE INQUIRY.

i
your columns something in regard to the McCook
and Stoneman Raid in the rear of Atlanta, in the
latter part of July, 1864 As to the intentions of
the commanders their orders given them to
make the raid the command to which belonged
(McCooks lay nearly all day near Jonesboro wait
ing as the soldiers supposed for Stoneman's COM
mand but it did not make its appearance There
has been good deal of controversy between the sol
diers of the two commands to where the fault
lay. Can you give US anything definite about it,
and obge many participants in said raid ?-JAsPER
N. FINNEY, Co. E, 4th Ind Cav, Valparaiso. Ind
p. s.-That raid was the cause us, of my taking an
eeeded the pleasure of that trip by big majority.
THE ANSWER.
An important feature in the Atlanta cam
paign was the series of raids made by the Union
cavalry against the railroads leading south
ward and eastward, from Atlanta. The first
lines of communication selected to be broken
was the railroad system connecting Atlanta
with the southwest comprising the Atlanta
and West Point, and the West Point and Mont
gomery roads.
On July TO- Gen. Lowell H. Rousseau with
1900 cavalry made an expedition from De-
catur, Ala, to Opelika, station on the latter
road, where road DIVORCES east to Columbus,
Ga, and thence to Macon. The column crossed
the Coosa on the 18th near the Ten Islands,
where in sharp engagement the 9th and Sth
Iowa Cav. routed body of rebel cavalry
passing through Talladega. He crossed the Tai
lapoosa, and on the 10th instant struck the West
Point & Montgomery Road at Loachapoka,
10 miles east of Opelika, to which place the
railroad was well broken up, the bridges and
eulverts destroyed besides three miles of the
branch toward Columbus and two toward West
Point. Gen. Rousseau then turned northward
and brought his command in safety to Marietta
on the 22d, with loss of less than 80 men.
The next raid was made against the Georgia
Railroad, and the command of Gen Kenner
Garrard was designated for the expedition.
Gen. Garrard, in obedience to orders, marched
to Covington Al miles east Of Atlanta, and de-
stroyed the railroad bridges over the Yellow and
Ulcopauhatchie Rivers branches of the Ocmul-
gee) the first bridge $50 feet and the latter $50
| feet in length, destroyed three trains of cars,
numerous depots, smaller bridges and culverts,
| and tore up the track for seven miles between
the two rivers, besides burning 1000 bales of
cotton, a large hospital building at Covington,
| and large quantity of hospital and commits
sary stores, bringing in with him several hum
dred prisoners, horses. and mules. He lost but
! two men in the expedition.
The success of these demonstrations upon the
enemys lines of communication embodened
| Gen. Sherman to undertake the destruction
! of the Atlanta & West Point and Macon s.
| Western Railroads south and southwest from
| Atlanta To aid in this enterprise, the Army
of the Tennessee was ordered to take position
| with its right resting on East Point, where the
aforementioned railroads diverge from each
| other.
The two columns selected for this perilous
enterprise, composed of the flower of the Union
cavalry, were placed under command of Gen.
Edward NJ. McCook, commanding the First Di-
| vision of the Army Of the Cumberland, and
| Gen. George B. Stoneman, commanding the
| cavalry of the Army of the Ohio. McCook s
command comprised the following regiments
| The First Brigade consisting of the 1st Tenn,
| I'd Mich, 8th Iowa Cav, and 4th KY. MID Inf,
under Gen. John T. Croxton; the Second Bril-
gade, under Lieut. Col w H. Torrey, was COM
posed of the 1st Wis. and I'd and 4th Ind. Cav.
| The following picked regiments were added from
other divisions: I'd KY, 5th Iowa and Sth Ind.
/ Cav. from the Third Division 4th Tenn. Cav
from the Fourth Division, and the 9th Ind
Cav. from the Army of the Tennessee, form
| ing Third Brigade, under command of Col
| T. j. Harrison.
| Gen. Stoneman's division consisted of three
bbTTIgades gsd fru c0gpaaa af Gels Hafaee
prising the 5th and 9th Ind, 14th and 18th H.,
lst, 18th, and 18th KY, 9th Mich, and McLaugh-
! Inns Squadron of Ohio Cav. Gen. Garrard's di-
| vision, temporarily assigned to Stoneman's col
umn, consisted of the three brigadeS COM
manded by Coils. Minty, Long, and Miller.
This force, when concentrated, was believed
by Gen. Sherman to be amply strong enough
to take care Of Wheeler's cavalry and to effect
| the object of the expedition, which was to
rendezvous at Lovejoy Station, on the Macon
Railroad, 30 miles south of Atlanta, on the
night of July %, and then make such a COM
plete destruction Of the road as would lead to
the speedy abandonment of Atlanta. Stone
mans column moved southwark on the east OF
Atlanta, making for McDonough, a town about
10 miles east OF Lovejoy's sending Garrard tc
Flat Rock between Atlanta and his line ot
march, to cover his movement, while with his
three brigades he marched towards the Georgis
Central Railroad, following it as far as Coving
ton, whence he struck due south and to the
east of the Ocmulgee for Macon, distant 81
miles, in the neghborhood of which he arrived
ON the Both. While moving southwark de
tachment of the 18th I'll. Cav, under Lieut.
Davidson. was sent east to Gordon, on thu
Georgia Central Railroad, where IL locomotive
and several trains of quartermasters stores
were destroyed, together with several bridge
between that place and Macon.
Meantime Gen. McCook marched down tn
right bank of the Chattahoochie west of At
lanta, to the neighborhood of Riverton, wher
he crossed on pontoons and made for Palmetto
Station on the Atlanta and West Point Rail
road, % miles south of Atlanta, where he de
stroyed section of the road. He theme
moved eastward upon Fayetteville and burnet
500 wagons belonging to the Confederate army
besides killing 800 mules and capturing severa
hundred quartermasters, commissaries' an
train guards and exchanging their jaded horse
for fresh ones.
Between Fairburn and Palmetto the 1st Wis
Cav, in severe action with Roddy's Con
federate brigade, lost their gallant commander
Maj. Nathan Paine, killed at the head Of hi
command. The regiment, forced back by su
perior numbers was compelled to retrea
across the Chattahoochie, thus ending its pan
ticipation in the expedition.
/ Gen McCook's column reached Loveioy's
the point of rendezvous, on the morning of th
} 31st, nearly according to previous arrangement
but was unable to hear from Stoneman OWN
to his disregard of the order to meet McCOok q
that point
Thus far all had gone well, and If the con
templated junction had taken place the unite
, column would have been strong enough to fore
its way to Macon and possibly to Andersonyills
where the expedition would have covered itsel
Q with glory by Hberating the Union soldier
Q confined in that notorious prison-pen.
4 McCook destroyed large quantity Of cotto
7 and section of the Macon and Western Raj
r road burning several trains of cars; but, find
J. ing his progress eastward barred by cor
> stantly -accumulating force of the enemy,
turned off to the southwest, capturing cavalr
supply train, and beyond Newman, a static
on the Atlanta & West Point Railroad, !
: miles south of Palmetto, encountered force
Q the enemy's cavalry, under Gems Roddy
!: Wheeler and Jackson. Roddy had taken pr
:, sition in his front, near the crossing of th
:, Chattahoochie at Browns Mills Jackson an
d Wheeler came up in his rear, and the Unto
7. cavalry found itself surrounded by largely
It superior force. A sahguinary and disastror
an ora pement augued the command 8ftackiu