The National tribune., 1902-07-17

close up to their works, and had erected
defensive works of his own, his policy
changed for the most part, his tactics
thereafter being mainly defensive.
The Confederate Generals ordered and
made many more assaults upon the Union
wcrks than Were made against them. Gen.
Sherman had a superior force in numbers,
ard he and all his commanding officers
were adopts in flank movements. They
were constantly overlapping the TANKS
Of the Confederate lines. and thus threat
cning their rear. This conflict at Dallas
and New Hope Church continued during
Il period of II days. 1t was in no sense
a decisive battle. In fact, it was not a
field battle at all. but it was Il deadly
struggle night and day that brought out
courage, discipline, fortitude and endur-
ance.
No one in these piping times OF
peace" who has never taken part in a
great war can fully comprehend the
strain. physical and mental. that the men
endured who participated in that fierce
struggle of II days and nights.
When Allatnona Pass was taken on
June /. Gen Sherman directed that the
f.tliiDaU DE III once W as
no delay in responding to this order.
Col. Wright had everything ready 10
rerair bridges and tracks. As soon as
the word was given on June to run
trains through TO Ackworth the sound OF
the locomotive whistle was heard by the
Union soldiers as the trains passed
through AIiatoona Pass and hurried on TO
the front.
DEFENDING THE LINES OF CoMMUNICA-
The Military Division of the Missis-
sippi, of which Maj.-Gen. William L.
Sherman was the commander, included
three large military departments; namely,
the Department of the Ohio, commanded
by Maj.-Gen. John NJ. Schofeld; the De
partment of the Cumberland, commanded
by Maj:-Gen. George IL. Thomas, ald the
Department of the Tennessee, commanded
by Maj-Gen. James Il. Mcpherson. This
arrangement gave Gen. Sherman military
authority over the entire region OF coun-
try west of the Alleghany Mountains to
the Mississippi River and down the Mis-
S!SSippi River to the Department of the
Gulf, with headquarters at New Orleans;
and east of the Mississippi River indeii-
nitcly as far as his military power could
extend. The region of supply, both of
men and material of war, was under Gen.
Sheimans authority.
The original plan of the Southern lead
ers to draw Kentucky into the Confed-
eracy, and make that State frontier line
and battle-ground, was ROW abandoned be-
cause of the ability of the National arms
to force from that State the great army
of the Confederacy which had been
brought into Kentucky with the expecta-
ton of holding that State
The great tide of war had drifted south
ward through Kentucky, Tennessee, Mis-
sissippi and Alabama, and now IN 1864
it was surgiEg down through the center
of Georgia, where two mighty veteran
armies were contendinS for mastery. But
still the Confederate authorities kept up
a show of strength in Kentucky and Ten
nsssce. besides having considerable
force posted at various points in the
s,u4tos OF Mississippi and Alabama.
Lieut-Gen. Stephen ID. Lee commanded
the Department of Alabama, Mississippi
and Last Louisiana as the Successor of
Lieut.-Gen. Leonidas Polk, who joined
Gen. Joseph T.. Johnston in northern
Georgia early in May. Gen. Forrest and
Gen. Chalmers and Gen. Roddy were
Gen. Lees most prominent assistants.
Iihe. duty imposed upon these Confederate
Generals and their numerous subordinates
was twofoid. They were required to de-
fend the large agricultural country lying
east of the Mississippi River from the at
tacks of all military expeditions and raid
ing parties which might enter that region,
which was in fact an important granary
of the Confederate armies. Another i'm
portant duty required of these troops
was to keep up constant disturbance
along the transportation lines over which
plies, and if possible to inhict such in
jury TO the railroads as would make il
impossible for that army to be sustained
in its operations in Georgia.
No military officer was ever more alive
to the Importance of maintaining his line
of communications and base of supplies
than Gen. Sherman, and he left nothing
undone to secure that end, but he fully
recognized the Importance and necessity
of not dissipatiDg his forces for the pur-
pose of guarding unnecessary points.
His campaign In Georgia was in no
sense defensive; it was an offensive cam
paign in the highest degree, and its success
depended On maintaining at the front an ef-
fectiye force superior to that of the enemy.
This idea Gen. Sherman kept steadily in
view, and-he bent every energy of his ma
ture to maintain such a force and supply
it in the most complete manner with
everything necessary to carry on an active
and successful campaign. As has been
stated, the railroads leading north from
the army at the front were securely
guarded; the garrisons for the protection
Of the railroads, however, were confined
exclusively to the railroad lines, thus
leaving the country on each side of the
railroad open to the enemy. Chattanooga
the principal base south Of Nashville was
well fortified and strongly garrisoned; the
forces there were commanded by that able
and energetic officer, Maj.-Gen. James b.
Steedman, who had command of the Dis
trict Of Etowah.
The threatening attitude of the Con
federate forces in Tennessee and Ken.
lucky made it necessary to maintain
strong garrisons at number Of important
points.
In Tennessee there were five points OF
great Importance; namely, Memphis, Fort
Pickering, Nashville, Chattanooga and
Knoxville. These points were all protec
ted by strong defensive works, and were
held by garris0ns of considerable strength
There were a number of other points oc.
cupied by Union forces in Tennessee, the
most important of which were Springfield
Tullahoma, Gallatin, Columbia, Pulaski
Cleveland, Fort Donelson, and ClarksyiIle
these places We're permanently held during
the war.
In Kentucky, Louisville was the great
center Of attraction; it was an important
base for supplies, was the headquarters
for large number of the best steamboats,
| that piled the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers
| and their tributaries, and was the point