ARMY OPERATIOXS. 



the main line, and the abandoned works, with 

 two batteries, fell into the hands of the enemy. 

 The position gained by the latter, if allowed to 

 be held by them, threatened such serious dis- 

 aster that Gen. Sherman sent orders to Gen. 

 Logan, which had already been anticipated by 

 that general, to make the 15th corps regain its 

 lost ground at any cost. In aid of this move- 

 ment he posted certain batteries from Gen. 

 Schofield's corps where they could shell the 

 enemy and the works beyond, so as to prevent 

 reenforcements. Just as the enemy were pre- 

 paring to turn the captured Parrotts upon the 

 inner Federal line, the 15th corps, supported 

 by portions of Gen. Schofield's troops, ad- 

 vanced with loud cheers upon them ; and 

 after a desperate struggle, in the course of 

 which both Federals and rebels at times fought 

 hand to hand across the narrow parapet, the 

 latter were driven out of the works and the 

 guns retaken. Their retreat was accelerated 

 by repeated discharges of grape and canister 

 among their crowded ranks which caused an 

 awful carnage. With this repulse the battle 

 terminated. 



This was by far the bloodiest battle yet 

 fought in Georgia; and notwithstanding the 

 complete defeat of the enemy at all points, the 

 Federal army sustained an irreparable loss in 

 the death of Gen. McPherson, described by 

 Gen. Sherman as "a noble youth, of striking 

 personal appearance, of the highest profes- 

 sional capacity, and with a heart abounding in 

 kindness that drew to him the affections of all 

 men." The heroic conduct of the Army of the 

 Tennessee during the whole battle was in no 

 slight degree owing to the desire to avenge the 

 fall of their commander. The total Federal 

 loss on the 22d was 3,722, of whom much the 

 greater portion were killed and wounded. The 

 enemy's dead alone in front of our lines num- 

 bered 2,200 from actual count, and of these 

 800 were delivered to the enemy under flag of 

 truce. Their total loss in killed was computed 

 by Gen. Logan at 3,240. Upwards of 3,000 

 prisoners, including 1,000 wounded, and many' 

 commissioned officers of high rank, beside 18 

 colors and 5,000 small arms, fell into the hands 

 of the Federals. The enemy of course removed 

 many of their dead and most of their wounded. 

 Owing to the closeness and desperation of the 

 conflict, the proportion of wounded to killed 

 was nrach less than usual probably not more 

 than two to one Avhich would make their 

 loss in wounded about G,500, and their total 

 loss in killed, wounded, and prisoners, more 

 than 12,000. 



As an important feature in his campaign, 

 cren. Sherman had contemplated, in addition to 

 offensive operations against the enemy in the 

 field, a series of expeditions against the several 

 railroads by which supplies or reenforcements 

 were brought to Atlanta. The first line of rebel 

 communications selected to be broken was the 

 railroad system connecting Atlanta with the 

 southwest, comprising the Atlanta and "West 



Point and the West Point and Montgomery 

 roads; and on July 10, in accordance with or- 

 ders long previously issued by Gen. Sherman, 

 a body of 2,000 Federal cavalry, under Gen. 

 Kousseau, started from Decatur, Ala., for Ope- 

 lika, a station on the latter of these roads, in 

 eastern Alabama, whence a road diverges east 

 to the important manufacturing town of Colum- 

 bus, Geo., and thence to Macon. On the 13th 

 Gen. Eousseau crossed the Coosa near the Ten 

 Islands, routing a body of Alabama cavalry ; 

 passed rapidly through Talladega ; skirmished 

 again with the enemy at the crossing of the Tal- 

 lapoosa ; and on the 16th struck the West Point 

 and Montgomery road at Loachapoka, ten miles 

 west of Opelika. From this point to Opelika 

 the railroad was well broken up, and the 

 bridges and culverts destroyed, beside three 

 miles of the branch toward Columbus and two 

 toward West Point. Gen. Eousseau then turn 

 ed north, and brought his command in safety 

 to Marietta on the 22d, with a loss of less than 

 thirty men. 



The next operation was to more thoroughly 

 disable the Georgia railroad. This had been 

 broken up between Decatur and Atlanta as the 

 army closed around the city ; but as Gen. Sher- 

 man already contemplated prolonging his right 

 toward the west and south of the town, and 

 possibly abandoning his hold on the railroad, it 

 became necessary to render the latter unavail- 

 able to the rebels. Gen. Garrard was therefore 

 detached on the 21st, and ordered to proceed 

 with his cavalry to Covington, forty-one miles 

 east of Atlanta, and destroy the railroad bridges 

 over the Yellow and Ulcopauhatchee Rivers, 

 branches of the Ocmulgee. He returned in safe- 

 ty on the 24th, having completely destroyed the 

 two bridges, of which that over the Yellow River 

 was 550 feet in length, and the other 250 feet, 

 and broken up the railroad for seven miles be- 

 tween the two. He also burned three trains 

 of cars, numerous depots, minor bridges and 

 culverts, 2,000 bales of cotton, a new and ex- 

 tensive hospital building at Covington, and a 

 considerable quantity of commissary and quar- 

 termaster's stores, and brought in with him 

 several hundred prisoners and negroes and 

 many horses. He lost but two men in the ex- 

 pedition. 



Having rendered the Georgia road useless to 

 the enemy Gen. Sherman next turned his atten- 

 tion to the Macon and Western Railroad, con- 

 necting Atlanta, with Macon, and the only ave- 

 nue left for the conveyance of stores and am- 

 munition to the rebel army. For the purpose 

 of effectually crippling this, he organized his 

 cavalry in two large bodies, to move in concert 

 from each wing of the army, while simultane- 

 ously with this movement the Army of the 

 Tennessee was to be shifted by the right toward 

 East Point, a station six miles south of Atlanta, 

 where the Atlanta and West Point and Macon 

 and Western Railroads diverge from a common 

 track. Gen. Stoneman was transferred to the 

 left flank, and assumed command of his own 



