The National tribune., 1902-09-18

army, was, in military parlance, in Il
air.: it had no protection to prevent II
passage of a column of troops to its rea
But one brigade of Gen. Dodge's 81:
of the Fourth Division, commanded b
Col. John Morrill,, was posted IN II
serve in the rear of the Seventeenth Corp
The balance of Gen. DodgeS Corps wa
posted as follows: The Second Division
commanded by Brig.-Gen. Thomas "
Swecny, was on the right of the Efficient
Corps, and occupied intrenchments whic
were a continuation of Gen. Logan's line
one brigade of the division was Ill reserve
The Second Brigade of the Fourth DIV
sion, commanded by Col. J. w. Sprasus
was still posted at Decatur to hold tina
place and protect the trains of the Arm
of the Tennessee during the absence o
Gen. Garrard's Division of Cavalry
which was then on four-days' raj
against COyington.
1t must be understood that the arm.
was now away from its base of supplies
which was on the Chattanooga and AT
lanta Railroad, north of the river, ans
that it was dependent for ammunition ant
food upon its wagon trains, which, o
course, were very large. A large proper
tion of the ammunition trains We're KEEP
in close touch with the various divisions
but the Commissary trains We're i'll TIN
IL
place from Roswell. Col. SpraSue wa:
assigned to the duty of caring for thes'
trains; they were supposed to be com
paratively safe in the rear of the army
seven miles away from Atlanta. Th'
Twenty-third Corps was on the rish1
of the Army of the Tennessee. Gen
Sherman was with this corps, and occu
pied the Howard House, large country
residence, as his headquarters.
yhrpol, Of Inlv ~ II waS dlScOy
cred by the Union pickets along the whole
Union line from right to left that the
.ConfederateS had abandoned their line OF
whole Union line from right to left thai
the enemy had abandoned their line o.
works and were occupying a new line III
the rear, Immediately around the city OF
Atlanta.
These facts were at once reported TO
all commanding officers. Gems. Sherman,
Thomas, Schotield and Mcpherson and
their Corps and Division Commanders
were all Immediately on the alert. The
first impulse was to advance and take
possession of, the abandoned works.
Shortly after 4 o'clock a. m. orders were
issued for an immediate advance of n por-
ton of every division to occupy and hold
the enemy's line of works just abandoned,
and without delay these orders were car
ried into effect.
On the right, Gen. Thomas at an early
hour pushed his troops up to confront the
new line of defenses taken by Gen. Stew
arts Corps. Gen. Palmer, with the Four
.teenth Corps, still held the right of the
line, with his left resting near the West
err and Atlanta Railroad. two and a half
ing at that point with Gen. Hooker's
Twentieth Corps, which corps continued
the line around to the main Buck Head
and Atlanta road, where the right of Gen.
Howard's Fourth Corps was posted: the
line of the left of the Fourth Corps
connected with Gen. Schofeld's army,
near the Howard House.
Gen. Thomas at once caused Gen. Nc
Cooks Division of Cavalry to move from
its post at Varnell Station, across the
Chattahoochee River, and form on the
right of Palmer's Corps along Proctors
Greek, extending over toward Mason and
Turner's Ferry, on the Chattahoochee
River, thus securely protecting the right
flank of the army from surprises.
Portions of the Twenty-third, Sixteenth,
Fifteenth and Seventeenth Corps were
pushed forward to take and hold the en-
emy's abandoned works. This movement
was made between and o'clock in the
morning. A section of artillery accom-
panied the troops sent forward by Gen.
Logan. and was posted in front of the
abandoned line of works ON the Atlanta
wagon road, near the railroad, and was
supported by two regiments of infantry.
The forward movement of the Fifteenth
and Twenty third Corps left the Second
Division of the Sixteenth Corps out of
line. This sudden change in the plans of
the Confederate commander excited inter
est on all hands; no one could definitely
determine what was to follow;
Gen. Mcpherson was soon in consulta-
tion with Gen. Sherman, who supposed
that Gen. Hood had given up Atlanta and
was retiring in the direction of East
Point. Gen. Sherman proposed immediate
pursuit. Gen. Mcpherson issued orders
to all his Corps Commanders. To Gen.
Logan he wrote at 8 a. m, stating that
Gen. Sherman supposed that Gen. Hood
had given up Atlanta and was retiring
in the direction of East Point, and or
dered immediate pursuit. Logan was di-
rected to put his command in pursuit,
passing to the south and east of Atlanta
Gen. Mcpherson saw both Gems. Dodge
and Blair. He ordered Gen. Dodge to
move the Second Division from is then
position on the right of the Army of the
Tennessee to the extreme left of the
army, and mass it in the rear of the new
position to be selected for the Seventeenth
Corps. and to place one brigade of the
Fourth Division ON the left of this new
position, and ordered Gen. Blair to send
out working parties and reverse the
works On the line of the eaemy's aban-
doned rife pits, and TO occupy them as
soon as completed and as soon as Gen
Dodge with the Sixteenth Corps could
throw up works to cover his men on that
line.
. Gen. Blair gave immediate directions
for the execution Of Gen. McPherson's
orders. Gen. Blair tnen rode with Gen.
Mcpherson to meet Gen. Dodge and the
advance of his command marching to
take up position on the left of the Seven
teenth Corps. The head of Cen Dodge's
column was then on the Clay road mile
and a quarter in the rear of the line of
the Seventeenth Corps, and at point
where the road turns at right angles due
west TO reach the position of Gen. Blair's
troops.
The column turned at this point and
proceeded west short distance, and was
halted by Gen. Sweeny TO await the re- |
turn of Gen. Dodge, who had gone to the |
front to select a position for his com |
mand Immediately on the left of the Sew |
enteenth Corps.
the left of the position of the Seventeenth |
Corps, ami approached within easy mus
ket range OF the enemy's line without |
drawing their fire. He selected the |
ground to be occupied by his command
and turned about to retire, when the en-
emy opened fire with both musketry and |
artillery, but without effect
Gen. Fuller, commanding the Fourth |
Division. was directed to send out work |
ing parties to intrench his position to the |
left of the Seventeenth Corps. Gen. Dodge |
joined Gen. Mcpherson and Gen. Blair, |
and learned that the Seventeenth Corps |