The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-01-20

had assumed the responsibility.
He said part of one of his corp;
was still west of the gap, guarding
trains, that he could not have thrown
his whole force across the railroad, a;
they were situated, and that he looked
for his vindication to the successful ter.
mination of the campaign. He said:
"We had ascertained, from prisoners
taken the day of the advance to Resaca,
that the enemy knew just what force
had passed through the gap, and where
the balance of the army was. He made
the final decision to return to the gap
between 5 and o'clock in the after
noon, being satisfied nothing could be
accomplished by attacking an intrenched
post that latei in the day."
AT Snake Creek Gap we waited three
days, seeing the whole army move
through the pass we had captured "to
Johnsten's complete surprise" and forti-
! flying Sugar Creek Valley. May 13,
the Fourth Division Of my corps formed
on the right Of the Fifteenth Corps, rest
ing on the Oostenaula River, and took
part in the attack on Resaca.
My Second Division (Sweeny's) May
! IA, went on to Lays Ferry, below Re-
SAGA, to cross the Oostenaula River and
threaten Johnstons communications.
Gen. Rice with the advanced brigade
crossed in the face of Walkers Division.
As soon as this movement in the rear
was accomplished, Johnston began to re-
treat from Resaca, which he had de-
Tended second time, and now with his
whole army, and which he" only evacu-
ated because his safety demanded it,
ATTACK OF JULY A, 1864.
/ desire only to refer to the action of
July 4, described in the Memoirs as
noisy but not desperate"
The Fourth Division of my corps,
under Gen. Fuller. pressed forward On
that day, crossing the Nickajack Creek
at Ruti7s Mill, driving the enemy before
us, until, after two miles of skirmishing,
we developed him in strong intrench-
ments, and in very heavy force.
The Memoirs " imply that this was
the head of column of the Army of the
Cumberland, and unintentionally leave
it to be inferred that the storming of the
works was Gen. Thomas's performance.
1t was Gen. Mcpherson who sent me
message to attack at discretion, or if |
thought | could carry the works.
Prisoners informed me that Hoods
Corps was before me, and | proceeded
to reconnoiter their works, which | found
very strong. but, as | observed singu-
lar confusion there, indicative Of re-
treating, and knew that the 4th Of July
would be a good day to assault, | formed
a charging column. of q part Of the
Fourth Division, the 39th and 9th
Ohio, and the 9th Iii. Inf, of my corps,
under command Of Col. L. L. Moves.
a supporting column was made up of
the Goth Ill. and the I'd Iowa of the
Second Division. Noyes moved forward
with gallantry, although he fell at the
first fire, and lost his leg, but, through
almost impenetrable abatis and fallen
timber, the men went over the intrench-
menis, and took 100 prisoners, and they
so settled the enemy's confusion, if any
there was, that the whole of that line
was soon abandoned.
| come, now, to the last subject Of my
letter, the battle Of the 22d of July,
where Gen. Mcpherson lost his life.
BATTLE OF ATLANTA.
The movement ordered by Gen. Sher-
man, Of the transfer Of the Army of the
tennessee from the RIGHT to the extreme
left of the combined armies, began
June g.
Marching from Sand Town, by the
rear 10 the left, on the 9Th of July, the
Sixteenth Corps bivouacked, at 10
o'clock at night, near Marietta, con-
tinued on, at 3 o'clock, in the dark of
tie morning, and that second day had
crossed the Chattahoochee, spanned it
with foot-bridge 700 feet long, cov-
cred it with a long tete-du-pont, and in
trenched on the Atlanta side.
The march was 81 miles, the heat was
Intense, yet the men were uncomplain-
ing and ardent, and for nearly three
days more they worked in reliefs of 900
In the mud and water until We completed.
July l3, at Roswell, Ga, double-track
trestie-bridge IA feet high and 10 feet
long. The material used was standing
timber and some cotton-mills Over this
bridge the entire Army Of the Tennes-
see, with trains and artillery, passed.
On the 18th the command moved to.
ward Decatur, cutting new road so as
not to infringe upon the Seventeenth
and Twenty-third Corps, which took the
old roads; keeping its communication
with those corps, the Sixteenth advanced
behind its pioneers, preceded by the 9th
Ill. M't'd. Inf, which skirmished with
the enemy at Nancy's Creek, and drove
them across; and here, one of my scouts,
who had left Atlanta that morning,
brought the first intelligence Of Hoods
having superseded Johnston, which was
at once sent to Gems. Sherman and Nc
| Pherson.
Decatur was occupied July 10, after
| a heavy skirmish and artillery fohtipo