The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1893-08-03


single Egure episode Of the war. Tho hero
didn't save AllatooHa 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 haa been bat half told.
The capture Of Atlanta by Sherman's
forces at the close CT the summer OF 1864
left the magnificent Union army Of the
west loose in the heart of Dixie. The Con-
fcdcrste leader, General Hood, finding that
he couldn't cope with 1t in open battle, de-
termincl to par;ilyzo il for offensive opera
tons by doubling hack 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. I, then
moved northwarl to the vicinity of Dallas.
To keep pace with Hood, Sherman moved
back TO Marietta, and while his columns
wcrs toiling slowly over the mountains
north of that point Hood struck cut on the
right Canli to destroy the railroad from the
mountain district noTtbward On Oct. 3
the track was completely destroyed for 10
miles north of MARKETS., 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 n cut G5 feet deep, ill the cut with
stones, earth and logs, burn the Onion
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 Shcrman's divisions, under General J.
NJ. Corse, was scattered along the railroad
from Allatoonn 20 Rome IA railroad guards.
Corse was at Rome with the bulk of his
troops A small brigade was at Allatoona
French's orders were imperative, and nj.
though his eyes were opened at every step
OF the march as TO the diiIicultiesint the way
he had no choice but to go ahead. Among
things, be learned that Allatoona Pass,
which he WIS expected TO bury under a
mountain OF rubbish, was fortified and gar
risoned, and that there were Union reserves
northward Mt 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 ives
sending messages north to alarm road
guards md reserves. Not to be outtlone in
enterprise, he dispatched Is feet horsemen
across the country to destroy the railroad
north Of Allatoona TO shut off Corses re-
serves from the pass. That clever plan
went "aglec;" hence corse's meteoric nd
vent at Allatoona in nick o. time to save
the pass.
About noon on Oct. 4 q message from
Sherman at Kenesaw, travelling from signal
station to signal station Oh the mountain
tops, reached Corse at Rome, ordering him
to REINFORCE Allatoona, for the enemy was
marching upon IL along the railway from
the south ahead OF Sherman's relieving
column. There were no cars at Rome for
the movement of troops. A train ordered
up from Kingston was wrecked on the way
BY wiring and sending out engines in all
directions Corse got together 90 cars, loaded
1000 men into them with l65, 600 rounds of
ammunition, steamed toward Allatoona,
clearing the wrecked train out of the path.
and reached the pass Mt . n. M on the 9Th,
while the garrison outposts were engaged
in lively skirmish with French's Confed.
crates.
French had made night march of 10
miles between ! | and O'Clock. The night
was pitch dark, and he was without maps
or guides, and as soon us his skirmishers
struck the garrison videttes he surmised
that the Sherman signals which he had
seen, butcoald not interpret. had forestalled
his expedition, and the filling in of ALA
toona cut would call into use other tools
than az and spade, Picking their way over
crag and precipice and through underbrusb
and slashings. his men enveioped the place
on the south, east and west and waited for
daylight Morning disclosed an abrupt,
fortified ridge extending cast and west from
the railroad and defending the deep cut on
all sides. On the crest of the ridge east of
the pass was a star shaped earthwork with
guns, and rife pits and abatis eneirclng It
from the brink of the cut above and below
The ridge on the west was crowned by n
stronger fort. with three small redoubts.
and rifle pits and abatis additional In the
mouth Of the cut on the south were the de
pot and store buildings. the latter contain
ing 100000 rations, and all under the guns
of the works above. The 1000 men brought