The National tribune., 1904-09-01

right, commanded By Gen. Thomas. The
attack was a failure, and resulted in a
great defeat to Hoods army and the dis
arrangement of all his plans.
On the evening of the 21st of July Gen.
Sherman's army had closed up to within
two miles of Atlanta, and on that day
Forces Brigade of Leggett's Division of
Blairs Seventeenth Corps carried promi-
nent hill known as Bald or Leggett's Hill,
that gave us a clear view of Atlanta, and
placed that city within range of our guns.
1t was strategic point, and unless the
swing of our left was stopped it would
dangerously interfere with Hoods COM
municatlons towards the south. Hood
fully appreciated this, and determined upon
his celebrated attack in the rear of Gen.
ShermanS army.
On the 22d of July the Army of the Ten
neSsee was occupying the rebel intrench-
ments, its right resting very near the How
ard House, south of the Augusta Railroad,
thence TO Leggetts Hill, which had been
carried by Forces assault on the evening
of the 21st. From this hill Giles \. Smiths
Division of the Seventeenth Corps stretched
out southward on a road that occupied this
ridge, with a weak flank in air. To
strengthen this flank, by order of Gen. Nc
PhersOn l sent on the evening of the 21st
ole brigade of Fuller's Division, the other
being left at Decatur to protect our parked
trains. Fuller camped his brigade about
half mile in the rear of the extreme left
and at right angles to Blair's lines, and
commanding the open ground and valley
OF the forks of Sugar Creek, a position
that proved very strong in the battle. Full
ler did not go into line simply biyouacked,
ready to respond to any call.
On the morning of the 22d of July Gen.
Mcpherson called at my headquarters, and
gave me verbal orders i'm relation to the
movement of the Second (Sweeney's) Divi-
sion of my (the SiXteenth) Corps, which
had been crowded out of the line by the
contraction of our lines as we neared At
lanta, and told me that | was to take
position on the left of the line that Blair
had been instructed to occupy and intrench
that morning, and cautioned me about pro-
tectlng my flank very strongly. McPher-
SON evidently thought that there would be
trouble on that flank, for he rode out to
examine it himself.
moved Sweeney in the rear of our
army. on the road leading from the Angus
ia Railway, down the east branch of Sugar
Creek to near where it forks. Then turn
ing west, the road crosses the west branch
OF Sugar Creek just back where Fuller was
camped, and passed up through a strip of
woods and through Blair's lines near where
his left was refused. Up this road Sweeney
marched until he reached Fuller, when he
halted, waiting until the line l had Sc
lected on Blair's proposed new left could
be intrenched, SO that at midday. July %,
the position of the Army of the Tennessee
was as follows: One division of the Fif-
Railway facing Atlanta, the balance of
the Fifteenth and all of the Seventeenth
Corps behind intrenchments running south
OF the railway along gentle ridge with a
gentle slope and clear valley facing At
lanta in front, and another clear valley in
the rear. The Sixteenth Corps was resting
on the road described. entirely in the rear
of the Seventeenth and Fifteenth Corps and
facing from Atlanta. To the left and left
rear the country was heavily wooded The
therefore lnH
of the forest. to approach close to the rear
of our lines.
HOODS ABLE PLANS.
On the night of July 81 Hood had trans
ferred Hardee's Corps and two divisions of
Wheeler's Cavalry to our rear. going around
our left flank. Wheeler attacking Sprague's
Brigade, Sixteenth Corps, at Decatur,
where our trains were parked. AT day
light Stewarts and Cheatham's Corps and
the Georgia militia were Withdrawn closer
to Atlanta, and in position to attack
simultaneously with Hardee, the plan thus
involving the destroying of the Army of
the Tennessee by attacking it in rear and
front and the capturing of all its trains
ccrrailed at Decatur. Hardees was the
largest corps in Hoods army, and accord
ing TO Hood there were thus to move upon
the Army of the Tennessee about 10000
troops.
HOODS ORDER OF ATTACK
was Tor 1iardee 10 form entirely in the
Of the Army of the Tennessee but
Hardee claims that he met Hood on the
night OF the 21st; that he was so late in
moving his corps that they changed the
plan Of attack that his left was to
strike the Seventeenth Corps He was to
swing his right until he enveloped and at
tackled the rear of the Seventeenth and
Fifteenth Corps.
Hood stood in one of the batteries of
Atlanta, where he could see Blair's left
Ii e
Seventeenth Corps. lie says he was as
tonishcd TO see the attack come on Blair's
left instead OF his rear, and charges his
defeat TO that fact: but Hardee when he
swung his right and came out in the open
found the Sixteenth Corps in line i'm the
rear of our army, and he was as much sur
prised TO lind us there as our army was al
the sudden attack in our rear. The driv-
ing back by the Sixteenth Corps of Har,
dee's made his corps drift to the left and
against Blair, not only to Blair's left but
into his rear, that what Hood declares
was the cause of his failure was not Har-
dee's fault, as his attacks on the Sixteenth
Corps were evidently determined and fierce
enough to relieve him from all blame in
that matter.
Historians and others who have written
of the battle of Atlanta have been mislet
by being governed in their data by the first
dispatches of Gen. Sherman, who was evi
IDENTIFY miSnformed as he afterwards cor
rected his dispatches. He stated i'm the
first dispatch that the attack was at 4 a
m. and on Blairs Corps. and also that Gen
Mcpherson was killed about IL a. m. Th,
fact Is, Blair was not attacked until hal
an hour after the attack upon the Six
teenth Corps. and Mcpherson fell at abou
D. m. Gen. Sherman was at the Howar,
House. which was miles away from TIN
scene of llardee's attack in the rear. an,
evidently did not at first comprehend tn
terrific fighting that was i'm progress. an,
the serious results that would have beer
effected had the attack succeeded
The battle began within II or 20 minu
tes of II o'clock (noon) and lasted unit
midnight. and covered the ground from tn
Howard House. along the entire front O
the Fifteenth I.ogan's) Corps, the Seven
teenth tBiair's). and on the front of tn
Sixteenth, which was formed i'm the rea
OF the army. and on to Decatur. wher
Sprague's Brigade of the Sixteenth Corp
met and defeated Wheeler's Cavalry.
distance of about seven miles.
STRENGTH OF THE CoMBATANrs.
The Army of the Tennessee had presen
on that day at Atlanta and Decatur abou
5000 men 10000 i'm the Fifteenth Corps
1000 in the Sixteenth Corps, and 1000 il
4hD gN n..<A