The National tribune., 1902-08-21

| ten. Johnston states tnat the COn1eu-
crate loss on this occasion in killed.
| wounded and prisoners was sos. being
less than one-thirI OF the Union loss.
| For the Union army this was the most
| tragic event of. the campaign. The eight
| brisades chosen for this desperate under
taking had displayed heroism and forti-
| tude never excclled in war. They had
| engaged in, Il greatly unequal contest; !;
| they had been thrown against works
| which it was not in the power of men to
carry; they had Mt an immense sacrifice
of life failed in their effort. but this fail
ure. did not affect their high soldierly
qualities. nor did it lower them in the
estimation OF their comrades: upon the
contrary. the fact that a man had par
| ticipated in the assault upon kenesaw
became badge of honor.
A MOVEMENT TO THE CONFEDERATE REAR
While the assault on Kcnesaw Noun
tain was i'll progress Gen. Schoheld ad-
vnnced his line in. force on the extreme
| right. He was able to overlap the left
wing Of the Confederate army. He
crossed Olley's Greek. and secured n po-
sition which threatened the rear of Gen.
Johnstons army. To give greater effect
to this demonstration, Gen. Sherman or
| dered Gen. Stoneman to move rapidly
with his cavalry still farther to the right
and rear as far as Sweetwater.
he failed to break through the Confed-
crate lines ut kenesaw, decided to make
Il movement in force TO the rear of John
| stOns army. His plan was for Gen.
Thomas to hold his position iii front Of
kenesaw. while Mcpherson. with the
Fifteenth. Sixteenth and Seventeenth
Corps. should Withdraw from his posi-
tion on the left of Thomas and marching
his army in the rear of Thomas and SchO-
field should threaten the railroad south
of Marietta. 49,. .--
Gen. Sherman outlined his plan in the
| following dispatch to Gen. Halleck, dated
| July 1:
Gen. Scho6eld is now south of o.
| ley's Greek, and on the head of Nicka-
| jack. / have been hurrying down provi-
| sions and forage, and tomorrow night
propose to move Mcpherson from the left
| to the extreme right, back of Gen. Thorn
as. This will bring my right within three
miles of the ChattahOochee River and
| about five miles from the railroad. BY
| this movement | think l can force John
stou to move his whole army down from
Kcnesaw to defend his railroad and the
| Chattahoochee. when l will (by the left
| flank) reach the railroad below Marietta
but In this / must cut loose from the rail-
road with 10 days supplies in wagons.
| Johnston may come ont of his intrench-
ments to attack Thomas, which is exact
| y
| intrenched on line parallel with the en-
emy south of Kenesaw. l think that AL
| latOOna and the line of the EtOwah are
strong enough for me to venture on this
move. The movement is substantially
down the SandtOwn road straight for At
lanta."
On the night of July 2 Gen. McPher-
! son began his movement; his army quietly
| withdrew frsm their intrenchments and
camp, leaving Gen. Garrard's cavalry,
diSmOunted to occupy his works.
Gen. Sherman's idea was to force Gen.
Johnston to come out of his works and
deliver battle against Thomas's intrenched
position or to abandon Kenesaw Noun
tain and move his army farther south.
The withdrawal Of McPherson's three
corps could not be accomplished without
the knowledge of the Observant Confed-
crate commander Gen. Johnston soon
learned OF the movement and fOresaw its
purport. He instantly took action to
forcstall Gen. Sherman's plans. Before
daylight of the morning Of July 3 he had
withdrawn his whole army from the line
of Kenesaw and Marietta and was well
on his way southwark to a new position.
Gen. Sherman was up at an early hour.
At the dawn of day he turned his spy
glass upon Kenesaw; the Union pickets
were cautiously advancing up the noun
tain side; soon they were upon the works
Of the enemy. Gen. Sherman knew that
the Confederate army had retreated.
This part of the great campaign against
Atlanta commenced June 10 and contin-
ued until the morning of July g. During
those % days the struggle between the
two armies was almost u continuous bat
tie.
The Union loss during that period was:
Killed and missing, 1,I90; wounded,
$40; total, 1870.
CTo ho co,t;nuodl