Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-07-03

ma PaSS oct. b, 1864, is the best remembered
single figure episode of the war. The hero
didn't save Allatoona single handed, but
neither did Sheridan nor Cushing achieve
the wonders that made them famous all
alone. There was crisis lowering over
Allatoona, and Corse met it boldly. The
story has been but half told.
The capture of Atlanta by Sherman's
forces at the close Of the summer of 1864
left the magnificent Union army of the
west loose in the heart of Dixie. The Con-
federate leader, General Hood, finding that
he couldn't cope with it in open battle, de-
termined to paralyze it for offensive opera
tions by doubling back on Sherman's long
line of railway communications, extending
from Atlanta past Marietta, Allatoona,
Kingston and Rome on to Chattanooga
and Nashville. Slipping out of Atlanta
| to the west he 'lay low' until Oct. 1, then
moved northward to the vicinity of Dallas.
To keep pace with Hood, Sherman moved
back to Marietta, and while his columns
were toiling slowly over the mountains
north of that point Hood struck out on the
right flank to destroy the railroad from the
mountain district northward. On Oct. 8
the track was completely destroyed for 10
miles north of Marietta, and the Confeder-
ate division of General S. G. French was
ordered to march several miles farther
north to Allatoona, where the road passed
through a cut 65 feet deep, fill the cut with
stones, earth and logs, burn the Union
army stores at Allatoona, then slip away
west and south and rejoin Hoods main
army on the Dallas line before Sherman
could intercept the raiding column. One
of Sherman's divisions, under General ].
NJ. Corse, was scattered along the railroad
A1lotopno TO ocr roi1roo6 6fr1o ride
Corse was at Rome with the bulk of his
troops. A small brigade was at Allatoona
French's orders were imperative, and al
though his eyes were opened at every step
of the march as to the difficulties in the way
he had no choice but to go ahead. Among
other things, he learned that Allatoona Pass,
which he was expected to bury under a
mountain of rubbish, was fortified and gar
risoned, and that there were Union reserves
! northward at Kingston and Rome that
might speed southwark by rail and reach
Allatoona ahead of his toiling foot soldiers
| He learned also that from signal station
on lofty Kenesaw mountain Sherman was
sending messages north to alarm road
guards and reserves. Not to be outdone in
enterprise, he dispatched IS fleet horsemen
across the country to destroy the railroad
bridge over the Etowah river few miles
north of Allatoona to shut off Corses re-
serves from the pass. That clever plan
went "aglee;" hence Corse's meteoric ad-
vent at Allatoona in nick O time to save
| the pass.
About noon on Oct. message from
Sherman at Kenesaw, travelling from signal
station to signal station on the mountain
tops, reached Corse at Rome, ordering him
to reinforce Allatoona, for the enemy was
| mo arnbinn IL alpnu the railyyau from
the south ahead of Sherman's relieving
column. There were no cars at Rome fol
the movement of troops A train ordered
up from Kingston was wrecked on the way
BY wiring and sending out engines in al
directions Corse got together20 cars, loaded
1000 men into them with 10000 rounds o
ammunition, steamed toward Allatoona
clearing the wrecked train out of the path
and reached the pass at a. m. on the 5th
while the garrison outposts were engaged
in lively skirmish with French's Confed
crates.
French had made q night march of Il
miles between II and 2 O'Clock. The nigh
was pitch dark, and he was without map
or guides, and as soon as his skirmisher
struck the garrison videttes he surmiset
that the Sherman signals which he hat
seen, but could not interpret, had forestalleC
MS eApeulGlOn, ana Une ming III OF Aha
toona cut would call into use other tool
than ak and spade. Picking their way owe
crag and precipice and through underbrusl
and slashings, his men enveloped the plac
on the south, east and west and waited fo
daylight. Morning disclosed an abrupt
fortified ridge extending east and west from
the railroad and defending the deep cut oi
all sides. On the crest of the ridge east o
the pass was star shaped earthwork witt
guns, and rifle pits and abatis encircling i
from the brink of the cut above and below
The ridge on the west was crowned by
stronger fort, with three small redoubts
and rifle pits and abatis additional. In TIN
mouth of the cut ON the south were the de
pot and store buildings, the latter contain
ing 100000 rations, and all under the gum
of the works above The 1000 men brough
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