The National tribune., 1910-08-25

Gee. then under command of Gen.
Thomas. In the Spring following these
two corps were consolidated and formed
the Twentieth Corps. and all the forces
Sn Tennessee were put under command
of Sherman.
With such a force of veterans, tried
and tested, from commander down.
there was no stemming the steady for
ward movement. = strong force of the
enemy was constantly manuvering in
our front, only few miles in advance.
Every few days they would halt, throw
up breastworks and make a show of
resistance, as at Resaca, May Is; Dali
las. May 25; at Kenesaw Mountain-a
series of encounters-and at Atlanta
July %, where our brave Gen. McPher-
son fell. These were all sharply con-
tested battles. But the dash and daring
of us Yanks knew no repulse in any en-
sagements The rebels were simply
routed, and driven on and on, till they
sought shelter in their final stand be-
hind their fortifcations at Atlanta. Here
was displayed the shrewdest and best of
their military skill in engineering. 1t
took superior tact and manuvering to
outgeneral them. The South had verify
intrenched herself within the walls,
strongly fortified and guarded at every
point. Huge guns projected from every
parapet Not until after six weeks Of
siege, IN the not UlOHlnS Ol july anu
August. did Sherman find 1t "conven-
lent to take even a peep inside those
fortifcations.
In the early part of September Sher-
man conceived the idea of falling upon
the rebel commander, Hood, from an
other point. Orders came to the Twen-
tieth Corps. after dark one evening. to
fall back to position for better adyan-
tage. Every precaution was used to
insure quiet. Artillery wheels were
muffied. Every tin can. coffee pot and
canteen was fastened TO prevent rat
tling. In this careful way the command
moved quickly back, eight miles. to pro-
tect the bridge spanning the Chatta
hoochie River, while the other CORPS
swung around to the rear of Atlanta
and struck a blow where the enemy
least expected it.
The effect was magical. There was
such a racket made by the bursting of
rebel magazines and shell foundry
about o'clock the second morning as
TO awaken everybody. So completely
surprised were the rebels at this STRAIT
egic movement that In less than 4s
hours the Confederacy in and about
Atlanta was completely demoralized,
and fed pelf-mell southwark. while
Sherman's army entered triumphantly.
with bands playing and colors flying.
1t was grand sight, never to be for
gotten. buI lIlL5 was not all Oh tnelr
surprise. simultaneously with this ca
tastrophy in and hasty retreat from
Atlanta (and what brought II about)
was the precipitous attack upon jones'
boro. about 20 miles to the rear. by
Sherman's forces, that had stealthily
and quickly swung around SO far that
the enemy thought he had abandoned
the siege. In fact, placarded in bold
lettering upon walls about the city, we
found these words: "Yanks retreated
Sept g" But they awoke to find Sher-
man and his stalwart warriors still on
duty in the severe battle at Jonesboro
that brought their complete rout.
During the long siege of Atlanta
many of the citizens, to insure safety to
themselves. dug caves in their Yards.
They would retreat into these when the
big siege guns began to play upon the
city and sleep in them at night.
1t was supposed by the knowing ones
fCthere were always many such in every
rcgiment) that Atlanta was to be held
as a base of supplies for Gen. Sher-
mans army. 1t had been the strong
hold of the Confederacy. II was to the
Army of the Cumberland and the Mill
tary Division Of the Mississippi what
Richmond was to the Army of the Po-
tomac But after few weeks stay in
and around this city, recuperating from
incessant marching and sieging and
Circumstances had developed differ
ent phase TO military affairs. It was
decided 10 abandon Atlanta as a base
cut loose from all rear communications
and without a base of supplies march
Whittier was the general
mystery.
on Nov Is. 1864. 10000 battle
Scared veterans turned their backs up.
on Atlanta, and the rebel General
Hood, took his army northward a few
days before Sherman left TO cut Sher-
mans rear communications. But Sher-
man had already abandoned them. and
Hood found himself on a wild-goose
chase and on an expedition frought
with disaster to himself later on. Gen
Thomas was sent to harass Hood, with
the Fourth, Twenty-third and a part OF
the Sixteenth Corps. He had all told
about $4,000 men. Eventually he strug-
gled fiercely with him in the battles OF
Franklin and Nashville. In the latter
engagement Hood found his Waterloo
Sherman's four corps moved by four
nearly parallel roads from five to 10
miles apart. making the belt OF country
Pwept by our troops about SO miles in