The Washington herald., 1914-09-01


{ be surrounded and. il possible. cap
tured.
/ Late in the afternoon the concentra-
tion was effected. and the Federals
moved forward TO the attack. Har-
I dee's works though hurriedly thrown
up. occupied a very strong position
The ground in front OF them was much
broken up and covered with a tangled
underbrush. The first assaults by the
Federals were repulsed with consider
able loss
Finally. just before o'clock. a final
advance was ordered. This was led by
Estes brigade Of Baird's division.
which carried a salient of the Confed-
crate works with loss Of nearly one
third OF its numbers. In a short time
the Federals swept through the gap.
Beside forcing the Confederates back
they captured Gen. D. c. Govan with
nearly his whole brigade. and two bat
( teries OF artillery
BY that time darkness covered the
field and saved the Confederates from
further losses. The Federal casual
ties OF the day were about ! 800 killed.
wounded. and missing. On the Con-
federate side fully 300 dead were left
upon the field, while about goo sur
rendered with Gen. Govan. Hardee re-
tired in the night to a new position
several miles south of Jonesboro The
following day another thousand pris-
oners. including many of Hardee's
wounded, who had been left in the hos
pitals were taken by the Federals.
Scenes I'm Atlanta.
All through the day tidings of affairs
in the rear of Atlanta had drifted
into the city. and Gen. Hood at last
realized that he was in trap. He had
no alternative but to evaCuate the city.
and to gather his army around him at
some point to the south beyond Jones'
boro.
1t was with sad heart that he issued
orders placing his men in motion.
Lees Corps, worn by Its all-night'
march. was halted and turned about.
Georgia militiamen who had turned out
to defend their State. and had done
yeoman service in the trenches and
forts in fronts of Atlanta. prepared to
leave the city. Gen. Stewards Army
Corps comprising the only regular troops
OF the Confederate Army still within
and calmly faced the prospect OF long
retreat
"Deserters and stragglers pouring
into the city from JonesbOro soon aC-
quainted even the citizens with the fact
that the battle had gone against them
and that Sherman's Army was In COM
plete possession of the Macon and
Western Railroad" wrote Thomas II.
Martin in his story OF Atlanta and its
Builders"
"AlI that day. and especially during
the afternoon, il was apparent that the
situation was most critical by the move
ments OF the troops still clinging to the
defense OF Atlanta.
The guns in the embrasures were one
by one withdrawn and dragged to the
southeastern part of the city, where the
artillery and a vast number OF army
wagons were packed in readiness to be
moved when the army took up its line
of march. Military discipline seemed 10
be relaxed. in so far as the citizens were
governed by II. People who ventured
out of their houses to see what was go
ing on were no longer stopped on the
street and asked to exhibit their passes.
Soldiers hurried hither and thither,
too busy or forbidden to answer ques-
tions, and Atlanta could only guess
what was about to transpire. With the
majority the idea prevailed that Hocd
was massing his forces for a great bat
tie in the very Threshold of the city,
and ears were strained anxiously for the
sound OF cann'onsding to the south.
from which direction Sherman was be-
ieved to be advancing in force
But there was to be no battle, and the
first Federal troops that the citizens of
Atlanta were to see were to ride into
the town the next day from the north,
after receiving its surrender at the
hands Of the Mayor I
tCopyrisht. lsi4l