The National tribune., 1891-05-07
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
What0ur Veterans Have 10 Say About
Their Old Campaigns
GEN. McPHERsoNs DEATH
The Great Battle Of Juy p, 1854, Near Atlanta


Ga.
EDITOR NATIONAL tribune: On July 90,
1864. nc Atlanta, the Army of the Tennessee
came nearer defeat than nc amy other time in
SIS history. The writer as a member pf the
lst Iowa battery, WAS present for duty. Ia tie
VHHr morning hours our division lthe Fourth,
Fifteenth Corps PULLED out OF our lines for
the nutrr works around atlanta peacefully, AS
the enemy had evacuated that line, but still
held thr inner lime Of works
We were aware that strong iUrcc had lcit
Atlanta IN a southcaseily direction, pre-
sumalHy To operate around the nsuks of the
Fifteenth Sixteenth, aud Seventeenth Corps,
which were lying in cchelon. The Fifteenth
CotUs formed line OF battle facing west the
right Faux and center in reversed works, while
the leli GallS including our battery continued
in straight line past lac southeast angle OF
said works and rested at rght-augle 10 aud on
mau road leading 10 Atlanta west Here,
on q high hll. our battery was posted in
battery" ready Tor action.
From our position. In left oblique and rear
FROM our ipfl Rank about bali a mile distant,
were seen the Iiu#s and cawPs OF The Seven
tecnth C9rps The men were preparing break
fast, The battery horses embarrassed at the
pieket-rope. What did il mcauy The Fiji
tecuil Corps bon line OF battle, and the Seven
toputh supposed 10 hc In more dangerous
position. engaged in the peaceful duties of
camp learned that the Seventeenth Corps
had HoOrders whatever and were cas- asIonlshcd
at our position as we were at theirs j will
mention here THAI on the day before member
OF the battery Wells think had permission
10 visit friends iu the Seventeenth Corps. lie
told nc that he had long tramp, found the
person he wished 10 see absent from camp on
detached picket duty, away from everybody.
On hi, return hc had come straight 70 our bat
terry, NOT by the way of tile camps al the
Seventeenth Corps, had seen nobody the whole
way. and that the whole rebel army could come
the same way.
EuTly I'D The morning we heard the report Of
several cannon inquick succession. The battle
ison. though Ind by woods and sound and smoke
indicate that the LETT flank OF the Seventeenth
Corps Las been struck and surprised. From
my Captain, III. H. Gritliibs. j received the
order Get your section ready and follow me-"
Away Aye went on the gallOp. take the main
road cast and ms we fly past the right flank Of
the Seventeenth Corps they are forming. We
proceeded about two miles 10 a Cross-rOdd, 20
I" iu battery guns in position on the north
edge oil the main road the battery fronts south,
commanding wagon-road, which runs through
tbick woods The Captain said 10 me, can
give 80 specific orders have no time TO con-
suit sum mp your own situation. Your shots
Will be signals ] will send infantry sup
ports aud away lac went on the gallon. Now,
the summing up ] had been IN command of
q section separated from the battery before.
was supported by two rs good and brave gun
deiacumcuts as ever stood around guns since
guns were made. To our left distant about
one mile was the Sixteenth Corps, now in line
OF battle. Their batteries were IN sight, and
there WAS no element Of doubt rs to who was
friend and vino WAS Zoe. To our right and
rear, on high ground, were the lines Of the
Fifteenth Corps. ln our front, where the battle
began, gll was quiet now but 10 our right front
where the Seventeenth Corps lay, a terrible
battle was raging. There were thick woods in
that direction, and here were the elements Of
& fearful doubt as 10 vino were friends and who
foe do not think that ] was ratified, for
nobody wis shooting Rt ms, not even stray
shots. 0mitling sounds Of battle from the
SiEteeuth and Seventeenth Corps, the peace Of
q summers day hung over our position
The driug IN right front was shifting all the
time DO The direction OF the right Hank OF The
Seventeenth Corps and left flank OF the Fiji
tecntI Corps aud d. was consequently nearing
as some, but Oh our right ohlgue. 10 me, aud
taken in connect ION with Weiss story, IL
meant that the left flank Of the Seventeenth
Corp. had been surprisge, struck IN flank and
rear and rapidly doubled up. The directions
Of battle lines, northeast and southwest, could
not have been northwest aud southeast, FOR in
that case shots would have come our way, for
both friend aud Zoe had riNed guns. The
enemy faced northwest, while The Seventeenth
Corps faced southeast. Gen. Sherman after
ward held different opinion One OF my
PERSONS for assuming above bsttle-lruuts is that
We bad settled conviction that our batteries
Old more shooting lrcd moro rapid 8; and this
held good with all tire Sixteenth Corps bat
series Oyeron outright oidique batteries that
were lIlug northwest Cred slowly, while bat
teries firing southeast fired rapidly OF course,
NOT an iuiail4De rule, but had our forces con-
tfolied the road Ia our front some stwgglers,
ambuauCcs, etc, should or would have passed
o.. our conclusions were that our position
was nearly on q line with the right flank Of
tile enemy.
10 was fearful moment. Shall we commence
Fringe believe We would had we bad the
PARROTS there. Our battery at that time consist
ed III four lO-p0uudcr PARROTS aud two Nauo-
leUHs but we had only The Nap5cons aud we
Thought tHe distance Too great Iiad we COM
meuctd iflug Mcpherson could not, few min
utes later have rode down that road IN spite Of
my remembrance uttered "a the point Of insub-
ordination, j wished aleW minutes later that
bad stood there 0u picket, musket IN hand and
EIi1. General, you can't pass for the enemy
b. DOB 'front.' aud b. would have douc more good
than the Temonstmucr Of 10000 Svfananis Of
artillery. But vino bad any thought Of Cen
MCPHERSON thcrcf j was tbuHdcTstruck when
few minutes later that General rode up,
passed between our guns, and rode Up 10 where
] sat Ca my horse, watching that road, and my
first impression WAS the General Is after in
formation. j had none 10 give What docs lac
want here on the sEirmIsh-lucf
The General said: Watching the road 2
What do yuu see scTFcautf"
TO which ! replied, General as far rs ] can
sec, nothing is ln the road what Is IN the
woods ] uou't know. You are surely not oX-
pectnE an attack hcrcfh
I" no. every minute"
I" iiow can that beg The Seventeenth Corps
b. on lHis road, boz your 'front.'
10 lHIs could, Of course make no rcplv
The General then asked: 4" las any firing
taken place iu your ir0ntf"
Now WAS my chance for I did not as vet
dream lHat iIc General lad any intention OF
riding past as ] wanted more than chance
o. answer questions; wanted the chance 70
Ilni j therefore ra.u: " General. give me
permission locEIIaiu how and why we are here.
and What have already summed up regarding
thr situation"
Tie General, with au amused smile gave me
permission. then gave some 0l my Couclu-
Bi0us told Weiss story. But 10 thal Tie Gen.
era. s.la, don't think that could have han.
pcuCa owen yesterday; The possibility Of n
uuutt docs NOT CEIat O. day" 4 understood
FROM lis language tHat positions were changed
by oluuis IACre is no need 30 write an tllat
wa 500 all 10 80 purpose. Was there ever
anywhere enacted sCeHe 30 completely al
Cfo-- purposes ] did not for ID momuut forget
that HH. lhe Sergeant. The General through
out ,Hg whole transaction remained serene.
urbauc; Ia fact ont aud out lle great man THAI
u. ##.H