138 



ARMY OPERATIONS. 



also sent a division under Gen. French to cap- 

 ture the Federal post at Allatoona Pass, where 

 he had ascertained that a million and a half of 

 rations for the Federal army were stored, on 

 which he probably depended to replenish his 

 commissariat. The natural strength of the po- 

 sition was such that ten thousand men could 

 easily hold it against ten times their number, 

 so long as their supplies held out, besides cut- 

 ting off railroad communications between Chat- 

 tanooga and Atlanta. This of itself might 

 have compelled the evacuation of the latter 

 city, and was a sufficient inducement to make 

 the attack. 



Gen. Sherman, however, aware that his seat 

 in Atlanta was insecure while this long line of 

 communications lay so exposed to interruption, 

 had anticipated and partially provided against 

 such a movement as this; and immediately 

 upon hearing that Gen. Hood had crossed the 

 Chattahoochee, he despatched Gen. Corse with 

 reinforcements to Rome, which he supposed 

 the enemy were aiming at. During the pre- 

 vious week he had sent Gen. Thomas with 

 troops to Nashville to look after Forrest. His 

 bridges having meanwhile been carried away 

 by a freshet which filled the Chattahoochee, he 

 was unable to move his main body until the 

 4th, when three pontoons were laid down, over 

 which the armies of the Cumberland, the Ten- 

 nessee, and the Ohio crossed, and took up their 

 march in the direction of Marietta, with fifteen 

 days' rations. The 20th corps, Gen. Slocum, 

 was left to garrison Atlanta. Learning that the 

 enemy had captured Big Shanty and Ackworth, 

 and were threatening Allatoona, and alive to the 

 imperative necessity of holding the latter place, 

 Gen. Sherman at once communicated by signals 

 instruction to Gen. Corse at Rome to reenforce 

 the small garrison and hold the defences until 

 the main body of the Federal army could come 

 to his assistance. Upon receiving the message 

 Gen. Corse placed nine hundred men on the 

 cars, and reached Allatoona before the attack 

 of French. With this addition the garrison 

 numbered 1,700 men, with six guns. 



Early on the morning of the 5th, Gen. French, 

 with 7,000 troops, approached Allatoona, and 

 summoned the Federal commander, " in order 

 to save the unnecessary effusion of blood," to 

 make an immediate surrender; to which the 

 latter replied: "I shall not surrender, and you 

 can commence the unnecessary effusion of 

 blood whenever you please." The battle opened 

 at 8 A. M., and was waged hotly until 2 o'clock 

 in the afternoon. Driven from fort to fort, 

 until they reached their last defence, the gar- 

 rison fought with an obstinacy and desperation 

 worthy of the great stake for which they con- 

 tended. Their general was wounded early in 

 the action, but relaxed in no degree his efforts 

 to repel the enemy. On one occasion the op- 

 posing forces mingled in a bayonet charge. 

 During the heat of the contest Gen. Sherman 

 reached the summit of Ivenesaw Mountain, 

 whence ho repeatedly signalled, to Gen. Corse 



to hold out to the last. The announcement of 

 approaching succor animated the garrison to 

 renewed exertions, and they threw back the as- 

 saulting columns of the enemy again and again, 

 finally compelling them to retire, beaten anc 1 

 disheartened, in the direction of Dallas. Theii 

 retreat was hastened by the rapid approach of 

 Stanley's (4th) corps from the direction of Pine 

 Mountain. The enemy left 700 to 800 killed, 

 wounded, and prisoners in the hands of tho 

 Federals, and their total loss must have exceed- 

 ed 1,000. The garrison lost 600 men. Tho 

 town of Allatoona was reduced to a mere wreck 

 by the severe fire of the enemy, and all the 

 Federal artillery and cavalry horses were killed ; 

 but the valuable stores were saved, and the fort 

 and pass held. The only important injury done 

 by the rebels, was the destruction of six or seven 

 miles of railroad between Big Shanty and Alla- 

 toona, which Gen. Sherman immediately com- 

 menced to repair. 



For several days subsequent to the fight at 

 Allatoona, Gen. Sherman remained in the latter 

 place, watching the movements of Hood, who, 

 he suspected, would march for Rome, and 

 thence toward Bridgeport, or else to Kingston. 



The 23d corps, commanded by Gen. Cox 

 (Gen. Schofield, its commander, having pre- 

 viously been ordered to look after the defences 

 of Chattanooga), was at once sent toward the 

 former place, and, by the 10th, the whole army 

 was on the marcn thither. Gen. Hood, how- 

 ever, crossing the Etowah and avoiding Rome, 

 moved directly north, and on the 12th Stuart'a 

 corps of his army appeared in front of Resaca, 

 the defences of which were held by Col. Weaver 

 with 600 men and three pieces of artillery. Tho 

 garrison immediately took to the rifle-pits sur- 

 rounding the works, and kept the enemy's 

 skirmishers at bay, and in the midst of a brisk 

 contest a flag of truce approached, with the 

 following message : 



HEADQUARTERS ARMY TENNESSEE, I 

 IN THE FIELD, Oct. 12th, 1864. j" 

 To the Officer Commanding the United States forces 



at Kesaca, Ga. : 



SIR : I demand the immediate and unconditional 

 surrender of the post and garrison under your com- 

 mand ; and should this be acceded to, all white officers 

 and soldiers will be paroled in a few days. If the 

 place is taken by assault, no prisoners will be taken. 

 Most respectfully, your obedient servant, 



J. B. HOOD, General. 



To which Col. Weaver replied : 



HEADQUARTERS SECOND BRIGADE, I 

 THIRD DIVISION, FIFTEENTH ARMY CORPS, f 

 To Gen. J. B. Hood, : 



Your communication of this date just received. 

 In reply, I have to state that I am somewhat sur- 

 prised at the concluding paragraph, to the effect that 

 "if the place is carried by assault, no prisoners will 

 be taken." In my opinion, I can hold this post. If 

 you want it, come and take it. 



I am, General, very respectfully, your most obedient 

 servant, CLARK B. WEAVER, Comd'g Officer. 



W. W. McCAMMON, A. A. A. G. 



During the whole day continuous masses of 

 rebel troops were passing the forts, but no 

 serious attack was made upon the garrison, the 



