The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-03-05
WITH THE "a, 1iis.
WESTERN ARMY.
tContiuusd fron1 d..t pare,

and withdrew without the loss of man.
Within three hours fr9N the time Maj
Fidler started he returIied to tell his story.
We found that-the entirH Confederate force
had left our immediate. front and was
news from Dalton and beyond.
OFFICERS WIVES AZ REsAcA. sga;
Resaca was now outdo of danger, and
we At once set about stUI make our men
comfortable. affOrding them an Opportun-
| ity to partake of a squiHk meal. The Of
ficers were not slow to mike provision for
sustaining the inner man.. During the de-
tense of Resaca Col. Watkins had very
| unpleasant experience. He had the care of
his wife. his sister and his mOther-in-Iaw
| in the fort. Mrs. Rousseau, wife of Maj
Gen. Lowell II. Rousseau; her daughter
Mrs. Watkins, and Mrs. Owen, wife of a
naval officer, and Col. Watknss sister.
had visited the Colonel at Calhoun, and
were returning to Nashville, when Gen.
Hoods appearance at Resaca stopped the
train. When Col. Watkins arrived with
his brigade these ladies were taken into
the fort. and remained there nearly AZ
hours, and until Gen. Lee withdrew AS
soon as this occurred ! invited Col Wat
kins to make my headquarters his home
| with these ladies during their stay. He
gladly accepted the invitation. 1 occupied
| cottage with five rooms. and was able
to make them cOmfOrtable; my kitchen ar
| engagements were of the BEST so that good
meals could be served. The two younger
ladies' were my guests for two weeks. but
Mrs. Rousseau mt the end of q week drove
north to the railroad in an ambulance and
rejoined her husband at Nashville.
ARRIVAL OF GEN.. SHERMAN.
On the afternoon of Oct. ii troops
began to arrive. Gen. Stanley had the adj
vance. Gen. Sherman and Gen. Howard,
with their staffs. put in an appearance.
They at once came to headquarters. The
ladies were there, and gave then cordial
welcome. Gen. Sherman was intimately
acquainted with all of them. When he
entered the house he was met by Mrs
Watkins; she gave him an enthusiastic re-
ceptiOn. He embraced her and kissed her
fervently: meeting the others he kissed
them in turn, then turning to Mrs. Wat
kins and expressing his great qualification
at meeting her, again kissed her.
Gen. Howard was a witness to the
whole interesting ceremony, and when Cen.
Sherman saluted Mrs. Watkins. the seq
ond time, he interposed in merry way,
protesting, against the discrimination.
1t was my turn next. Gen. Sherman
in the most hearty and cordial why
thanked me for my efforts in saving Re
SAGA. 80 l=S 49,
But there was to be no pause in the
movement against Gen. Hoods army. Gen.
Sherman possessed himself of all available
information as to the movements and l0ca-
ton of the enemy, and at once set about
ordering pursuit.
The telegraph line south had been re-
stored. Capt. Dayton gave information of
the situation in the following dispatch:
Headquarters Military Division of the
Mississippi, in the Field.
'Resaca. Gm.-Oct II. 1864
Gen. John L. Smith, Gainesville:
mo danger to Resaca. but enemy went
north on railroad and arv destroying it to-
ward Chattanooga. but don't know how
far Have passed Dalton toward Tunnel
Hill, captured garrison md are also in
Dug and Snake Creek Gaps. Hoods
whole army is on the move. Will advise
you more fully as we get information. d
81. NJ. DAYTON, Aid-de-Camp."
1t was found that GeA Lee. with his
corps had moyed nortllA III and vas, now
occupying Snake Cres1 Zap. the great
passway through the ChattoOgata Noun
taips. and that the other two corps were mt
and beyond Dalton. ,SEes 4
Gen. Sherman's army on the afternoon
of the f4th was: streteh6ttnit from Resaca
to Rome, with orders to move upon Re
1ths IVA Win
Corps was bringing up the rear.
News of Gen. H9d's campaign had
reached Chattanooga and Nashville; Gen.
Thomas and Gen. SchOfiefd had matters in
hand to meet Cen. Hood from the north.
They were not in communication with Gen.
Sherman. but were acting upon their own
motion. This is what was done:
Gen. McCook was ordered to send all
the cavalry he could raise boldly to Buzz
arJ pae,c In
that quarter, and for Gen. Garrard to fol
low him on his arrival. This movement.
was begun on the afternoon of the 14th.
Gen. Howard was ordered to bring up all
the men of his command he could by a.
m., Oct. 10. and move direct to Snake
Creek Gap. Gen. Cox Oh arrival was to
follow Gen. Howard.
GREAT COOPERATIVE MOVEMENT AGAINST
HOOD. ia l1-,.rf-
Gen. Stanley was directed to cross over
the ChattoOgata Mountain about two
miles north Of Snake Creek Gap. and with
infantry reach the summit, and if possible
find a way across int the valley beyond
toward VillanOw. l had given infOrma-
ton to Gen. Sherman of a trail across the
mountain at the point named, and offered
to accompany the troops across, but it was
believed Gen. Stanley would have no trou-
BILE in finding the way.
Gen. COrse at Rome was ordered to
send brigade across the OOstanaula
River, eight miles, in the direction of
Summerville, to threaten the enemy in
that direction, and Gen. Fitzpatrick was to
patrol and cover the railroad from the
ChattahO0chee River to Kingston via Dali
las, and keep Gen. SlOcum at Atlanta fully
advised.
Upon a conference over the wire be-
tween Gen. Thomas at Nashville and Gen.
Schofeld ut Chattanooga, Gen. Schoield
early on the morning of the 18th was to
move down upon Dalton with two divisions
Of infantry. 1t will thus be seen that
great cooperative movement was set on
foot to drive Gen. Hoods army away from
the railroad, and IL possible Overtake it
and bring it to battle. Capt. John NJ.
Bacon, 4th Ky. Cav, reached point near
Dalton late in the afternoon Of the Nth, |
saw the Confederate forces moving north, |
charged into town, and captured 10 pris- |
ners. He reported Confederate troops |
moving toward Tunnel Hill and also to-
ward Dug Gap. This information was
conveyed to Gen. Howard. and by him to |
Gen. Sherman. This confirmed the rumor |
of the capture of Dalton.
The active and threatening operations of
Gen. Sherman's army On the 18th were
such that Gen. Lee passed through and |
abandoned Snake Greek Gap, after telling |
much timber to obstru% the, passage of
troops.
,,s Cen a.. Sherman issued following order