The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-01-31
ATLANTA CAMPAIGN.
Continued from first page.

is a big job, as you will perceive from
the length. Everything was burned uT
here that we could use-houes, mills
lumber and al"
Gen. Schofeld's bridge was over Phil
lips Ferry. Powers Ferry was also
bridged by pontoons, and later by
another, rough pier, log structure,
which Stanley carried to the island, and
Newton finally finished TO the east shore.
Over Phillips and Powers Ferries two
divisions (Stanley's and Woods crossed,
and, staying there, put trenches on Scho-
fields right; Newton. after his return
from Resaca, went over to strengthen
the line; Wood later moved down east
of the river, sweeping away the Confed-
crate cavalry detachment and pickets,
till Paice's Ferry (near Winnings Station
and Palmer's 'front.' was uncovered !;
then Palmer's pontoon bridge was laid
at his leisure and in safety.
We had an occasional Confederate
reconnaissance by the redoubtable
Wheeler, that from the growing languor
of hot weather stirred up all hands
About this time (the 18th or 18th of
july Sherman relieved the suspense, a
mystery to so many, by his well-con-
ceived preliminary instructions for con-
tihuing the campaign:
l. Thomas will go out and on till he
controls" the country from Island
Creek to Kyle's Bridge over Nancv's
Creek. He will leave some troops west
of the Chattahoochee till Stoneman is
back. Gen. Ed. McCook's cavalry will
cross and
WATCH THoMAs's RIGHT FLANK.
2. Stoneman will take care of the
region about Sandtown, lay bridge
there; and, if he can, break the West
Point Railway and telegraph lines
3. Schofeld to left of Thomas must
move out toward Cross Keys village
until he controls" the ridge between
Island and Nancy's Creeks, and the
wagon-road from Roswell to Buckhead.
A. Mcpherson will speedily gather up
his divisions, cross at the Roswell Fac
tories, and swing in behind Schofeld.
He must take what is called the Gross
Keys road, or High Tower trail. Gar
rard's cavalry must get to Buchanan if
he can, watching the whole left.
3. Sherman showed us the concave
line thus to be formed, substantially ex-
tending from Kyle's Bridge on Nancy's
Creek to the town of Buchanan. Not
lineofbattle; each army to take care
of itself, connecting neighbors only by
picket-posts. Should the Confederates
begin fight, then assist the one at
tackled" Don't go far till Stoneman is
back.
6. Thomas should study the country
toward Decatur via Buckhead Scho-
field look forward to a point on the
railroad northeast of Decatur some four
miles; Mcpherson and Garrard examine
region extending thence to Stone
Mountain.
All wagons not needful for battle
leave behind. GA weeks work after
crossing the Chattahoochee," Sherman
wrote, "should determine the first
object aimed at; viz, the possession of
the Atlanta and Augusta road east of
Decatur, or of Atlanta itself"
How plainly our General mapped out
the part each army was to play. The
army commanders gave their Instructions
to corps, and corps leaders to divisions, |
and so on from grade to grade till each |
organization was conversant with its |
portion of the work to be done.
Having the Fourth Corps under
Thomas | was always near the middle of
our concave line. Palmer, the leftmost,
WAS ON A PIVOT;
Hooker next, Howard next, then Scho-
field, then Mcpherson. Stoneman was
back by the night of the 18th of July,
so that we were all in active march the
morning of the 18th.
BY the 10Th of July army, corps and
division commanders had pretty well
fulfilled Sherman's preliminary orders
having made what he denominated his
!" general right wheel" Thomas, after
much skirmishing and driving back first
cavalry and then infantry, had secured
three crossings of the Peach Tree Creek.
One lodgment over the stream was in
front of Palmer (Davis's Division), on
the right of the army, below Howells
Mills; one in front of Howard New
toms Division), near the mouth of Clear
Creek, and the other in front of Stanley,
supported by T. j. Wood, over north
fork of the Peach Tree, where the road
via Decatur to Atlanta passes. Stanley
saved part of the bridge from Confed-
crate flames and Immediately rebuilt.
Sherman was now with Schofeld.
The night of the 10Th the latter with his
Army of the Ohio was at the Peyton
farms, and had already made good a
crossing of tine south fork of the Peach
Tree. MCPHERSON, having to make twice
the march of Thomas's center. had gone
on too rapidly for Hoods calculations.
He had already in long gaps broken the
railroad to Augusta, and was so swiftly
approaching Atlanta that Hood, the
new Confederate chief, had to stretch
his lines further around the great city
4