The Washington herald., 1914-07-17

When, on July 9. Gen. Johnston had
deemed II advisable to fall back behind
! the Chatts hoochee and TO await the Fed
erals behind the defenses at Atlanta
PRESIDENT Davis telegraphed Johnston,
asking for an outline OF his future pIans
zen. Johnston's reply Vas held to be
| evasive
In the evening Of July II Gen. John.
sion received this dispatch at his head
quarters IN farmhouse few miles
| north Of Atlanta:
I am directed by the Secretary NJ
war to inform you that as You have
failed TO arrest the advance of the
enemy TO the vicinity Of Atlanta. far IN
the interior OF Georgia. and express M
confidence that You can defeat or repeI
them, you are hereby relieved from the
command Of the Army and Department
OF Tennessee, which you will Immediate
ly turn over TO Gen. Hood" 1t was sign
ed by Gen Samuel Cooper, Confederate
adjutant general at Richmond.
Gen. Johnston replied in a telegram n
Richmond. -
AS to the alleged cause of my re-
moVal. he wrote. Il assert that Cen
Sherman's army is much stronger COM
pared with that Of the Tennessee than
Grants compared with that OF North-
ern Virginia. Yet the enemy has been
compelled to advance much more SLOWLY
to the vicinity Of Atlanta than IN that
OF Richmond and Petersburg, and has
penetrated much deeper into Virrinia
than into Georgia. Confident Iangyaga
BY military commander is not ususIIy
regarded as an evidence Of competency =
On thls point the facts are: The rela-
i've strength of the opposing armies
IN Virginia and Georgia were, roughly
the same Lee had been forced back
sixty miles in twenty-seven days. whiIa
Johnston had retreated only eighty-five
miles in sixty-ive days"
To Move Mt Daybreak.
When the change in command tooL
plac within tn Confederate Iines
the Federals were crossing the Chatta-
hoochee River at several points north
OF Atlanta, and were pushing their
columns into the wooded country be-
tween the river and the city.
Little opposition was encountered
and by the night OF July Is part Of the
army was gathered along the north
bank of Peach Tree Creek. behind
which the Confederates had construct
ed their outer line OF defenses So
weak were the efforts of the Confed-
crates to block the progress OF the
Union army that Gen. John A. Logan,
commanding a corps of the Army oil
the Tennessee, which had reached the |
vicinity OF Decatur. on the railroad. |
eight miles east of Atlanta, reported |
that The loss in the whole command |
so far as l can learn. is one horse with |
pains in his belly from eating green |
corn"
The railroad had been cut between |
Decatur and Stone Mountain by Fed
eral cavalry. and on the night of July |
ls Gen Sherman believed everything |
In readiness for a general advance on
the next day.
The Army of the Cumberland under
Gen. G. H. Thomas was along Peach
Tree Creek, from its mouth to the vi
cinity OF Buck Head. and had pushed
the heads of its three corps to the
south bank. The Army OF Ohio. Gen.
!. NJ. Schoneld. was on Thomas left,
below the south fork OF the creek, but
not connected with Thomas, The Army
II the Tennessee, Gen. James B. Nc
Pherson, was near Decatur, connecting
with Schofeld's left.
Gen. Sherman ordered his armies to
move against Atlanta at daylight. He
instructed his commanders to accept
,attle on anything like fair terms"
Ind II fred upon from forts or build
ngs OF the city. to give no considera-
ion to the fact that they are occu-
,ied by families, but the place mus
,e cannonaded without the formality
II a demand"
But in the morning Gen. Hood was to
axe matters into his own hands and
LAY the first cards in the great game
II war.
Tomorrowi. Early Cheeks Purscit
lcopsrisa:. nAl