The National tribune., 1897-03-18
ahead. and that all honors had to be

Until Gen. Slocum joined TN the
latter part of August the Twentieth
Corps was commanded by Gen. A. 5.
Williams, the senior division COM
mander present. On the 25th of july
the army, therefore, stood thus: the
Army of the Tennessee. (Gen. O. ..
Howard commanding was on the left
pretty much on the same ground it had
occupied during the battle of the I'D,
all ready to move rapidly by the rear to
the extreme right beyond Proctor s
Creek; the Army of the Ohio (Gen.
Schofeld) was next in order, with ITS
left flank reaching the Augusta Rali-
road next in order, conforming closely
with the rebel intrenchments OF At
lanta, was Gen. Thomas's Army of the
Cumberland, in the order of the Fourth
Corps (Stanley'sl, the Twentieth Corps
(Williams's), and the Fourteenth Corps
(Palmer's). Palmer's right division
Jefferson c. Davis's) was strongly re-
fused along Proctor's Creek. This line
was about FIVE miles long, and was IN
trenched as against a sally about as
strong as was our enemy.
The cavalry was assembled IN two
strong divisions; that of McCook IN
cluding the brigade of Harrison, which
had been brought in from Opelika by
Gen. Rousseau) numbered about thirty
five hundred effective cavalry, and was
posted to our ri ght rear, at Turner S
Ferry, where we had a good pontoon
bridge; and to our left rear, at and
about Decatur, were the two cavalry
divisions of Stoneman, twenty-five hum
dred, and Garrard, four thousand, united
for the time and occasion under the
command of Maj.-Gen. Geo. Stoneman,
cavalry officer of high repute.
MY PLAN OF ACTION
was to move the Army of the Tennessee
TO the right rapidly and boldly against
the railroad below Atlanta, and at the
same time to send all the cavalry around
by the right and left to make lodgment
on the Macon road about Jonesboro.
All the orders were given, and the
morning of the 9th was fixed for COM
mencing the movement On the 10Th L
received from Gen. Stoneman note
asking permission (after having accom-
plished his orders to break up the rail-
road at Jonesboro) to go on to Macon to
rescue our prisoners of war known to be
held there, and then to push on to An
dersonville, where was the great depot
Of Union prisoners, in which were
penned at one time as many as $4,000
of our men, badly fed and harshly
treated. | wrote him an answer con-
senting substantially to his proposition,
only modifying it by requiring him tc
send back Gen. Garrard's Division to
Its position on our left flank after he had
broken up the railroad at Jonesboro
Promptly, and on time, all got of, and
Gen. Dodge's Corps (the Sixteenth, Of
the Army of the Tennessee reached its
position across Proctor's Creek the same
evening, and early the next morning
(the 2Sth) Blair's Corps (the Seven
teenth) deployed on his night, both corps
covering their front with the usual para
pet; the Fifteenth Corps Gen. Logan's s,
came up that morning on the right O.
Blair, strongly refused, and began to pre-
pare the usual cover. As Gen. JEFF {
Davis's Division was, as it were, lef
out of line, | ordered it on the evening
before to march down toward Turner
Ferry, and then to take a road laie
down on our maps which led from Their
toward East Point, ready to engage an,
enemy that might attack our genera
right flank, after the. same manner a
had been done to the left flank on th'
22d.
Personally on the morning of the 2Stl
j followed the movement, and rode t
the extreme right, where We could hea
some skirnlishing and an occasiona
cannon shot. As We approached th
ground held by the Fifteenth Corps
cannon ball passed over my shoulde
and killed the horse of an Orderl
behind; and seeing that this gun emf
laded the road by which we were riding
We turned out of it and rode down int
a valley, where we left our horses an
walked up to the hilF held by Morga
L. Smiths Division of the Fifteent
Corps. Near a house / met Gen
Howard and Logan, who explaine
that there was an intrencned battery t
their front with the appearance of
strong infantry support. then wake
up to the ridge, where l found Gel
Morgan l. Smith. His men wei
deployed and engaged in rolling loy
and fence-rails, preparing hasty cove
From this ridge we could overlook Il
open fields near meeting-house know
EZRA CHURCH"
close by the Poor-House. We coul
see the fresh earth of parapet cove
ing some guns tthat fred an occasion
shot, and there was also an appearan
of activity beyond. Gen. Smith was
the act of sending forward regime
from his right flank to feel the positi,
of the enemy, when explained to hi
and to Gems. Logan and Howard til