The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-04-22

| PNSSSSS>~ SoNONe
admirably constructed, and capable o.
a strong defense against cavalry OF
infantry; and at nearly all the regular
railroad-stations we had smaller detach
ments intrenched. / had little fear Of
the enemy's cavalry damaging our road;
seriously, for they rarely made break
which could not be repaired in few
days; but it was absolutely necessary to
keep Gen. Hoods infantry off our main
route of communication and supply
Forrest had with him in Middle Ten.
nessee about 5000 cavalry, and Hood s
army was estimated at from thirty
five to forty thousand men, infantry
and artillery. including Wheelers cav
airy, then about three thousand strong,
THE BATTLE OF ALLATooNA.
We crossed the Chattahoochee River
during the Sd and 4th of October, rem
dezvoused at the old battlefield OF
Smyrna Camp, and the next day reached
Marietta and Kenesaw. The telegraph
wires had been cut above Marietta, and
learning that heavy masses Of infantry,
artillery and cavalry had been seen
from kenesaw (marching north), | in
ferred that Allatoona was their objective
point and on the 4th of October | sig
nailed from Winnings Station to Kene-
saw, and from Kenesaw to Allatoona,
over the heads of the enemy, a message
for Gen. Corse, at Rome, to hurry back
to the assistance of the garrison at ALA
toona. Allatoona was held by small
brigade, commanded by Lieut.-Col.
Tourtellotte, my present Aid-de-Camp.
He had two small redoubts on either
side of the railroad, overlooking the
village of Allatoona, and the warehouses,
IN which were stored over a million
rations of bread.
Reaching Kenesaw Mountain about
s a. m. of Oct. 5 Ga beautiful day., | had
a superb view of the vast panorama to
the north and west. To the southwest,
about Dallas, could be seen the smoke
of campfres, indicating the presence of
a large force of the enemy, and the
whole line of railroad from Big Shanty
up to Allatoona full Is niles was
marked by the fires of the burning rail
road. We could plainly see the smoke
of battle about Allatoona and hear the
faint reverberation of the cannon.
From Kenesaw [ ordered the Twenty
third Corps Gen. Cox to march due
west on the Burnt Hickory road, and
to burn houses or piles of brush as it
progressed, to indicate the head Of col
umn, hoping to interpose this corps
between Hoods main army at Dallas
and the detachment then assailing ALA
toona. The rest of the army was directed
straight for Allatoona, northwest, dis
tant Is miles. The Signal Officer on
Kenesaw reported that since daylight
he had failed to obtain any answer to
his call for Allatoona; but, while | was
with him. he caught faint glimpse of
the tell-tale flag through an embrasure.
and after much time he made out these
letters-"C," "R," "S," "E," "H,"
e" r." and translated the message
=" Corse is here" 1t was source of
great relief, for it gave me the first as
surance that Gen. Corse had received his
orders. and that the place was adequately
garrisoned.
] watched with painful suspense the
indications Of the battle raging there,
and was dreadfully impatient at the slow
progress of the relieving column, whose
advance was marked by the smokes
which were made according to orders;
but about 2 p. m. noticed with salts
faction that the smoke of battle about
Allatoona grew less and less, and ceased
altogether about 4 p. m. For a time /
attributed this result to the effect of
Gen. Cox's march, but later in the after
noon the signal flag announced the vel
come tidings that the attack had been
fairly repulsed, but that Gen. Corse was
wounded. The next day my Aid, Col.
Dayton, received this characteristic dis
patch:
CoRSE's DISPATCH.
ALLATooNA, GA. Oct. 6, 1864; p. m.
Capt. J.. M. DAYTON, Aid de- Camp:
/ am short a cheek bone and an ear, but am
able to whip all - yet! My losses are very
heavy. force moving from Stilesboro to
Kingston gives me some anxiety. Tell me
where Sherman is.
JoHN NJ. CoRsE, igadier-General.
Inasmuch as the enemy had retreated
southwest, and would probably next ap-
pear at Rome, | answered Gen. Corse
with orders to get back to Rome with
his troops as quickly as possible.
Gen. Corse's report of this fight at
Allatoona is very full and graphic. 1t
is dated Rome, Oct 27, 1864; recites
the fact that he received his orders by
signal to 60 to the assistance of ALA
toona On the 4th, when he telegraphed
to Kingston for cars. and train of 80
empty cars was started for him, but
about 10 Of them got off the track and
caused delay. BY 7 p. m. he had at
Rome train of 20 cars, which he
loaded up with Col. Rowetts Brigade
and part of the 18th iii. Inf; started at
s p. m., reached Allatoona distant 50
miles, at ] a. m. Of the 9th, and sent
the train back for more men. but tho