The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-04-01
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE WASHINGTON D. G.. THURSDAY.

right (from Gen. Schofeld, about Nor
rows Mills, to Gen. Howard, within
couple miles of JonesboroO. The next
morning (Aug. 81 all moved straight
for the railroad. Schofield reached it
near Rough and Ready, and Thomas at
two points between there and .Ionesboro.
Howard found an intrenched foe (Har-
dee's Corps covering Jonesboro'; and his
men began at once to dig their accus-
toned rife-pits. Orders were sent to
Gems. Thomas and Schofeld to turn
straight for Jonesboro, tearing up
the railroad-track as they advanced.
About 3 p. m. the enemy sailed from
Jonesboro against the Fifteenth Corps,
but was easily repulsed, and driven back
within his lines. All hands we're kept
busy tearing up the railroad, and it was
not until toward evening of the first day
of September that the Fourteenth Corps
Davis closed down on the north front
of Jonesboro, connecting ON his right
with Howard, and his left reaching the
railroad, along which Gen. Stanley was
moving, followed by Schoield. Gen.
Davis formed his divisions in line about
4 p. m., swept forward over some old
cotton-felds in fail view. and
WENT OVER THE REBEL PARAPEr
handsomely, capturing the whole OF
Govan's Brigade, with two field-batteries
of 10 guns. Being on the spot, l checked
Davis's movement, and ordered Gen.
Howard to send the two divisions of the
Seventeenth Corps (Blair) round by his
right rear, to get below Jonesboro', and
to reach the railroad, SO as to cut off
retreat in that direction. | also dis
patched orders after orders to hurry
forward Stanley, so as to lap around
Jonesboro' on the east, hoping thus
to capture the whole Of Hardee's
Corps. | sent first Capt. Audenried
(Aid-de-Camp), then Col. Poe, of the
Engineers, and lastly Gen. Thomas him.
self (and that. is the only time during
the campaign l can recall seeing Gen.
Thomas urge his horse into a gallop).
Night was approaching, and the country
on the farther side of the road was
densely wooded. Gen. Stanley had
come. up on the left Of Davis, and was
deploying, though there could not have
been on his front more than a skirmish-
line. Had he moved straight on by the
flank, or by slight circuit to his left,
he would have inclosed the whole ground
occupied by Hardee's Corps, and that
corps could not have escaped us; but
night came on, and
HARDEE DID ESCAPE
Meantime Gen. Slocum had reached
his corps (the Twentieth), stationed at
the Chattahoochee Bridge, had relieved
Gen. A. S. Williams in command, and
orders had been sent back to him to feel
forward occasionally toward Atlanta, to
observe the effect when we had reached
the railroad. That night / was so rest
less and impatient that / could not sleep,
and about midnight there arose to-
ward Atlanta sounds Of shells exploding,
and other sound like that of musketry.
l walked to the house of farmer close
by my biyouac, called him out to listen
to the reverberations which came from
the direction of Atlanta GO miles to the
north Of u.s., and inquired of him if he
had resided there long. He said he had,
and that these sounds were just like those
of battle. An interval Of quiet then
ensued. when again, about a. M, arose
other similar explosions, but l still re-
mained in doubt whether the enemy was
engaged in blowing up his own maya
zines, or whether Gen. Slocum had not
felt forward, and become engaged in a
real battle.
The next morning Gen. Hardee was
gone, and we all pushed forward along
the railroad south, in close pursuit, till
we ran up against his lines at point
just above Lovejoy's Station. While
bringing forward troops and feeling the
new position of our adversary, rumors
came from the rear that the enemy
had evacuted Atlanta, and that Gen.
Slocum was in the city. Later in
the day | received note in Slocum's
own handwriting, stating that he had
heard during the night the very
sounds that / have referred to; that
he had moved rapidly up from the
bridge about daylight, and had entered
Atlanta unopposed. His letter was dated
inside the city, SO there was no doubt Of
the fact. Gen. Thomas's bivouac was
but short distance from mine, and, be-
fore giving notice to the army in General
Orders, sent one Of my staff officers to
show him the note. In few minutes
the officer returned, soon followed by
Thomas himself, who again examined
the note, so as to be perfectly certain
that it was genuine. The news seemed
to him too good to be true. He snapped
his fingers, whistled, and almost danced,
and, as the news spread to the army, the
shouts that arose from our men, the wild
hallooing and glorious laughter, were to
us full recompense for the labor and
tolls and hardships through which we
had passed in the previous three months.
ATLANTA Is OURS, AND FAIRLY woN.''
A courier-line was at once organized,
messages were sent back and forth from
our camp at Lovejoy's to Atlanta, and
| fnln foNs <,xx h. ~