The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-01-22

GRANT REINFoRCEs SHERMAN.
On the same day, Sept %, Gen. Sher
man received two dispatches of great i'm
portance from Gen. Grant. They were a.
follows:
CITY Point, Va, Sept. q, 1864; $50 a. m
t"Maj.-Gen. Sherman:
| ut is evident from the tone of the Rich
mond press. and from other sources of in
formation, that the enemy intend making
desperate effort to drive you from where
you are. | have directed all new troops
from the West, and from the East, too
If necessary, in case none are ready il
bridge is not too far on his way to Abing.
don, l think he had better be recalled and
his surplus troops sent into Tennessee.
gu. S. GRANT,
Lieutenant- General"
s'City Point, Va, Sept q. 1864;
1890 a. m.
Mai Gen. Sherman:
Il have directed all recruits and new
troops from all the Western States to be
sent to Nashville, to receive their further
orders from you.
81 was mistaken about jeff. Davis being
in Richmond on Thursday last. He was
then on his way to Macon.
Lieutenant-G General"
HOODS ARMY CROSSES THE cHATTA-
HOOCHEE.
On Sept. % Gen. Hoods army broke
camp and began crossing the Chatta-
hoochee River on bridges previously pre-
pared for this purpose. The army head
quarters were ut Pray's Church.
On Sept 30 the whole Confederate
army had crossed the river, and Jackson's
cavalry had advanced to Powder Springs.
Gen. Hood was at Dark Corner. On Oct.
Gen. Jackson sent a detachment of cav
airy to operate against the Chattanooga
Railroad near Marietta; the balance of
Gen. Hoods army bivouacked in front of
Dark Corner during the day and night re-
naming inactive.
The game of STACEY between Hood and
Sherman had now begun. On the same
day that Gen. Hood crossed the Chatta-
hoochee, namely, Sept. 3d. Gen. Sherman
caused Gen. Thomas to 60 up to Chatta-
noOsa and take personal charge of affairs
there. having Gen. Morgan's Division of
the Fourteenth Corps follow him by rail-
road on the same day. Of the passing
event Gen. Sherman telegraphed to Gen.
Halleck at Washington:
Il take it for granted that Forrest will
cut our road. but think we can prevent
him from making n serious Judgment. His
cavalry will travel a hundred miles while
ours will 10.
Il have sent two divisions up to Chat
tanooga and one Il Rome, and Gen.
Thomas started today to drive Forrest out
of Tennessee. Our roads should be watch
ell from the rear, and I am glad that Gen.
Grant has ordered reserves TO Nashville.
prefer for the future to make the move
ment on Milledgeville, Millen and Savan-
nah. Hood now rests "a miles south, on
the Chattahoochee,. with his right wing
on the West Point Road. He is remov-
ing the iron from the Macon Road. / can
whip his infantry, but his cavalry is to be
feared.".
Gen. Sherman found it difficult to get
information as to Gen. Hoods movements,
but on Oct, / he was satisfied that the
Confederate army had crossed the river,
Gen. Sherman telegraphed Gen. Grant as
follows:
Headquarters Military Division of the
Mississippi, in the Field,
ATLANTA, Ga, Oct. I, 1854.
'Lieut.-Gen. Grant:
Hood is evidently across the Chatta-
hoochee, below Sweetwater. If he tries
to get on over road, this side of the Eto-
wab, l shall attack him, but if he goes TO
the Selma & Talladega Road, why will it
not do to leave Tennessee to the forces
which Thomas has, and the reserves so,n
to come to Nashville, and for me to de-
stroy Atlanta and march across Geoy gin
10 Savannah or Charleston, breaking roads
and doing irreparable damage? We can
not remain on the defensive.
''W. T. SHERMAN,
"Major-General."
From this and other dispatches it will
he seen that the plan Of great raid down
through Georgia to the sea was the chief
thought IN Gen. Sherman's mind.
Now that Gen. Hood, with the full ap-
proval of President Davis. had abandoned
southern Georgia to its fate, Gen. Sher-
man thought the time had come to carry
into execution the second part of the great
plan he and Gen. Grant discussed at Nash
1854.
On Oct. ., Gen. Hood moved his army
in n northeasterly direction towards Lost
Mountain and established his headGua rters
for the night at Flint Hill Church.
Gen. Stewart was now ordered to move
with his entire corps against the Cha tia
nooga Railroad at Big Shanty, and if pos
sibie to take possession of that place, and
to detach force to seize Acworth.
GUARDING THE RAILROAD.
On Oct. 2 the fact that Gen. Hood had
crossed the Chattahoochee River with his
army was known by commanding officers
from Atlanta to Nashville. The railroad
from the bridge over the Chattahoochee to
and beyond was well pro-
tected: there had been no abatement in
guarding the line after the capture of At
lanta; in fact, as has been seen, three divi-
sions of infantry had been sent to Rome
and Chattanooga and held intact at those
posts, for the express purpose of reinforc-
ing any points that might be attacked by
the enemy. There were garrisons well
fortified Mt all important points along the
line, and Gen. Elliott's cavalry, with Kill
patrick, Garrard and McCook as Division
Commanders, stationed at various points
north of the Chattahoochee River for
scouting the country.
The Third Division, Fifteenth Corps. of
which l was then commander, held and
guarded 80 miles of the railroad, and the
bridges and fords on the Etowah River for
40 miles with headquarters at Gainesville
Col. Joseph +. McCown, 63d ILL.,, COM
manded the First Brigade, with headouar-
tiers at the Etowah Bridge; Col. Benjamin
ID. Dean, 26th Mo-, commanded the Third
Brigade. with headquarters Mt Kingston:
Col Clark Il. Viewer commanded the Sec
ond Brigade, headquarters at Resaca. This
line of 100 miles TO be guarded resulted in
small garrisons at all the posts; the force
stationed at Allatoona was the strongest:
this point, four miles south Of the railroad
bridge across the Etowah, was naturally
very strong. Early in the campaign it had
been made base for storage of large
quantities of supplies. Iieut-Col. John p.
Tourtellotte commanded this post. The
garrison consisted of the ODD ILL.,. Mai.
James NJ. Fisher commanding. with 800
guns; seven companies Of the 18th Wis.