The Washington herald., 1914-06-02

Fifty years ago today the Federai'
under Gen. w. T. Sherman practically
completed a fianking movement that was
| to force Gen J. E. Johnston TO retreat
| to Kenesaw Mountain, only twenty miles
| from Atlanta.
Gen. Sherman's strategy in the preced.
ing week had illustrated his genius as q
commander It showed conclusively that
he was ever ready to adapt his plans to
the exigencies of the campaign.
He had started out on May q to march
around the flank Of the Confederates al
AIlatoona. intending to reach Marietta,
fifteen miles in their rear. Gen John
ston had interposed and for a week the
two armies had fought intermittently in
a forest-clad country west of the rail-
road along which they had been operat-
ing.
When Sherman found that Johnston
had placed his army across the roads
to Marietta he determined to occupy
Allatoona-
The march around Gen. Johnston s
flank had started from Kingston, eight
cen miles northwest Of Allatoona, where
the Confederate army had been ready to
contest the passage of Allatoona Noun
tain. Sherman knew that the position
there was exceedingly strong. There
fore he planned to force Gen. Johnston
to evacuate 1t by threatening his rear.
Cutting loose from the railroad al
Kingston, where he established a tenn
porary depot OF supplies, and depending
entirely upon his wagon trains to carry
supplies for twenty days. he pushed his
army across the Etowah River. and two
days later came in contact with Gen.
Johnston's army in the depths Of a great
wilderness southwest of Allatoona. where
at a crossroad stood a little Methodist
meeting-house called New Hope Church.
Here Gen. Joseph Hooker's corps opened
the fighting with a bloody struggle last
ing well into the night.
On May IS, q. g, and 9 there was
heavy fighting all along this line IL
had not been a general battle but rather
a series Of attacks launched by the
commanders on both sides. The dense
woods rendered maneuvering extremely
difficult and the fighting developed into
isolated contests behind log breastworks.
Struggle I'm Dense Woods.
The character of the struggle in the for
est near New Hope Church cannot be
appreciated by those not familiar with
the ground. 1t was practically impos-
sible for either side to attempt to man
euver the troops in any regular manner
on account of the dense woods The
tactics generally employed resembled
those of the Indians and backwoodsmen
rather than of carefully drilled soldiers.
Gen. Sherman in his Memoirs wrote
that he visited personally all parts Of
the Federal lines nearly every day IN
the time that his army faced Gen. John
ston at New Hope. and that although
the fire of musketry and cannon re-
sounded day and night along the whole
line, varying in length from six to ten
miles. he rarely saw even dozen Con-
federates at any one time. Even these,
he said, were always skirmishers. dodg-
ing from tree to tree or behind logs on
the ground or men who occasionally
sounded their heads above hastily con-
structed but remarkably strong rife pits.
On the Federal side especially the con-
struction Of defensive works soon be-
came a fine art among the rank and
file. Practically every time the Federal
line changed position the men. without
waiting orders from their superiors. pro-
ceeded to throw up shelters which were
made more permanent after II became
evident that they were to Occupy their
new position for some time.
These log defenses usually were three
or four feet high. Large trees were
felIed. trimmed, and rolled into line.
forming a solid foundation. Then other
smaller trunks were laid on top of them.
When the position was likely to be SUBJ
jected to artillery fire II was common
to have the breastworks ten or twelve
feet thick at the base and about three
feet at the top. The topmost logs were
slightly raised from the rest by the In
eertion, OF long sllids or poles under them.
This allowed a space Of about three
inches through which . man Could thrust