The National tribune., 1888-11-29
THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN.
What tho Fifteenth Corps Did July %, 1854.

nat tho F1iActHbH NUENs Olu Jul4 1obfs
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In your issue
of Nov. 1 ! read very sensible, and l believe
an honest report of the operations Of the Goth
Ohio during the battle of Missionary Ridge. 1t
appears TO me that the members of the grand
old Fifteenth Corps are entirely too modest in
setting forth their claims far as duty to their
country and their flag are concerned. / wish
to call to the minds of every member OF the old
| Fifteenth Corps the 22d day of July, 1861,
the battle of Atlanta.
Rebel Gen. J. B. Hood, in his official report,
dated at Richmond Feb 10, 1869 says ::
" Hardee was ordered to move with his corps
during the night of the 2Ist south or the Nc
Donough road crossing Intrenchment Creek at
Cobb's Mills, and to completely turn the left Of
McPhersons army. This was to be done, even
should it be necessary to go to or beyond De-
catur" &c Advance and Retreat, f." by j. B. Hood. J
How hard he hit and with what resolu-
tion he attacked l will leave entirely TO
Gen. Dodge's two Divisions of the Sixteenth
Corps and to Gen. +. 2. Blair's Seventeenth
Corps to relate. How these veterans resisted
that unexpected and sudden onslaught is for
them TO tell. 1t is sufficient for me to say that
they did their full duty on that eyentful day,
and crowned themselves with glory.
Further on Gen. Hood says, in his official
report, page 322: Finding Hardee so holly
engaged, and fearing the enemy might con-
centIate upon him, / ordered Cheatham for
ward to create a diversion. Hardee held
the ground he gained, Cheatham carried the
enemy's intrenchments in his front, but had
to abandon them in consequence of an enflade
fire brought to bear upon him"
In this breach by the enemy the 9TH Indepen-
dent Ohio battery the 1st Iowa and DeGres5's
batteries became involved For q moment
only those noble heroes were forced TO abandon
their position.
On pages so and 81 of Sherman's Memoirs,
Vol. 2, the Gen. says: gen. Charles r. Woods S
Division, of the Fifteenth Corps, was on the
extreme right Of the Army of the Tennessee,
between the railroad and the Howard House,
where he connected with Schofeld's troops.
He reported to me in person that the line on
his left had been swept back, and that
| his connection with Gen. Logan, on Leg
gets Hill, had been broken. Iordered him to
wheel his brigades to the left to advance in
echelon. and to catch the enomy in flank.
Gen. Schofield brought forward all his avail
able batteries, to the number of 20 guns, to q
position to the left front of the Howard House,
whence we could overlook the field Of action,
and directed a heavy fire over the heads of
Gen. WoOdss men against the enemy and we
saw Gen. WoodS'S troops advance and encounter
the enemy, who had secured possession of the
old line of parapet which had been heldfby our
men. His right crossed this parapet which he
swept back, taking it in flank and at the same
along the railroad was rallied by Gen. Logan
in person, and fought for their former ground
These combined forces drove the enemy into
Atlanta, recovering the 20 pound Parrott guns:
but one of these was found busted while in
possession of the enemy"
This was the First Division, Fifteenth Corps,
commanded by Gen. Chas. r. Woods, formerly
Colonel of 10th Ohio and man who had few
peers in the service. Now, who recaptured
De Gress's battery? But this matters not.
Gen. T. P. Blair of the Seventeenth Corps,
which bore the brunt of the battle of the 22d
July, 1864, near Atlanta, says in a letter dated
Clifton Springs, February, 1875 ('Advance
and Retreat" by Gen. J. B. Hood, page 1897:
:" When l saw that the Fifteenth Corps had
been driven from their intrenchments, know
ing that the position of my corps had been
completely turned, I was convinced that l
should not be able to maintain my position; but
the Fifteenth Corps rallied CALAMITY and re-
covered their lost ground"
Now, | ask my comrades, what would have
been the result had the Fifteenth Corps failed
to recover and maintain their lines? Could
such a general rout or panic as Gen. Blair
speaks of have occurred? God forbid. 1t was
net destined TO be so. The old Star Spangled
Banner had crossed the Chattahoochie River,
and was on its way to Atlanta and it got
there-as we'll as to the scar. kINcAID,
Helena, Montana.