The National tribune., 1902-07-31

Gen. Sherman for the military campaign
of 1864 was for their respective armies
to make the armies of Gen. Lee and Gen.
Johnston their constant objectives. The
aim was to get hold of those armies, and
never cease the struggle until they were
oyerpowered, beaten anu captured. There
was to be no pause in the great contest,
no drawing off after Il battle to rest. re
cuperate and to receive reinforcements-
This campaign was TO test the strength,
the endurance and the yalor of the con-
tending sections.
Grant and Sherman. the greatest Cen
erals on the Union side. had for Their
competitors Lee and Johnston. the great
est Generals on the Confederate side.
These four men had been educated at
the National Military Academy ut West
Point. They We're men of great natural
ability; they had all seen service in the
Mexican War; they now carried in their
hands the destiny of our common eoun-
try.
If Lee and Johnston, summoning to
their aid the men and resources of the
South, could destroy the armies of Grant
and Sherman, the Union would then be
dissolved and the Southern Confrderacy
established. But, on the other hand, if
Grant and Sherman, supported by the pa
triotic devotion of the people Of the North
to the Union and to the National Gov
ernment. could constantly marshal on the
battle line Il superior force and without
ceasing keep up the fight, the overthrow
and defeat of the Confederacy. and the
preservation of the Union, with all its
possibilities, was assured. Both sides in
the great struggle had large bodies of
men in other parts of the country, which
were led by able Generals. and were con
stantly active in the performance Of i'm
sf,att
ments. and We're yalorously fighting on
many bloody fields. But the great issue
was to be fought out by the two veteran
armies in Virginia and the two veteran
armies in Georgia.
The withdrawal of Gen. Johnston from
his position at New Hope Church and
Dallas to q line of strongly-fortitied
works stretching from kenesaw Mountain
southwest across the railroad to Pine
Mountain and Lost Mountain, distance
of about 10 miles, made it necessary for
Gen. Sherman to advance his line.
1t has been shown that on June and
6 Gen. Mcpherson had moved the Fif-
teenth and Sixteenth Corps forward to
and beyond AcwOrth. and had straddled
the railroad, Gen. Logan with the Fif-
teenth Corps on the left, and Gen. Dodge
with the Sixteenth Corps on the right
Heavy rains had been falling for sew
eral days, the roads were hDrrid, and SO
the forces of Gems. Thomas and Schofieid
were given little rest; In the mean
time Gen. Frank p Blair moved for
ward from Rome with two divisions of
the Seventeenth Corps, numbering 5000
men, reached Acworth on June ), and re-
ported to Gen. Mcpherson and was as
signed a position in the line. This brought
three corps Of the Army of the Tennes-
see together. BY direction, Gen. Blair
had detached n garrison of 1,500 men for
Allatoona Pass, which was made the base
Of supplies for Sherman's combined ar
mics, which then numbered 100000 men.
THE GENERAL ADVANCE.
On June 10 Sherman's whole army
moved forward about six miles to big
Shanty." station on the railroad, the
Army of the Tennessee on the left, the
Army of the Cumberland in the center,
and the Army of the Ohio Oh the right.
The first thing to be done was to re-
connoiter and locate the enemy's line.
The works and men OIL Kenesaw. Pine
Mountain and Lost Mountain were read
lily seen; but these formidable upheayals
We're connected by an irregular line.
which was, located upon the most ayaila-
bic ground for defense.
There was no thought by the officers
and soldiers of the Union army of NOV
ing suddenly forward and attempting to
carry Gen. JohnstOns well-chOsen posi-
tion by assault. Every private soldier
knew the hazard Of such an undertaking.
Sherman, Thomas, Mcpherson, SchOiield
and all their corps, division and brigade
commanders co-operated in making a
careful examination of the enemy's line
with i view of establishing 4 line of their
own. In this work they were aided by
every soldier under them. The skirmish-
ers and scouts, as in duty bound, were
the men TO 20 forward and develop the
enemy's position.
The first defensive works were made
by the skirmishers. Every private SOL
dier became an adept in selecting good
defensive position for line of battle and
in the construction of fortifcations.
As 4 whole, Gen. Johnston's position
was one of great natural strength. 1t had
bcen carefully prepared i'll advance OF its
use Suitable works for artillery and ex-
tensive rifle pits for the infantry covered
a frontage of 10 miles. The elevated por-
tions held by him gave Gen. Johnston and
MS officers and men ample opportunity to
see the movements of the Union forces
as they advanced.
Kenesaw Mountain, in fact, rises bold
ly from the plain TO such u hight that
from its splendid top the whole country
for miles around can be seen. The Army
OF the Tennessee formed its line along the
railroad, extending around the north base
of the mountain. The Army of the Cum
berland, in the center, took position below
Kenesaw, and deploying obliquely to the
right, faced Pine Mountain. The Army
of the Ohio, on the right, faced south
ward toward Lost Mountain, with the
right flank well refused.
The line WIS continuous; there were no
intervals through which an enterprising
enemy could find passage. The rain in.
terfered seriously with the work; but, rain
or shine, the troops pushed forward close
up under the Confederate guns and for
midable defensive works were erected.
Ire Confederate army had the use Of
heavy details of negroes to aid in build
ing their fortihcations. Many negroes
now found their way into the Union
camps, and became useful auXiliaries as
iaborcrs. Each division was authorized
to organize a pioneer corps of 200 negroes
who, under orders of Gen. Sherman, were
20 receive $40 per month for their sery-
ices. These men We're of great service
and lightened the fatigue duty Of the SOL
diers.
Not only was there a strong, continuous
line of Notifications erected covering the
Union front but the camps occupied by
the troops were fortified, so that Il sally
from the Confederate works could readily
be resisted. Wagon roads were opened
up to the rear for the teams which trans
ported the daily supplies. These exten-
sive preparations on both sides were such
that an inexperienced person would have
concluded that these two armies were
Ent 70. fana A,..l H.. g.