The National tribune., 1902-09-11

When Gen. Hooker made connection
with GEN. ;NewtOn's Division, Gen
Thomas ordered oNewton's and Wards Di
visions to advance and feel the enemy. A
heavy line of skirmishers was then thrown
forward. They ,soon engaged the enemy
Gen. Hardee,s Corps, formed in deep col
umns. was Ready for action. Hardee made
furious assault upon Gen. Newton.s ID
vision. Newton was prepared for 1t; ht
had good position: he withstOOd the
shock of war: he held his ground. Gen
Hardee's assault upon Gen. Newton con
tinued for fully Is minutes before the at
tack upon Gen. WARTS Division began
At last the Twentieth Corps became en-
gagged, and the fury of the battle ragged
along Hookcr's wha'a line. Stewart's
Corps had also moved forward with i'm
petuOus courage.
At last the Confederate assault reached
the left wing of the Fourteenth Corps and
fell upon the First Brigade, First Divi
sion. commanded by Col. Anson G. Me
Cook. From 4 o'clock in the afternoon
until dark this sanguinary battle con
tinued. Each assault Of Gen. Hoods
army was met gallantly by ThOmass line
and hurled back. Not a foot Of ground
was lost.
GEN. NEwToS's REPORT.
NeWtOn anu Seu. ucaES uaSs
given graphic accounts Of that sanguinary
struggle. Gen. Newton says:
My orders were, as soon as the Tween
tieth Corps had crossed the creek and ef.
fected junction with me to advance on
the main road to Atlanta.
The junction having been made strong
skirmish line of five regiments, under Col.
Barrett, 44th ILL.,, was ordered forward
to take the next ridge in our front. This
was handsomely done and the division
moved forward to the skirmish line, Gen.
Kimbalis Brigade taking post on the right
Of the road, the Second Brigade, under
Col. Blake. on the left of the road. four
pieces of Goodspeed's Battery being placed
between these brigadcs OIL the road. Col
Bradley's (Third) Brigade formed along
the road nearly perpendicular to the line
of the other two brigades. The forma-
ton was as near as possible that of Il,
Bradley's Brigade forming the tail Of it.
The men Of kimbalrs and Blake's Bri-
gades ut once set to work making log and
rail barricades. The old skirmish line was
relieved by new detail Of three regiments
under Col. Conrad, 18th Mo. The 57th
Ind. was sent along the ridge to my lef,
as far as Pea Vine Greek to scout and
watch for any approach of the enemy from
that quarter. The Tooth ILL.,, to my left
and rear, was in the bottom land, in the
angle between Peach Tree Greek and Pea
Vine Creek, skirmishing with the enemy
OH the other side of Pea Vine.
Everything being ready for the advance,
the skirmishers, under Col. Conrad, were
thrown forward. Immediately on moving;
they encountered n sharp fire from the
enemy's pickets, but they pressed for
ward until they came in contact with an
almost continuous line Of skirmish pits.
Col. Conrad sent back n report that he had
found the enemy in force. This was im-
mediately communicated to Gen. Thomas,
who ordered me to remain where l was for
the day and iintrench. Directly after the
enemy made an attack on us in columns and
lines, passing Through our front skirmish
line, which fell back ON our main lines.
The 5Ith and Tooth ILL.,, however, on our
flank and rear, being cut off by this move
ment, recrosseds Peach Tree Greek and
took positioii on the north bank. where
they did valuable service in repeIling the
attempts of small bodies of the enemy TO
cross the creek and get at our trains.
THE enemy attacked my position by
divisions Obiiquely in echelon. Bates
(rebeD Division passed clear Of my left
through thefwoods and emerged into the
bottom IandG between Peach Tree and Pea
Vine" Creeks, evidently aiming at the
bridge. l had fortunately kept two guns
of Goodspeeds Battery in the rear, on the
road. at the angle of the works vacated
by Gen. Wood. With these guns, which
l put into position, and a few of the
pickets who had been driven in along
side of them, this column of Bates was
checked and driven back into the woods
At the same time Walkers (rebeD Divi-
sion attacked my left and center, and al
most Immediately after another heavy
column (Cheatham's, think attacked
Kimball's right, which at this time was
800 or GOO yards in advance Of Gen
HOoker's line Of battle. A portion Of the
enemy passing around Kimball's right. he
was compelled to take regiment from his
line of battle and form against them, this
regiment firing into their flank, dispensing
them and driving them off to the right.
ION the left Of Blake's Brigade the
enemy's column succeeded in getting
around his flank. Col. Lane, 9th Ohio,
ordered the pioneers Of the brigade to fire
into them, fix bayOnets and charge, which
was done, and the column dispersed. Col.
Bradley, from the road, threw forward
some Of his regiments to the support OF
Blake's left, connecting him with the road
upon which the rest of the brigade was.
The enemy advanced quite near the road,
but We're repulsed by Bradley's (Third)
Brigade, who employed their leisure time
in throwing up barricade along the road
This first attack lasted about 30 minutes
before it was finally repelled. In the
meantime Bates Division attempted an
other movement to our rear. Spencer's
Battery of four guns had arrived and was
in position, besides the section of Coed
speeds in the rear. and battery of the
Twentieth Corps, which happened to cross
at the same bridge / used, had gone into
position, as l understood, under the i'm
mediate supervision of Gen. Thomas. This
force easily repulsed the attempt of the
enemy. The Twentieth Corps was not in
position on the ridge when the attack
on me, and they had barely
time to get there before the enemy, If, in
deed, the enemy did not little anticipate
them.
1.-THE attack on this corps began after
my division had been engaged some Is
minutes. After the first attack until sun
down the enemy made frequent attacks
on my line, though none so severe as the
first, and constant fire had to be kept
up along my lines until dark.
'The importance of the position held
by my division cannot be too highly esti-
mated, composed Of a ridge nearly parallel
to Peach Tree Greek, its left termination
being on Pea Vine and its right extending,
l think, indefinitely. Connecting the
bridge with this ridge was a spur on the
summit of which the road ran at nearly
right angles with the ridge. On each side
of the spur was low, rolling ground, COM
manded by the spur. Had the enemy OBJ
tained this position the right wing Of the
army would !, probably have been rolled
back into the, angle between Peach Tree
Greek and the Chattahoochee, and entirely
from the left and center. The