The National tribune., 1909-05-20

nothing but retreat. Grant, Sherman,
Sheridan, Meade and Thomas were of
different metal.
Gen. John B. Food had early distin-
guished himself, when Lieutenant
serving against the Apaches. by his
disposition to come into close quarters
with the enemy and maintain stub
born fight with him. He WIS a man of
great determination, of high courage,
but of moderate abilities. In spite OF
the yehemence and pertinacity of his
flank attacks he had very few substan-
tial successes to boast of. 1t is true
that he had demoralized Franklin at
the White House Landing by sudden,
sharp attack; but, then, everybody de-
rnoralized Franklin. At Gettysburg
Hood made what he hoped would win
him lasting renown, but was beaten
back by an inferior force in the de-
cisive struggle for the possession of Lit
tie Round Top. He had succeeded no
better at Chickamauga, while his as
saults during the Atlanta campaign had
never succeeded even when chance
favored him. Still, Mr.. Davis and his
military adviser. Gen. Braxton Bragg,
thought II best to put him in command
in place of Johnston, and dash out
against the Union force the army which
that able commander had carefully con-
served behind strong defenses. AS said
before. the Union soldiers wanted moth
Ing DeLleT tIldu tDdt their eueHiy SHouiu
come out into the open and fight them.
Hood was now about to oblige them.
The Battle OF Peachtree Creek.
Circumstances were singuiarly favor
able for Hood to signalize the advent of
command by a crushing victory. The
o,,ter line of works which Johnston had
prepared began at the railroad about
two miles from the river, and ran along
about six miles to the northeast. They
were on a ridge forming the boundary
of the valley of Peachtree Creek, and
near the junction of Pea Vine Creek
with that stream, the fntrenchments
turned sharply toward the southeast to
follow Pea Vine Creek until they crossed
the railroad, entering Atlanta from the
east This sudden change in the direc-
tion of the fortifications made sharp
salient, which separated the Union line
and left the two fianks out of reach of
mutual support. IN other words, the
Armies of the Tennessee and Ohio, with
two divisions OF the Army of the Cum
berland, were to the eastward, press
ing down toward Atlanta and the rail-
road. They were the more anxious to
destroy the railroad, because of Grants
fears that the Confederates who had
been operating in the Shenandoah VAL
ley had been sent to reinforce Johnston
with 10000 men. Mcpherson destroyed
the railroad for seven or eight miles
east of Atlanta.
On the southwest side of this salient
was the Army of the Cumberland minus
two strong divisions. The army had
crossed Peachtree Creek by various
Sords and bridges, and had not yet
formed a complete connecting line.
Hood not only had a thoro acquaintance
with the country, but he had his men
well In hand, so that he could hope to
move out of his works and strike and
crush the isolated divisions of the Army
of the Cumberland, roll them up one
after another without their being able
TO help each other, until he had finally
forced them, confused. broken mass.
into the miry bottom at the junction of
the Peachtree Creek with the Chatta-
hoochee
The organization of the Confederate
army had been somewhat changed. Gen.
A =. Stewart had succeeded to the
command of the corps made vacant by
the death of Bishop Leonidas Polk, and
Gen. Cheatham had succeeded to the
command of the corps formerly COM
manded by Hood. Besides this. there
was large body of Georgia militia un-
der the command of Gustayus w.
Smith, an officer who had aroused the
highest expectations in the minds Of
the Confederates in the beginning of
the war, but who soon fell under the
displeasure of Mr.. Davis, and had been
retired to the rear since the Peninsular
campaign, during which he had held a
highly important command.
Hoods plan was for Cheatham and
Smith to hold the east side of these de-
fenses that stretched along Pea Vine
Creek, and check the advance of Nc
Pherson and Schofield, while Hardee
and Stewart, issuing from their works,