The National tribune., 1888-09-27
THE NATIONAL WASHINGTON

fought. flanked and steadily pushed him back,
until Atlanta that beautiful city, lay at his feet
What titanic effort was that of Shermans,
with hundred thousand hardy veterans watch
ing every opportunity to strike q blow here, to
catch his opponent at disadvantage there, to
fight him to-day, to flank him to morrow. The
two armies were in such close contact that it
was a continuous battle for four months,
stretched over a line of hundred and fifty
miles, every hour and every mile of which was
marked with the fall of hero. Johnston, with
about half Sherman's numbers, was always on
the alert, meeting the attack at all times with
a sufficient number to insure successful defense.
Night would find him in q position untenable
for another days stay, but morning found him
in new and stronger one with not man or
piece of property missing. Sherman's flank
movements, either to the right or left, were
always known and checkmated with celebrity
truly wonderful. Partisans may prate of Grant,
of Lee, Sheridan, Jackson. any or all the ros-
ter of great names brought out by the war of
the rebellion, yet William T. Sherman and ].
Z. Johnston earned name and fame in those
wonderful military operations of the most re-
nowned campaign in modern times that will
not nor cannot be outshone by that of any
other.
When Sherman's army had pressed John
ston's front at Dalton strongly and Mcpherson
had lost his opportunity at Resaca, Sherman
started his army through Snake Creek Gap to
cut Johnston Off at the crossing of the Ouste-
naula, Johnston, always wary, mistrusting
movement of his enemy, sent q cavalry detach-
ment to feel around Rocky Face Ridge, and
they, suddenly coming on to a Federal picket
post, charged them and captured the whole
body, among which was Maj. Taylor 1t was
the work of but moment to dsarm them and
put them on the dOuble-quick to get away be-
fore the reinforcements came up that were then
straining every nerve to get to the rescue. A
few miles took them into a rebel cavalry camp,
and about the first person Maj. Taylor saw was
Col. Colby, who greeted him with
Hello, Taylor! this you?" and, shaking
his hand heartily, said, in half whisper,
Maj Taylor, / am very sorry to see you
prisoner, but remember am your friend, and
and by the gods I'll befriend you. Mount
that horse and ride by my side"
That night Johnston's army retreated in the
direction of Resaca, and his cavalry were kept
well on the fanks The next morning Col.
Colby reported to his superior officer that one
of his prisoners, Maj. Taylor, of the 200th Ind,
had escaped during the night march.
Gen. Johnston was displaced by the Confed-
crate authorities and Gen J. b. Hood placed
in command. Then the tactics of defense were
changed to a desperate offensive movement,
and bloody battles followed one another in
! quick succession but to no avail, for Sherman
soon began his old game of flank movement
! which completely fooled Hood, who divided his
army that he might watch all directions.
Sherman sprang onto one part and utterly de-
| feated it, when Hood ran off with the other
| and so ended the historical campaign for At
| lanta.
But short time was allowed for rest; for
| Hood, adopting Sherman's tactics, gathered up
his war-Worn but yet heroic and defiant
army flanked Atlanta, and the head of his col
umn was soon in the neighborhood of Middle
| Tennessee. Gen. Thomas gathering what
| troops were at hand, met him at Columbia
then at Spring Hill, and the next day at
| Franklin, where the most desperate battle OF
the war, for the numbers engaged, was fought
| On that field was strewn the flower of the
| Southern army. The Tennesseeans in Hood
army were the most anxious to drive the
| Northern invaders from their soil, and they
rushed into that fight with the recklessness OF
| demons When the next mornings dawn lift
| ed the black mantle of night and showed that
field in all its hideousness, wall or sorrow
went up from almost every house in the State
| Among those most terribly wounded thai
| day was Col. Colby. A Union cannon bal
reached the Confederate right, and executed its
awful mission by carrying off Col. Colby's lef
arm near the shoulder. His comrades caught
him as he fell from his horse, and carried hin
| to a mansion near by.
Fifteen days after Gen. Thomas attacked
Hood on the field of Nashville, and after
bNO-uayS Ddbtie COI1plSieiy DIOhc dau IOutct
his army and drove 1t south in a dIsorganized
mass until it found refuge south of theI1ennes
| see River.
Maj. Taylor, after his escape from the rebe
| cavalry, made his way the best he could in thi
darkness of the night in the direction, as h'
supposed, of the Federal army; but dayiigh
found him far to the northeast of Dalton. anC
after assuring himself that he was well to tht
| rear of the Federals, he took a rest that he anC
his horse sorely needed, and finding one of tn,
eYer-faithful friends of the Yankee soldier,
negro, he was furnished something for th
inner man and beast when he mounted ant
was off like the wind to rejoin his regiment
which he was able to do before nightfal.
In telling his experience he said " In 2
hours | have commanded the picket-line, go
surprised, had fight, got licked and captured
had to run on foot four or five miles; met
rebel officer had befriended when prisone
in our hands, who gave me horse aud an op
portunity TO escape; took the chances, and afte
a John Gilpin ride Of 20 or 30 miles, am her
for duty with better horse than | ever backe
before"
AS Mai. Taylor (now Col Taylor riding at Tia
head Of his regiment through Franklin IN pal
suit of Hoods army, came in front Of Co
Carriers house, he saw at window face thG
he had not forgotten, and turning over I'll
command to the next officer, he dismounteC
went TO the door and rang the bell. A colore
, servant opened 1t, and told him ne could not
admitted, as there was dying man in th
house.
"Who is itf"
Col. Colby, sah."
: "Col. Colby? he is my friend, and mu
see him"
But, sab, he is rebel officer. and can't |
your friend"
Yes, but he is. Tell Mrs. Colby that Ma
{ Taylor is at the door and desires to see he
But, stop; give her this ring and tell her VIII
l have told you."
Yes, sab"
With an inpatient tapping of his boot-t'
r upon the stone steps he awaited but a minu
, before the colored woman bade him come i
t One glance at the dying man told him that IL
: end was nigh. With a powerful effort Hr
c Colby restrained her feelings, stepped forwar
. and gave her hand to Col. Taylor without
t word. She led him to the bedside of her hu
t band. Just then the dying man opened h
= eyes, and, recognizing Taylor, clasped the han
: of his wife and laid it in Col. Taylors, al
|. with smile on his manly face, pressed the
: two hands together aud held them there, until
convusive shudder told the story that he hi
d been mustered ont As soon as Mrs Coll
,, realized that her husband was dead she gave
low, heartbreaking moan, and fell fainting in
i ~ Il = -