The Washington herald., 1914-10-05


force, under Maj. Gen. Samuel G. French,
part Of Hoods army that had marched
to destroy Gen. sherman's railroads north
Of Atlanta, attacked q Federal gar-'son
under Gen. John M. Corse at AllatoJna,
and was repulsed in an all-day fight.
The attack was notable not only for the
stubborn defense Of the Federals, but be-
cause an alleged signal message from
Sherman on Kenesaw Mountain, in the
words Hold the fort, for am coming
"a phrase afterward adopted by re-
vivalIsts and made the theme OF a now
well-known hymn.
As q matter of fact Sherman sent no
message containing these words. He did
send messages Of encouragement from the
summit Of Kenesaw, twelve miles to the
south, but the phrases. Hold the fort"
and 'T am coming" are not to be found
in any OF them.
When Sherman had learned on Octo-
ber that the Confederates had crossed
the ChattAhoochee River. west from At
lanta, and swung around upon the rail-
road that connected Atlanta with the
north, he had ordered the bulk of his
forces to follow and fight them. Part OF
the army left Atlanta on October 3 and
the balance moved moth toward Marietta
the next day.
Inc IClekTdpn ndu DGtn cut HOTAH anu
south OF Marietta. Gen. A. p. Stewards 3
corps of Hoods army had captured the
small garrisons at Big Shanty and Ack-
worth. north OF Kenesaw Mountain, and
had labored all night OF October 3 de-
stroying the railroad between those two
places. a distance OF about six miles
Garrison of 1914 Men.
The country in Sherman's rear. where
h. Tnnfadarataa had
been stripped of supplies in the previous
campaign against Atlanta, and no large
body Of troops could long remain there
without replenishing its commissary
stores. There were stored in the depots
at Allatoona more than 100000 rations Of
bread and Sherman believed that the
Confederates would make a desperate at
tempt to capture them, as well as to
destroy the railroad in that quarter.
Learning Of the presence of Gen. Stew
arts troops at Ackworth and Big Shanty.
only q few miles south Of Allatoona, he
ordered Gen. John NJ. Corse, at Rome.
Ga. twenty-seven miles northwest Of Al
latoona, to go to the aid Of the latter
place.
Corse received the message at noon.
There was a delay in getting transporta-
ton. but he finally entrained about 1000
men of his division of the Sixteenth
Corps, and ls5. 900 rounds Of ammunition,
and reached Allatoona at / o'clock in the
morning OF October ;. Gen. Corse at
once sent off the train TO bring up the
rest OF his command. and then Joined
the commander Of the post. Lieut.. Col.
John E. Tourtellotte. OF the. Fourth Min
nesota Regiment
1t was found that the garrison now
murdered 1874 men. comprising the
Hrgh Af,naoANa I'D
seven companies Of the Eighteenth Wis
consln battery. all of the original gar
rison, totalling Ss0 men: with eight
companies OF the Thirty-ninth Iowa. nine
of the Seventh Illinois. eight Of the
Fiftieth Illinois. two of the Fifty-seyenth
Illinois and a detachment OF the Twelfth
Illinois regiments. all infantry. totallingi
! .OsI men, which Gen. Corse had brought
with him.
Skirmishing was going on when Gen.
Corse arrived upon the scene. and this
gre more heavy as the night wore on.
At daybresk the Federals were with
drawn from the town just south Of the
railroad cut and posted o.: the heights
Of Allatoona Mountain. in the defenses
prepared for them.
Attack on ATIRtOonA.
The Confederates under Gen. French
comprised the three briEades OF Gems.
w. H. Young. Francis NJ. Cockrell and
c W. Sears. about 5000 men, which had
beeh detached from Stewards corps. near
Big Shanty.
As the Confederates marched north
along the lonely roads. guided by a
young boy, who was not very familiar
with the country thereabouts. they could
see the signal tights flashing back and
forth between Allatoona and Kenesaw
Mountain, and off to the east the glare
of campfires of a body OF Federal cav
airy. The night was very dark and the
roads bad. 1t was not until 3 o'clock
that Gen. French neareG the village Of
Allatoona. Attempts to gain the ridge
crowned by the Federal works misCar-
ried. and It was 7:3O a. m. before the
fortihcations were first seen.
The defenses at Allatoona consisted of
two small redoubts, one on each side of
the railroad cut through the mountain.
which was about sixty feet deep. EX-
terror lines of trenches and rifle pits
protected both redoubts
Lieut.. Col. Tourtellotte. with the
Twelfth and Fiftieth Illinois and Fourth
Minnesota regiments. was posted in the
east defenses, while Gen. sCorse. with
the rest of the garrison, held the redoubts
on the west of the cut
cover OF which the Confederates got into
position. CockrelI, on the west of the
ridge. supported by Young. Sears on
the north astride the railroad, and the
and its support on the south.
Gen. French demanded the surrender Of
the Federal works, sin order to avoid a
needless effusion of blood
Corse replied: I'VE are prepared for
the needless effusion of blood wheneve'.
II is agreeable to you" Then the battle
opened.
No troops fought more calamity than
French's command. They charged the
Federal lines and attempted to force their
way into the exterior defenses in face
OF a deadly fire. The ground over which
they moved was left covered with their
dead and wounded.
But they met their match. THREE regi-
ments. the Thirty-ninth Iowa and the
Seventh and Ninety-seventh Illinois bat
tied like demons to hold their positions
against the renewed attacks from front
and flank.
The gallant Col Redfield, q the Thirty
ninth Iowa, fell, shot in four places, and
wrote Corse: 'The extraordinary valor