The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-01-16
1881 iii 8 500.
The message was i:

/ vi II.
1881 I'LL 555.
The message was.
Corse, Rome, Ga: Move your command
to Allatoona. Hold the place | will help
you. Sherman"
That all could have an equal part in tie
matter we all took turns at each others
position, tied the flags to other rods and so
chrisiened them, and then cut the rods into
historical canes
! claim this is the message as orisinally
sent; some deny it. | offer the following
evidence in proof, taken from War of the
Rebellion Records, Vol. 80, Part l. page 531.
Gen. W. T. Sherman says: "The elemy's
cavalry had, By rapid movement, got upon
our railroad at Big Shanty and broken the line
of telegraph and railroad, and with a diyis-
ion of infantry (French's) had moved against
| AllatO0na, where were stored about million
| of rations. It's redoubts were garrisoned by
! three small regiments under Col. Tourte-
! lotte, 18th Mimi. / had anticipated this
movement, and had by signal and telegraph
| ordered Gen. Corse TO reinforce that post
from Rome. Gen. Corse had reached Ala
/ toona with brigade during the night OF the
| 4th, just in time to meet the attack by
| French's Division on the morning Of the
| 9th of October. In person / reached Kene-
saw Mountain about 10 q. m of the 5th,
and could see the smoke of battle and hear
the faint sound of artillery. The distance
| rs miles, was too great for me to make in
time to share in the battle, but directed
the Twenty-third Corps, Brig. Gen. Cox
commanding, to move rapidly from the base
of kenesaw due west, aiming to reach the
road from Allatoona to Dallas, threatening
the rear of the forces attacking Allatoona
| succeeded in getting signal message to
Gen. Corse during the fight, notifying him
of my presence. The defense of Allatoona
by Gen. Corse was admirably conducted, and
the enemy repulsed with heavy loss
On pages sol, 2, 3, Capt Samuel Baehtell,
Chief Signal Officer on the staff of Gen. Sher-
man. in report of October, 1864, says:
"On the 4th We marched 4 from
Atlanta. About this time our
communication was interrupted by the
enemy getting in our rear about Big
Shanty, cutting our railroad and telegraph
lines. 1t now became necessary to use this
signal line over their (the enemy's) heads to
order erreiniorcements from Rome to Allatoona,
which latter place they now threatened in
force. The orders were promptly trans
mtted, and the troops enabled to reach Al |
latoOna in time to save il from falling into |
the enemy's hands on he 5th instant Hav- |
ing reached Kenesaw Mountain ON til day, |
communication was established with Head |
quarters Fourth Corps, Pine |
Mountain; Headquarters Twenty-third |
Corps, and Headquarters Military Division
ofthe Mississippi, within mile OF the Mount
ain, and kept for several days. The station
on Kenesaw was now worked by Lieuts.
Fish and James III. Connolly. Lieut.. T. B.
Kelly was ordered to assist IN working some
A. ., IN, bor M, tha al, /
instant Gen. Corse, having defea ed theenemy
at Allatoona on the afternoon of the 9th,
he sent by signal a partial and brief report
of the battle. No other means of eOmmuni-
cation between these two points. Many mes
sages and orders of importance were sent
over this line as, think, in manner gen.
orally satisfactory to the Maior-General COM
In closing this report |
deem it but due to the officers and men unt
der my command to say they performed well
and faithfully their duty on every occasion,
always on the alert, seeking an opportunity
to do duty, and to make observations. They
have he'd isolated stations with little or no
guard in close proximity to the enemy, as
was the case with Lieut.. Fish
and Lieut.. James III. Connolly on Kenesaw
Mountain. None of these officers or their
men were found wanting when danger stared
them IN the laCe
On page 730, Maj.-Gen. o. o. Howard,
Army of the Tennessee, speak
ing of Oct. 4, says:
"Gen Sherman signaled from Kenesaw,
the telegraph wires having been cut by the
enemy, for Gen. Corse to move to Allatoona
Ut once with his whole command. Gen.
COrse reports that he started at once with
three regiments on the cars, and arrived at
| a. m. of the 9Th instant"
On pages 739 and 740, Lieut.. John O. !
Adams, Signal Officer at Allatoona, Ca, 4
speaking of signal-line from Kenesaw to
A Allatoona, in report dated at Allatoona Oct :
II, 1864, says: !
important. message was re- 4
,eived by me during the day, giving the
that the enemy were marching :
Dn Allatoona, thence to Rome and also
dispatches were received ordering the move
ment of troops to this place, and to hold out
10 the last, by Gen. Sherman. Oct 5. at !
2 q. m. our piekcts were attacked. = =
At 9 a. M, the enemy had us surrounded r
on every approaehable side, and the engage :
nent became general As soon rs | could
zee kenesaw, l called, and sent them a L
Message stating tie arrival of our reinforce I
nents, etc. This was about 10 a. M, aud .
liter L had moved over to the fort with my :
lag.
This message was tagged under sharp