BATTLE OF ALLATOONA, GA.
On the morning of October 5th, the rebels, seven thousand strong, and led by General French, attacked Allatoona. A stubborn fight ensued, lasting about six hours. General Sherman, pushing on from Atlanta, reached Kenesaw Mountain while the battle was in progress. The National troops holding Allatoona, though largely outnumbered, fought with the greatest desperation, and successfully maintained their position, until, on the approach of reinforcements, the rebels fell back, entirely discomfited. Their loss in this spirited engagement was upwards of one thousand men, killed, wounded and prisoners. The Union loss was about five hundred.
THE GREAT REBEL BLUNDER.
General Sherman occupied the Pass, after the battle, and from that point kept watch upon Hood, secretly hoping—while pretending anxious pursuit—that the rebel general would be lured away into Northern Alabama and Tennessee. The sequel satisfied the hopes of the Union commander. Passing by Rome and Kingston, the rebels moved north, and next threatened Resaca, which was held by Colonel Weaver, with a garrison of six hundred men. Colonel Weaver’s reply, on being summoned to surrender, is memorable: “In my opinion,” he said, “I can hold the fort. If you want it, come and take it.” But Hood was burning with bolder designs, and the determined little garrison of Resaca was passed by unmolested.
On the fourteenth of October, General Sherman’s forces arrived there, slowly pursuing Hood. On the same day Hood captured Dalton, continuing there the work of destruction which had marked his entire advance. Thence, closely pushed by Sherman, he passed, by way of Lafayette, into Alabama, halting at last at Gadsdens, on the Coosa river, seventy-five miles from the latter city. But the halt lasted only for a few days.
Early in November, having received reinforcements from Beauregard—then at Charleston—Hood resumed his march, and entered Tennessee. The pursuing army of Sherman was now at Gaylesville; and here the pursuit ceased. The enemy had fallen into the snare, and it only now remained for the invincible General Thomas to deal him his deathblow. That blow was struck, within a very brief period of time, at Nashville. It will be proper, however, before describing those memorable battles, to recount the more immediate movements of General Sherman, and the destruction of Atlanta.
PREPARATIONS FOR SHERMAN’S GRAND MARCH.
General Thomas, at the head of a considerable body of Union troops, was at this time in readiness to confront the advancing rebels south of Nashville. On hearing that Hood had started to invade Tennessee, General Sherman immediately withdrew his army to Rome, and sent forward two corps, the Fourth and the Twenty-third, one commanded by General Stanley, the other by General Schofield, to reinforce Thomas. These troops went by way of Chattanooga, and safely reached their destination. General Sherman’s remaining force consisted of five corps—the Fourteenth, Fifteenth, Sixteenth, Seventeenth and Twentieth—the latter constituting the garrison of Atlanta. With this force, subsequently condensed into four corps, and amply sufficient for the purpose, he was prepared for his great march across the rebel territory, from Atlanta to the sea. Full details of the plan had been given to General Thomas, who, on his part, felt confident of being able to dispose of Hood.
To cut off all communication between Atlanta and Chattanooga, to destroy every possible facility of transportation in that vicinity, which an enemy might chance to find serviceable, and lastly, to render Atlanta itself entirely useless, were now imperative incidents of Sherman’s campaign. This work was accomplished within the first twelve days of the month of November. In the course of that time, all the wounded and the sick, together with all prisoners, stores and machinery, and surplus artillery that had accumulated at Rome, Atlanta, and other neighboring places were conveyed by railroad to Chattanooga. The road was then destroyed. The hand of destruction was also laid, though lightly, upon Rome, everything being demolished in that city which might chance to become useful to the rebels in future. A contemporary correspondent gives the following account of