The National tribune., 1900-03-08

which was open, and out on tle kalii. u.
the gate. behind a pile of rails. lay sharp
shooter watching. and the moment he say
the door opened he fired, WOundng botl
these boys. One lost his leg. and th'
other his arm. Such are the conStan
scenes i'll the army here.
BY 10 O'Clock we had our breastw0rks
completed and then went to work TO cleai
out the rebs in our front. Such an 3wiu
firing is seldom heard. except in reSula
hattie. II raised an alarm in the rear ant
Gems. Thomas. Palmer and Davis. WIT
their Staffs rode up, thinking heavy at
tack was being made on us. II had @oot
effect on the rebs and almost entirely drleC
them up. No sooner would Cne OF tnell
SharpShooters dare To fire. than q hundred
shots were sent at him. Alter we had tIlt
rebS brow-beaten so we were not AFRAID Il
stick oIIr heads up. ii was fun. The boys
would start up cheers or amy dem pilSIra'
tion 10 annoy the enemy. and would haahf
them shift their positions. and III thus way
damaged their several slirmish posts
In the afternoon we brought up piece OF
artillery and with it demolished every,
thing 10 be seen alive IN tr0nt. ne ms
shot was a surprise 10 the refs. II struck
their dirt pile. throwing up logs and arr III
every direction. and they had not the coUr-
age 10 lay in their pits any longer, but goi
up and retreated under a heavy fire from
our whole line. We had quiet along oliF
front for a while. only bothered by an
occasional sharpshooter.
ATTACK ON UNION LINE REFUSED.
Tremendous caDnonadirg and mus
kerry firing was going or about Two mics
10 our loft. and ii WAS with feelings OF $llS-
rense that We listened and wondered what
was thc result. AT night we got IN" Ev".'
that the rclS had made 4 desperate attempt
10 break our lines over there and had LHcn
complctcly rcpulscd after several cliaTgo5-
our loss being about 2,CO0. while theirs
WAS estimated ut 5,GGO. Al dusk we sem
out skiramisicrs 10 see how ialng5 looked
in front OF us. We came II The rebel
limos and found them all knocked 10 pieces
and evidence that they had Eccn hastily
evacuated; gum-llankctS, guns, KNAPP
sacks dead and wounded rebels were lying
around thick. The effect of our tirv had
been terrible on the enemy, ard h&d cle&nma
in our front. AID rendered ii un;cHable.
Yen can imagine what il WAS like when
fJIr rrnimcnt alone fired u boxes 12,One
rounds Of ammunition: thB MS IN cX-
DcEditure. Of GmmuNLiGn -Heirr trl0rH
equalad by us. We only fired. = 900
rounds during the moh!-iS OF April,
May. and June. Ammunition IS worth
10 The Government two CENTS Fer
round. and thus orr expense 10 II ncie
Sam Was S240. Many .otiler regiments
fired as much rs we did. We think. how
ever. if by this expenditure We lave saved
Inc lie Ole lltL-l ~ Dii Si ss44sAi 4A'yi'i
We have done we'll; for who will say that
the lowest private il The ranks is not worth
a thousand dollars 10 The GovernmcuI
All day Yesterday was spent in recon-
Motoring The front. and the enemy were
found IN strong leg fOrlS HCar the railroad.
This morning the men our cleaning MP
and resting from past four days cXer!ons;.
Some cannoIading Is going on III 'front.'
of Hooker. We expect 10 move out SooE
and take position close up 10 the enemy
works, which they tell us is their last
ditch" in front OF Atlanta.
NEAR ATLANTA, Sunday, July %. 1864.
did not get tinHc 10 finish or mail the pre-
ceding letter. as | was cut short by orders
to move. We had received news that
Atlanta was ours. We We're in glorious
spirits and our division received orccrS 10
move right up, and camp IN the ecge OF
the city. Reconnaissance OF the cavalry
had reported the rcES were not within three
miles of our front
THE ENEMY IN FORCE.
1t was about noon when we started:
we moved forward through the woods and
blackberry patches, passing lines OF reLel
Notifications, and came out on TO the Atlanta
road. e. 1
Taking up the road, We crossed the rail
road and went or about two miles. when
we encountered the enemy in strong force
riege,-our present position. The rebs
were just below us in their SkirmiSh pits, |
and across on the hill are their rife pits and |
forts: so here We are on another line, and
will have TO force them by the same old
process.
DEATH Or MCPHERSON.
The afternoon of our advance here there |
was "a tremendous battle going on on our |
left jiidging from the inceSsant pcaling |
L
We learned in the evening that the enemy |
had massed On our left wing and were |
making desperate efforts 10 smash thai |
portion of our army.
Along with this was the painful intelli-
gencc that Gen. Mcpherson was killed.
We were filed with deep gloom: could got
no particulars Of the battle, but knew il
was desperate one, or the General would
not have fallen.
We are on the extreme right of the army
nov. and far from Corps headquarters,
SO that we are troubled with all kinds of
grape vine" runors, and get no reliable
news.
Yesterday was spent rather quietly,
with nothing but picket firing in our front.
The enemy s lines are about u mile from us,
and so far they have used 10 artillery on
us. We have strong works and are salts
fled if the JohnnieS will only Try us in them.
On our left affairs are more lively; W. can
hear. our big guns barking" all along the
lines rs far as the sound is to bc distin-
guishcd from the muskctry firing. Some
times charge is made from one side or
the other; and then the "a: tling and hanging
of firearms rcdoUblcs. Such engagements
would he described by other nations than
Americans as battles. Just now we are
three and half miles from Atlanta and
can see il plainly. WIN the glass. / can
minutcly inspect The churches, houses:
ran sec the people in their doors and win
dosTs,l wagons III the streets and soldiers in
their forts and rifles pits.
) battery Of 20-pound Parrot: guns are
now 1t work, and il is said our shells are
reacffiug the city, but / cannot tell from
OUR position.
Railroad engines and trains are running
all tie time. and their movements denote
great activity about the city. The rcils
are getting ia q desperate way now.
Il is reported that Gen. Johnston has
been displaced by Gen. Hood, because lie
has not been fighting us enough to suit
their Government. Hood seems 10 be
pitching in," intending 10 either drive us
away Gr ruin his army. We are perfectly
satisfied 10 have them Try us a while, for
We have been bItting up against their
strong eartaworks ever since the campaign
openet, ano we hail their change OF tactics
with great satisfaction 1t is much nicer
to stand behind our dirt piles and shoot
through head log, than To charg. through
undcrprush exposed TO a storm Of bullets
The. rebels will have 10 do something