The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-10-06

I'd lllS Alt Wv II war NItlltId Ill I III
Kearny at Chantilly. Sept. l, 1862;
General w. f. Reynolds at Gettysburg,
July 1, 1868, and General ]. b. Nc
Pherson at Atlanta. July -. 1864. and
to the south "StonewalI' Jackson at
charlottesville in 1868. All of them
fell while acting from what may be
called strained sense of duty. They
were not in battle proper, and, with
the exception Of Reynolds. were bit
when outside of their own lines. Reyn-
ODDS had but a single line of men be-
tween him and the enemy when he
fell. and that line was fighting almost
hand to hand.
OF these four choice spirits in war
Mcpherson was undoubtedly the ablest
commander judged by what he had ac-
cOmplished. Kearny was good at the
head of a division. Reynolds had dis
tinguished himself as a division and
corps commander and fell in his first
essay as commander in chief on the
field, while Jackson. who startled the
world as a lieutenant to Lee, achieved
very little whenever lie was brought in
contact with his peers, as he was on
two or three important occasions. Nc
PhersOn was military success from
the very start, and he started almost
at the lowest round of the ladder
captain in the regular army.
beginning as captain ON Grants staff,
Mcpherson reached the rank of briga-
der general of volunteers the first
twelve months of the war, serving with
glory at Donelson, Shiloh, COrinth and
Iuka. He was always ambitious to
lead fighting troops and was given a
chance ut COrinth in October, 1862.
Leading the advance in pursuit of the
enemy after the bloody battle of Cor
inth, he was Immediately promoted
major general and given d division in
Grants army.
In Grants overland campaign against
Nicksburg Mcpherson commanded the
right wing and was assigned to the
permanent command of the Seven
tenth corps when Grant set out to
flank the stronghold at Nicksburg
This was just one year after his pro
motion from the rank of captain. Dur
ing the march to the rear of Nicks-
burg Mcpherson exercised a command
equal to that of Sherman and showed
the stuff that was i'll him. His line at
tackled the enemy almost daily, and he
| led the columns in person. His troops
led off in the attack on Jackson, Miss,
! carrying the intrenchmentS at one
bound and hosting the stars and
stripes over the Confederate statehouse
while the hostile tread still resOunded
| in the city streets.
+ At the battle of Champion Hills Nc
| Pherson's men did about all the work,
| and the fighting was so vigorous that
Grant sent word to him during the
heat of battle. You are making his
tory today" During the siege which
| followed Mcpherson was the cOmpeer
of Sherman and a lieutenant trusted
and honOred by his chief. He arrang-
ed the terms of capitulation when the
post surrendered and as Il recognition
of his skill and personal daring was
promoted to the rank Of brigadier gen
eral in the regular army.
When Grant at last turned over his
command in the west to Sherman,
| March, 1864, and assumed the control
| of all the armies Mcpherson succeed
ed Sherman at the head of the Army
of the Tennessee, then over 10000
strong, and when Sherman set out on
his campaign to Atlanta Mcpherson
followed him in person with about %
600 of his troops, the Fifteenth corps,
under General John A. Logan, and the
| Sixteenth, under General G.. NJ. Dodge.
In the battles before Atlanta the new
commander of the Army of the Tennes-
see proved his fitness for the role and
displayed the highest and best quality
of Il soldier-capacity for leadership
! His army fought at New Hope church
and Dallas in May, and, after the add
ton of the Seventeenth corps, under
| General Frank =. Blair, at Kenesaw
mountain in June. AS the forces drew
near the intrenched city Mcpherson
was on the left and well to the east
while Shermans main strength lay
along Peach Tree creek on the north
On the Goth of July fierce battle took
place ut Peach Tree creek. About this
time General John B. Hood superseded
| General Joseph L. Johnston at the head
of the Confederate army defending At
| lanta, and an attack at Peach Tree
creek was the first step in a new poll.
cy. Hood was fighter and fought
with gamblers recklessness and dar-
ing His battle of the Goth was bold
! lunge with the army corps of Stewart
| and Hardee against Sherman's center
But Pop" Thomas, the Rock OF
Chickamau1a," was there, and Hood
nearly dashed his brains out, SO to
speak, losing 5000 men against less
than 1000, and withdrew to his own
lines.
On the odd of July Hood made see
ond sortie, surprising the first in bold
ness and involving blind night march
of fifteen miles for Hardee's corps
from Peach Tree creek to point on
the Confederate right beyond McPher-
sons line or near Decatur. The Georgia
railway, supplying the army in At
lanta, ran through Decatur, and Me
| pherSOn'S army was drawing danger