The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-10-09
General T. r. Hood a daohinU and |


gia. During the month of September,
he and Sherman, taking advantage of a
lull in military operations, recognized
their respective forces, and at near the
close of the month hostilities were re-
newed. 1t soon became evident to |
Sherman that Hood intended to at |
tempt the seizure of Tennessee, and |
cut off the communications of the Ma
tional army and its supplies from the
North. To Illustrate this design, Sher-
man sent General George H. Thomas,
of the Army of the Cumberland, his
second in command, to Nashville to
organize the new troops expected to
assemble there, and take preliminary
steps to meet and thwart the suspected
movement.
Suspicion was soon succeeded by GER
tainty. At the beginning of October
the Confederates dashed across the
Chattahoche River a few miles from
Atlanta and by rapid and slightly
circuitous march struck the railway
short distance north of Marietta and
destroyed several miles of it. This
movement was designed to cut off Sher-
mans connection with Nashville, and
to capture if possible, his supplies at
Altoona Pass over twenty miles north
Of Marietta. He had a million rations
there, guarded by only three regiments
commanded by Colonel Tourtellette.
Sherman was startled by this move
ment and marched at once with strong
force for the defence of his communica-
lions and his stores. Leaving General
Slocum with the twentieth corps to
hold Atlanta and the Railway bridge
that spanned the Chattahoche River,
between Atlanta and Marietta, he be-
gan swift pursuit of Hoods active
forces, with five infantry corps and two
divisions of cavalry. Meanwhile di-
vision of Confederate infantry COM
manded by General French had pushed
northward and at dawn on October 5
appeared before AllatOona.
During the earlier hours of the morn
ing, General Sherman, who was in
strong position near the Kenesaw
Mountains, assembled Great Kenesaw
and set his signal officers at work upon
it's summit. Expecting an attack upon
Allatoona, and knowing the weakness
of the garrison there, he had telegraph
ed, and now signalized with torches to
General John M. Corse, of Indiana, who
was in command of force near Rome,
to hasten to the relief of the endangered
post. The order was promptly obeyed.
Corse started Immediately by railway
for Allatoona, and had arrived there
and was in command when French's
heavy forces appeared and invested the
place. They cannonaded the fort fully
two hours, when the Confederate leader
demanded it's surrender. Corse refused,
when the Confederates assailed the lit
tie fort that protected the stores most
furiously. The garrison had reserved
its fire in order to meet with vigor the
assault. Now they opened heavy vol
leys of small arms upon the assailants,
and sent down plunging shot upon them
from two batteries upon the wooded
ridge one on each side of the Pass. The
battle ragged fearfully for while.
From the summit of Kenesaw, Cen
eral Sherman could see the smoke and
hear the booming of the great guns at
Allatoona, although eighteen miles dis
tant. He had despatched General ia
cob D. Cox Governor of Ohio in 1861,
with the twenty-third corps to assist
the garrison by threatening the rear of
the assailants.
With signal flags on the summit of
Great Kenesaw, which were seen
through feld-glasses he called to the
commander at Allatoona:
'Hold the fort for relief is coming!''
virtually, 81 am coming"
To the great delight of Sherman an
answer came back from General Corse:
81 willl'
"He will hold out; know the man."
exclaimed Sherman.
And so he did. Corse repulsed as
sault after assault with great skill and
prowess, until more than one-third of
the men of the garrison were disabled
and himself was badly wounded. The
assailants, who also had lost heavily,
apprised of the approach of Cox, hastily
withdrew and fled toward Dallas, leav-
ing many dead and prisoners behind
them.
1t was Sherman's notable signal with
flags "waving in the sky" to the COM
mander at Allatoona, "Hold the fort for
relief is coming" and the brave Corse's
prompt reply, 81 will" that suggested
the first stanza and the chorus of Mr..
Bliss stirring sacred song
"Hol my comrades. see the signal
Waving in the skyl
Reinforcements now appearing,
Victory is nigh.
Chorus:
Hold the Fort, for am comingi'
Jesus signals still;
Wave the answer back to heaven,