The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-08-03

meant to fight, and had gone to large
dwelling close by, known as the How.
ard house, where General Mcpherson
joined me. The general remained
with me until near noon, when some
reports reaching us indicated a move
mcnt of the enemy on that flank.
lie mounted and rode away with his
staff
Il must here also state that the
day before had detached General
Garrard cavalry to 60 to Covington
and the Augusta railroad, ~ miles
east Of Atlanta, and from that point
to send detachmcnts to break two
important bridges across the Yellow
and lcofauhachec rivers, tributaries
to the Ocmulgcc, and General Nc.
phcrson had also left his wagon train
at Decatur under a guard of three
regiments commanded by Colonel
(now generaD Sprague. Soon after
General Mcpherson had left me at the
Howard house, as before described, T
heard the sound Of muskctry to our
left rear, at first mere pattering shots,
but soon they grew in volume, accom-
panied with artillery, and about the
same time the sound of guns was
heard in the direction of Decatur.
No doubt could longer be entertained
OF the enemy's plan of action, which
WAS to throw superior force on our
left flank which held US with his forts
IN front, the only question being as to
the amount of force he could employ
at that point. hastily transmitted
orders to all points of our center and
right to press forward aud give full
employment to all the enemy in his
lines and for General Schofield to hold
as large force in reserve as possible,
awaiting developments.
"Not more than half an hour after
General MCPHERSON had left me about
1890 o'clock Of the 22nd, his adjutant
rode up and reported that General
Mcpherson was either dead or pris-
oner; that he had ridden from me to
General Dodge's column, moving as
heretofore described, and sent of
nearly all his staff and orderlies on
various errands, and himself had pass.
ed into a narrow path or road that led
to the left and rear Of General Giles
A. Smith g division, which was Gen
eral Blair's extreme left; that few
minutes after he had entered the
woods sharp volley was heard in
that direction, and his horse had come
out riderless, having two wounds.
The suddenness of this terrible oalam.
ity would have overwhelmed me with
grief, but the living demanded my
whole thoughts. I instantly dis.
patched staff officer to General John
A. Logan, commanding the Fifteenth
corps, to tell him what had happened,
that he must assume command of the
Army of Tennessee and hold stub
bornly theground already chosen more
especially the hill gained by General
Leggett the night before. Already
the whole line was engaged in battle.
Hardee's corps had sailed from At
ianta and by wide circuit to the east
had struck Gen. Blair's left flank, en-
veloped it, and his left had swung
around until it hit General Dodge in
motion. General Blair line was sub
stantially along the old line of rebel
trench, but it was fashioned to fight
outward. A space of wooded ground
of near half mile interviewed between
the head of General Dodge's column
and General Blair's line, through
which the enemy had poured, but the
last order given by General MoPher-
son was to hurry a brigade Colonel
Wangenn's) Of the Fifteenth corps
across from the railroad to occupy
tniS gap. 1t came across on the d0u-
ble-quick and checked the enemy.
While ,Hardee attacked in flank, Stew.
arts corps was to attack in front
directly out from the main works, but
fortunately their attack was not sim
ultsneous. The enemy swept across
the hill, which our men were then
fortifying, and captured the pioneer
company, its tools and almost the en-
tire working party and bore down on
our left until he encountered General
Giles A. Smiths division of the
Seventeenth corps, which was some
what in "air," and forced to fight
first from ono side Of the old rife
psrapets and then from the other, so
as to form flank to General Leg
gett's division, which held the apex
of the hill which uoo &ho or1, ..:.a