Part I - Don's Metal Detecting Forum

file:///I|/civil war books/war of rebellion/38a.txt
a foot of ground. The fighting 4~ontinued throughout the afternoon
till sundown, when the enemy, repulsed at all points, fell back to his
works. Our loss was severe, num bering 1,600 in killed and wounded,
but judging from the number of the enemy’s dead left on the field
and buried by us (200 being found in Newton’s front alone) his loss
must have been much greater. We captured 360 prisoners, of
whom 122 were wounded, besides several stand of colors, small-
CHAP. LI REPORTS, ETC.—ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND. 15Z
arms, &c.- Wood’s and Stanley’s divisions, of Howard’s corps, drove
the enemy from two lines of outer works, capturing some prisoners,
and developed a strong line of works still farther on and within
three miles of Atlanta.
During the 21st there was considerable skirmishing along the
entire line, our forces in the mean time crowding up to the rebel
maui line of works, which were quite formidable. During the night
of the 21st the enemy fell back to the fortifications imme(liately encircling
the city of Atlanta, and at an early hour on the 22d I had
(lisposed my troops confronting the new line of defenses taken up by
him. Palmer’s corps still held the right of my line, with his left
resting near the Western and Atlantic Railroad, two and a half
miles northwest of Atlanta, connecting at that point with General
Hooker’s corps, which latter continued the line around to the main
Buck Head and Atlanta road, where Howard’s corps took it up,
Howard’s left connecting with General Schofield’s army near Colonel
Howard’s house, on a road leading to Atlanta about one and a half
miles southeast of the main Buck Head road. The position chosen
by us was a strong one, and by night-fall of the 22d had been greatly
strengthened by earth-works, and it having been ascertained that
from several points Atlanta could be reached with rifled artillery,
orders were given to keep up a steady fire upon the town night and
day. McCook’s division of cavalry was crossed to the east side of
the river and posted on the right of my army, along Proctor’s Creek,
extending over toward Mason and Turner’s Ferry, on the Chattahoochee.
General Rousseau’s expedition reached Marietta on the 22d from
Opelika, where he had been sent to break the West Point and Montgomery
Railroad. He left Decatur, Ala., on the 10th instant, with
a mounted force numbering 2,500 meu, and two pieces of artillery,
and gives the result of his expedition as follows:
The whole length of railroad destroyed was over thirty miles, including a number
of trestle bridges, a water-tank at Notasulga, the station buildings, &c., at Opelika,
Auburn, Loachapoka, Notasulga, and considerable supplies and materials at
each of those points.
The enemy, under General Clanton, wasmet at Ten Island Ford, on
the Coosa River, where he endeavored to dispute the passage of the
expedition, but after a spirited skirmish was driven off with some
loss. Again, near Chehaw Station, the enemy made an effort to prevent
the disablement of the railroad, but after a stubborn resistance
was obliged to retire, leaving in our hands about 40 of his dead and
a large number of wounded. The command started from Opelika
on the afternoon of the 19th to return, and, marching via Carrollton
and Villa Rica, reached Marietta on the 22d, without meeting
with any opposition. Although General Rousseau received his instructions
direct from the major-general commanding the military
division, the expedition having be9n made up from troops belonging
to my command, I take the liberty of mentioning their operations
officially, for a detailed account of which I respectfully refer
you to the accompanying official report of Major-General Rousseau.
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