The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-04-15
with the South, we estab-
A NEUTRAL. CAMP,

communication with the South, we estab-
| lished
A NEUTRAL CAMP,
at and about the naturalization next
south of Atlanta, known as " Rough and
Ready" to which point | dispatched
Lieut. Col. Willard Warner, of my staff,
with guard of 100 men, and Gen. Hood
sent Col. Clare, of his staff, with a SINH
lar guard these officers and men har-
monized perfectly, and parted good
friends when their work was done. In
the meantime | also had reconnoitered
the entire rebel lines about Atlanta,
which were well built, but were entirely
too extensive to be held by single corps
or division of troops, so l instructed Col.
Poe, United States Engineers, on my
staff, TO lay off an inner and shorter line,
susceptible of defense by a smaller gar
rison.
BY the middle of September all these
matters were in progress, the reports of
the past campaign were written up and
dispatched to Washington, and our
thoughts began to turn toward the
future. Admiral Farragut had boldly
and successfully run the forts at the en-
trance to Mobile Bay, which resulted in
the capture of Fort Morgan. so that
Gen. Candy was enabled to begin his
regular operations against Mobile City,
with view to open the Alabama River
to navigation. My first thoughts were
to concert operations with him, either
by way Of Montgomery, Ala, or by the
Appalachicola; but so long line, to be
used as base for further operations
eastward, was not advisable, and [ con-
cluded to await the initiative of the
enemy, supposing that he would be
forced to resort to some desperate cam
paign by the clamor raised at the South
on account of the great loss to them of
the City of Atlanta.
Gen. Thomas occupied a house on
Marietta street, which had a veranda
with high pillars. Wewere sitting there
one evening talking about things gen.
orally, when Gen. Thomas asked leave
to send his trains back to Chattanooga
for the convenience and economy of
forage. Inquired of him if he supposed
we would be allowed much rest at At
lanta, and he said he thought we would,
or that at all events it would not be pru-
dent for us to go much farther into
Georgia because of our already long line
of communication, viz, 800 miles from
Nashville. This was true; but there we
were, and we could not afford to remain
on the defensive, simply helding Atlanta
and fighting for the safety of its railroad.
1 insisted on his retaining all trains, and
on keeping ali his divisions ready to move
at moments warning. All the army,
officers and men seemed to
RELAX MORE Or LESS,
and sink into a condition of idleness.
Gen. Schofeld was permitted to 60 to
Knoxville to look after matters in his
Department of the Ohio; and Gems.
Blair and Logan went home to look
after politics. Many of the regiments
were entitled to, and claimed, their dis
charge. by reason of the expiration of
their term of service; so that with vic
tory and success came also many causes
Of disintegration.
The rebel Gen. Wheeler was still in
Middle Tennessee, threatening our rail-
roads, and rumors came that Forrest was
on his way from Mississippi to the same
theater, for the avowed purpose of break
ing up our railroads and compelling US
to fall back from our conquest. To pre-
pare for this, or any other emergency, /
ordered Newton's Division, of the Fourth
Corps, back to Chattanooga. and Corse's
Division, of the Seventeenth Corps, to
Rome, and instructed Gen. Rousseau at
Nashville, Granger at Decatur and
Steadman at Chattanooga. to adopt the
most active measures to protect and In
sure the safety of our roads.
Hood still remained about Loveioy's
Station, and, up to the 18th Of Septem-
ber, had given no signs of his future
plans; SO that with this date / close the
campaign of Atlanta, with the following
review Of our relative losses during the
months of August and September, with
summary of those for the whole cam
paign, beginning May 6 and ending
Sept. Is, 1864. The losses for August
and September are added together, SO as
to include those about Jonesboro:
ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND-(MAJ.-G
THoMAs1.
fKn,ed and