The National tribune., 1909-03-04
WASHINGTON D. c, THURSDAY

When a sheet was completed il was
traced on thin paper. This was laid
over a sheet coated with nitrate of sill
ye~ and exposed to the rays of the sun.
T pa, result was a blackened sheet, with
rivers. roads, towns. etc, in white This
sheet was sent around for criticism and
inspection, and sometimes several edi-
tions of the map were made in one day.
Copies of the maps were furnished to
corps, division and brigade headquar-
ters and to commanders of independent
expeditions, and many officers had
copies printed on handkerchiefs All
maps being copies of the ones at Head
quarters, the possibilities of mistakes
were greatly reduced. An officer might
find the roads in his front not in ac-
|cordance with the maps sent him. yet he
knew the objective point which he was
directed TO reach. and could carry out
the general plan without serious mis-
take. Sherman's wonderful topograph-
ical insight came in good play, since he
seemed to know instinctively the coun-
try in front of him and rarely made a
mistake in the general direction he
gave to his columns.
Beyond the Etowah.
South of the Etowa!l the country rap
idly rises toward the mountain ranges.
with the streams flowing down thru
deep canyons to the Etowah. The coun-
try is far more rugged and difficult than
that north of the Etowah, and the
marches over the canyons were tor
tuous and tedious. As they were far
out of sight of the commanding Gen
eral, with little facility for communica-
tion he had to rely upon the character
of the commanders and their reputa-
ton for arriving at designated places at
the specified time.
Sherman's orders contemplated NOV
ing troops by divisions and corps over
great chessboard SO miles square
broken by mountains, streams and
dense primeval forests. The object was
to pass around the end of the range far
to Johnston's left to reach the railroad
upon which he depended for supplies
Sherman's orders were to begin the
march on May %. Schofeld, with Stone
mans Cavalry, was holding the ground
at Cassviile Depot, Cartersville and Etc.
wah Bridge. Thomas. with the Army of
the Cumberland, was at Cassville, and
Mcpherson, with the Army of the Ten
nessee, was near Kingston. The Army
of the Cumberland was ordered to
march upon Dallas on Johnston's ex-
trenle left flank.
On May 23 Gen. Sherman ordered
Gen. Blair, with two divisions of the
Seventeenth Corps, to move on Rome
and Kingston from Huntsville Ala. Col
Eli Longs Brigade of cavalry accom-
panied the infantry. The Army of the
Tennessee. moving from Kingston.
crossed the Etowat at the mouth of
Conasene Creek, and advanced toward
Dallas by the way of Van Vert. Dali
las is small village lying about 25
miles south of Kingston and 20 miles
to the westward of Marietta. The road
from Kingston to Dallas and Marietta
followed generally the watershed of
the region separating the streams flow
ing north into the Etowah from those
flowing south into the Chattahoocfie.
Gen. Thomas crossed the Army of
the Cumberland about four miles south
of Kingston, and moved thru Euharley
Creek and Stilesboro. Gen. SchofieId.
with the Army of the Ohio, crossed near
the Etowah Cliffs to the left of the
Army of the Cumberland. McCook's
Division of cavalry preceded the Army
of the Cumberland. and reached Stiles
boro on the afternoon of May 23, find
ing the enemy present with cavalry and
After nightfall the Fourth.
Fourteenth and Twentieth Corps en-
south of Euharley Creek Kill
patrick's Cavalry, under the command
of Col. w. w. Lowe, was left to guard