The National tribune., 1902-09-18

e The city. of Atlanta is located on
e broad ridge which extends northeast an
:. constitutes watershed to the north an
: south, with somewhat broken country o
e each side with wooded valleys. GcI
= Sherman's battle-line was across tn
: ridge, with the Fifteenth Corps about til
J. center. There were valleys and consit
S cradle timber to the left and rear of tn
/, Seventeenth Corps. This timber she
tered the Confederate army from view Il
1 it approached the Union position.
1 But Gen. Har,lee found it impractica
!; bic to march to the rear of Sherman
army and make the attack at daylight
as contemplated by Gen. Hood.
: The mission of Gen. Wheeler was t
whip the troops at Dccat'ir and captur
and destroy, if necessary, the Union wag
Oh train.
Gen. Hardee directed Gen. Wheeler t
make his attack at / o'clock in the aft
ernOon. after his own corps had engaged
the Union forces.'' Gen. Hardee's ain
was to prevent reinforcements bein,
sent by Gen, Sherman to his troops u
Decatur. Gen. Hardce. discovered the 10
cation of Gen. Blair's line and the posi-
ton of Gen. Dodge's troops without de
lection. He found an interval of mor'
than mile between their forces. HI
decided to, enter this space and delive
battle there. He drew. up his corps il
battle array and moved to the attack
The first notice to the National command
| ers of his presence in the rear of the Un
ion army was the opening of the battle.
THE BATTLE OF JULY %.
| Gen. Mcpherson was then in consulta
tion with Gen. Sherman at his headquar
tiers. He explained the advantage which
| had been gained the day before by the cap
ture of Leggett's Hill, from which point
the city of Atlanta could be easily reached
with cannon; that he was then engaged
in the work of intrenchins for the erection
/ of batteries for the bombardment of At
lanta, and that he would use his PiOn.
GERS instead of Dodge's Corps for the de,
struction of the Augusta Railroad. Gen
Sherman outlined his plan for the with
| from its position on the left to new POSI-
ton on the extreme right of the army,
beyond Gen. ThGmas's army, to reach the
other railroad at West Point.
While they were discussing these queS-
tions they could hear the sound of mus
kerry along the skirmish line both to the
| right and left, and occasionally the sound
of cannon from different parts of the line.
The firing appeared to increase on the
left of Gen. BIair's line, and soon they
heard the roar of cannon from the direc-
ton of Decatur, about five miles to the
rear.
Gen. Mcpherson hastily rose to depart,
stating that he would go down his line
and send back word what it all meant.
He rode away with four of his staff Off
GERS and Orderlies.
Gen. Sherman at once ordered Gen.
Schofeld to send q brigade back to De
catur.
Gen. Mcpherson rode toward the right
of Gen. DOdge's line. Ar he advanced
the sound of battle increased, and he dis
patched his chief officers with orders to
bring some of the ,brigades of the Fif-
teenth Corps TO reinforce the left wing Of
the army. He advanced as far as the
right of Dodge's Corps and entered the
woods to ride over to Gen. Giles A.
Smiths Division, upon the same route
over which he had passed but an hour or
so before He now had one or two Or
derlies with him When he entered the
woods he encountered body of Gen.
Hardees troops, and was fired upon and
killed. The horse bleeding, and without
his rider, escaped, and Was soon secured.
Gen. Sherman was promptly informed
that Gen. Mcpherson was either killed or
captured. lie at once sent a staff officer
to Gen. Logan to inform him of the facts
and directed him to assume command of
the Army of the Tennessee.
The body of Gen. Mcpherson was re-
covered within few minutes after he
was shot, at the spot in the woods where
he fell, and was conveyed to Gen. Sher-
mans headquarters at the Howard House,
thence to Marietta, and the same day
Capts. Steele and Gile, of the Depart
ment, were directed to convey the remains
TO Clyde, Ohio, where he was buried with
great honor near his home.
Gen. Hardee pushed boldly into the gap
between the Seventeenth and Sixteenth
Corps. The front of the Seventeenth
Corps was west toward Atlanta. The
Sixteenth Corps occupied the Clay road,
which ran south and west. AS the enc
my advanced, Gen. Dodge faced his men
to the left, giving his line a front to the
east and south. Gen. Hardee precipitated
and two of his divisions Upon the left and
rear of Gen. Blair's line. The battle
ragged with great fury. 1t was most
fortunate thing for the Union forces that
the Sixteenth Corps had been moved
from the right Of the Fifteenth Corps to
the position on the Clay road. This COM
PEELED Gen. Hardee to divide his corps,
and fight the Sixteenth and Seventeenth
Corps at the same time. The troops of
Hardee and Dodge fought in the open
without cover of any kind. Both COM
manders fought with great courage, but
the Confederate troops were forced from
the open field into the timber. Gen.
Blairs troops when attacked in the rear
leaped over their own works, and fought
SdlldHtiy lTou the cover tuuS ODldlUeu. AL
this juncture, Gen. Harrow, commanding
Fourth Division, Fifteenth Corps, revers-
ed the position of several pieces of his ar
tillery and poured destructive fire into
the enemy's line as they were assaulting
the Seventeenth Corps. Gen. Hardee
pushed his force past the right of Gen.
Dodges line and attacked the Fifteenth
Corps.
Gen. Sherman directed Gems. Thomas
and Schofield to press the enemy in their
front in his works, and if an opportunity
was offered to assault and carry the city,
but both of these officers reported that
the works in their front were formidable
and well manned; consequently no assault
was made. Upon the other hand, Gen. |
Stewart, who held this part of the Con-
federate works, did not come out and |
attack either Thomas or Schofield. His |
attitude during the day was that of de-
Tense. In fact, the strength of Gen. Har |
dee's assault was expended before he |
reached Gen. Stewards front.
The fierce resistance of the Seventeenth |
Corps to Hardee's attack caused a pause |
in his advance, when suddenly Gen. |
Cheatham's forces sailed forth from their
works in front Of Atlanta and made des- |
perate assault upon Gen. Blair's line. |
The heroic men of the Seventeenth Corps |
did not quail at the appearance of this |
new enemy, but instantly recrossed their |
works and fought and repulsed this new
attack. The Seventeenth Corps was thus
attacked in flank, in rear and in front, but |
it gallantly held its ground. The 10th |
Iowa, 24J strong, was on the extreme left |
Of the line, and at the first onslaught of
l.n. -.