will. Twelve and a half miles were destroyed, the ties burned, and the iron rails heated and tortured by the utmost ingenuity of old hands at the work. Several cuts were filled up with trunks of trees, with logs, rock and earth, intermingled with loaded shells prepared as torpedoes, to explode in case of an attempt to clear them out." On the 30th the army was again in motion in a southeasterly direction, aiming to strike the Macon Railroad from Rough and Ready to Jonesboro. Gen. Hood now began to understand the object of Gen. Sherman's movement; but still ignorant, apparently, that nearly the whole Federal army was moving upon his communications, he contented himself with sending Gens. Hardee and S. D. Lee's corps to Jonesboro, where they intrenched, remaining in Atlanta with Gen. Stewart's corps and the militia. Gen. Howard, marching due east from Fairburn, arrived within half a mile of Jonesboro on the evening of the 30th; but encountering Gens. Hardee and Lee, he halted for the night in a strong position, and proceeded to throw up intrenchments. The remainder of the army, moving en echelon to the left, did not succeed in reaching the railroad.

Meanwhile the 15th corps, having seized a prominent hill which formed the key to the enemy's position, took post in the centre of the Army of the Tennessee, the 16th somewhat retired, holding the extreme right, and the 17th the left. The 15th corps spent the night in intrenching, and early next day, before the right and left flanks had taken up their advanced position, the enemy burst in masses on the 15th corps, but were steadily and repeatedly repulsed, losing several general officers, including Major-Gen. Anderson, mortally wounded, and five colonels and majors (wounded) taken prisoners, besides upward of three thousand rank and file killed, wounded, and captured. The Federal loss was slight, as the men fought behind breastworks. It was observed that the rebel attacks lacked the enthusiasm and dash which had characterized the severe assaults before Atlanta. During the 31st the 23d and 4th corps reached the railroad near Rough and Ready, and commenced destroying it north and south from that point, in the same thorough manner which had characterized their operations on the West Point road.

Upon the repulse of the enemy on the afternoon of the 31st, Gen. Sherman directed Gen. Howard to hold him in his fortifications until the remainder of the army could close in upon him. The 14th corps only, having a comparatively short distance to travel, succeeded in getting up to Jonesboro on September 1st, the other two being too far from the field, and too much embarrassed by the difficult character of the country and the want of good roads, to move with rapidity. At 4 P. M. the 14th corps, which had taken position on the left of the Army of the Tennessee, was ordered to assault the enemy's works, Gen. Sherman fearing that, if he waited for the arrival of Gens. Schofield and

Stanley, darkness might intervene, and the enemy escape without a fight. The troops steadily advanced under a withering fire of musketry and artillery, and after a desperate conflict of two hours drove the enemy from their works, capturing two batteries—one of them Loomis' battery, captured at Chickamauga, some battle flags, and a large number of prisoners, including Gen. Govan and the greater part of his brigade, forming part of the celebrated "fighting division" of Gen. Cleburne. Darkness now setting in, Gen. Hardee was enabled to fall back seven miles to Lovejoy's, where he intrenched himself in a naturally strong position. Had Gens. Stanley and Schofield succeeded in coming up in season, he would in all probability have been overwhelmed and forced to capitulate.

Meanwhile, in Atlanta on the 1st, all was excitement and consternation, as it gradually transpired that the main body of the Federal army lay between the city and Gen. Hardee. Gen. Hood at once gave orders for the evacuation of his works, and the destruction of such stores and ammunition as could not be removed. The removal of all the supplies and ammunition that the transportation facilities of the army would permit commenced early in the morning, and was continued throughout the day. Large quantities of provisions were also distributed to the people, and the several bodies of troops, as they were withdrawn from the defences and went through the city, were allowed access to the public stores. The rolling stock of the railroads, consisting of about one hundred cars and six engines, was concentrated near the rolling mill before dark, by which time all the troops had passed through, with the exception of the rear guard, left to prevent straggling. The cars were then laden with the surplus ammunition, and together with the locomotives, depots, and store houses, and every thing, in fine, which would be of use to the Federal army, fired about midnight. The flames lit up the heavens for many miles, and the explosion of the ordnance trains was distinctly heard by the army in front of Jonesboro, and by Gen. Slocum at his position on the Chattahoochee. The latter sent out a heavy reconnoitring column at daybreak on the 2d, which, pushing forward without opposition, entered the city at 9 o'clock, where it was met by the mayor, who made a formal surrender, at the same time requesting protection for non-combatants and private property. This having been freely granted, Gen. Ward's division marched into the city with drums beating and colors displayed, and the national flag was raised over the Court House amidst hearty cheers. Eleven heavy guns were found in the fortifications, beside a number subsequently exhumed; and among the additional spoils were three uninjured locomotives, three thousand muskets in good order, a quantity of tobacco, and other stores. Of the valuable machinery in the workshops part had been removed to

Augusta and Macon, and part destroyed. "We have," says Gen. Sherman, in his despatch announcing the capture of Atlanta, "as the result of this quick, and, as I think, wellexecuted movement, twenty-seven guns, over three thousand prisoners, and have buried over four hundred rebel dead, and left as many wounded that could not be removed. The rebels have lost, besides the important city of Atlanta and their stores, at least five hundred dead, twenty-five hundred wounded, and three thousand prisoners; whereas our aggregate loss will not foot up fifteen hundred. If that is not success I don't know what is."

Of the losses in killed, wounded, and missing, sustained by the Federal army up to this period, the following table, based upon the most trustworthy information at present attainable, may be considered to give a fair estimate:

Of the total number, less than one-sixth come under the head of missing. The loss in cannon was fifteen pieces-ten in the battle of July 22d, three taken from Stoneman, and two abandoned by McCook. Notwithstanding these casualties, amounting to nearly a third of the force with which he set out from Chattanooga, Gen. Sherman was enabled to report, after the fall of Atlanta, that by the arrival of reenforcements, recruits, furloughed men and convalescents, he had maintained his original strength. Of the rebel losses it is more difficult to form an estimate, but the following is believed to be reasonably correct:

Loss in skirmishing from Chattanooga to Atlanta.... 6,000

Battles at Resaca..

2,500

8,500 1,000

5,000

12,000 5,500

1,500

5,000 42,000

The enemy lost more than twenty general officers, killed and wounded, according to their own showing, besides from forty to fifty pieces of cannon, of which eight were 64-pounders, and over 25,000 stand of small arms. Their loss in colors was also much greater than that of the Federals.

Gen. Hood, upon abandoning Atlanta, directed his march toward McDonough, whence moving west he succeeded in forming a junction with Gens. Hardee and Lee. On the 2d Gen. Sherman followed in Gen. Hardee's traces, but finding him intrenched in a position of great strength, and learning the capitulation of the

city, he desisted from further attack, and on the 4th gave orders for the army to proceed by easy marches in the direction of Atlanta. On the 8th the Army of the Cumberland encamped around the city, that of the Tennessee about East Point, and that of the Ohio at Decatur. Atlanta itself was held by Gen. Slocum's (20th) corps.

Previous to the departure of the cavalry under Gen. Wheeler, on their raid against the railroad communications of Gen. Sherman, as mentioned above, the latter had enjoyed a comparative immunity from such demonstrations. This was mainly the result of the skilful dispositions which he had made for guarding the road between Atlanta and Chattanooga. In the latter place he had also wisely accumulated a sufficient quantity of stores to render him in a measure independent of Nashville, in the event of any interruption of travel between the two places. He consequently felt little immediate uneasiness upon hearing of the departure of Gen. Wheeler, but rather congratulated himself that he was at a critical moment superior to the enemy in cavalry. Gen. Wheeler left Atlanta soon after the miscarriage of Gen. Stoneman's raid, with a mounted force of six thousand men, and moving around to the northeast, struck the Western and Atlanta road near Adairsville, just midway between Atlanta and Chattanooga. Here he succeeded in capturing nine hundred beef cattle. He next approached the road at Calhoun, nine miles north of Adairsville, where he committed some damage, and on August 14th made his appearance at Dalton, of which place, "to prevent the effusion of blood," he demanded the immediate and unconditional surrender. Col. Leibold, who held the town with five hundred or six hundred men, replied that he had "been placed there to defend the post, but not to surrender." Apprising Gen. Steedman, in command at Chattanooga, of his danger, he kept Gen. Wheeler at bay until the next day, when reënforcements arrived from that place, by whose aid the enemy were driven off in confusion. Gen. Wheeler then passed up into East Tennessee, leaving the Federals to repair at their leisure the damage he had done, and in a few days the railroad was again in good running order between Atlanta and Chattanooga. He subsequently destroyed a considerable portion of the road between Chattanooga and Knoxville, and moving west during the latter part of August and first week of September, made strenuous efforts to interrupt railroad and telegraph communication between Chattanooga and Nashville; but being pursued by Gens. Rousseau, Steedman, and Granger, he was speedily driven toward Florence, and thence into Northern Alabama. The damage committed by him between Chattanooga and Atlanta was so slight, that Gen. Sherman, writing from the latter place on September 15th, was enabled to say, "Our roads and telegraphs are all repaired, and the cars run with regularity and speed."

The news of the capture of Atlanta reached

Washington on Sept. 2d, and immediately elicited the following expression of thanks from President Lincoln:

EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, Sept. 2. The national thanks are tendered by the President to Maj.-Gen. Sherman and the gallant officers and soldiers of his command, before Atlanta, for the distinguished ability, courage, and perseverance displayed in the campaign in Georgia, which, under Divine Power, resulted in the capture of the city of Atlanta.

The marches, battles, sieges, and other military operations that has signalled this campaign, must render it famous in the annals of war, and have entitled those who have participated there, to the applause and thanks of the Nation.

(Signed)

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

Orders were also given for the firing of national salutes at the principal arsenals, and the 11th of September was appointed a day of solemn national thanksgiving for the signal successes of Gen. Sherman in Georgia, and of Admiral Farragut at Mobile. The following is Gen. Sherman's congratulatory address to his troops:

HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISS.,
IN THE FIELD, ATLANTA, GA., Sept. 8.

Special Field Orders No. 68.

The officers and soldiers of the Armies of the Cumberland, Ohio, and Tennessee, have already received the thanks of the nation through its President and Commander-in-Chief; and it now remains only for him who has been with you from the beginning, and who intends to stay all the time, to thank the officers and men for their intelligence, fidelity, and courage, displayed in the campaign of Atlanta.

On the first of May our armies were lying in garri son, seemingly quiet, from Knoxville to Huntsville, and our enemy lay behind his rocky-faced barrier at Dalton, proud, defiant, and exulting. He had had time since Christmas to recover from his discomfiture on the Mission Ridge, with his ranks filled, and a new commander-in-chief, second to none of the Confederacy in reputation for skill, sagacity, and extreme popularity.

All at once our armies assumed life and action, and appeared before Dalton; threatening Rocky Face we threw ourselves upon Resaca, and the rebel army only escaped by the rapidity of its retreat, aided by the numerous roads with which he was familiar, and which were strange to us.

Again he took post at Allatoona, but we gave him no rest, and by a circuit toward Dallas and subsequent movement to Ackworth, we gained the Allatoona Pass. Then followed the eventful battles about Kenesaw, and the escape of the enemy across Chattahoochee River.

The crossing of the Chattahoochee and breaking of the Augusta road was most handsomely executed by us, and will be studied as an example in the art of war. At this stage of our game our enemies became dissatisfied with their old and skilful commander, and selected one more bold and rash. New tactics were adopted. Gen. Hood first boldly and rapidly, on the 20th of July, fell on our right at Peach Tree Creek, and lost.

Again, on the 22d, he struck our extreme left, and was severely punished; and finally again, on the 28th, he repeated the attempt on our right, and that time he must have been satisfied, for since that date he has remained on the defensive. We slowly and

gradually drew our lines about Atlanta, feeling for the railroads which supplied the rebel army and made Atlanta a place of importance.

We must concede to our enemy that he met these efforts patiently and skilfully, but at last he made the mistake we had waited for so long, and sent his cavalry to our rear, far beyond the reach of recall. Instantly our cavalry was on his only remaining

road, and we followed quickly with our principal army, and Atlanta fell into our possession as the fruit of well-concerted measures, backed by a brave and confident army.

This completed the grand task which had been assigned us by our Government, and your General again repeats his personal and official thanks to all the officers and men composing this army, for the indomitable courage and perseverance which alone could give success.

We have beaten our enemy on every ground he has chosen, and have wrested from him his own Gate City, where were located his foundries, arsenals, and workshops, deemed secure on account of their distance from our base, and the seeming impregnable obstacles intervening. Nothing is impossible to an army like this, determined to vindicate a Government which has rights wherever our flag has once floated, and is resolved to maintain them at any and all costs.

In our campaign many, yea, very many of our noble and gallant comrades have preceded us to our common destination, the grave; but they have left the memory of deeds on which a nation can build a proud history. Gens. McPherson, Harker, McCook, in our minds that should attach more closely toand others dear to us all, are now the binding links gether the living, who have to complete the task which still lies before us in the dim future.

I ask all to continue as they have so well begun the cultivation of the soldierly virtues that have ennobled our own and other countries. Courage, patience, obedience to the laws and constituted authorities of our Government; fidelity to our trusts, and good feeling among each other; each trying to excel the other in the practice of those high qualities, and it will then require no prophet to foretell that our by the fires of war, and worthy its great founder, Washcountry will in time emerge from this war, purified ington. W. T. SHERMAN, Maj.-Gen. Com'ng.

Upon arriving in Atlanta, Gen. Sherman determined that the exigencies of the service required that the place should for the present be appropriated exclusively for military purposes, and orders were immediately issued for the departure of all civilians, both male and female, excepting those in the employment of the Government. The following conveys the intentions of Gen. Sherman :

HEADQUARTERS POST OF ATLANTA,
ATLANTA, GA., Sept. 5, 1864.

General Order No. 3.
All families living in Atlanta, the male representa-
tives of which are in the service of the Confederate
States, or who have gone south, will leave the city
within five days. They will be passed through the
lines and go south.

All citizens from the North, not connected with the army, and who have not authority from Maj.Gen. Sherman or Maj.-Gen. Thomas to remain in the city, will leave within the time above mentioned. If found within the city after that date, they will be imprisoned.

All male residents of this city, who do not register their names with the city Provost-Marshal within five days and receive authority to remain here, will be imprisoned. WM. COGSWELL,

Col. Commanding Post. A truce of ten days was accordingly proposed, in a letter from the Federal general to Gen. Hood, then encamped near Lovejoy's, to which the latter made the following reply:

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE, OFFICE CHIEF OF STAFF, Sept. 9, 1864. Major-Gen. Sherman, Comm'g U. S. forces in Georgia: GENERAL: Your letter of yesterday's date, borne by James W. Ball and James R. Crew, citizens of

Atlanta, is received. You say therein: "I deem it to be to the interest of the United States that the citizens residing in Atlanta should remove," etc. I do not consider that I have any alternative in the matter. I therefore accept your proposition to declare a truce of ten days, or such time as may be necessary to accomplish the purpose mentioned, and shall render all the assistance in my power to expedite the transportation of citizens in this direction. I suggest that a staff officer be appointed by you to superintend the removal from the city to Rough and Ready, while I appoint a similar officer to control their removal further south; that a guard of 100 men be sent by either party, as you propose, to maintain order at that place; and that the removal begin next Monday. And now, sir, permit me to say that the unprecedented measure you propose, transcends in studied and ingenious cruelty all acts ever before brought to my attention in the dark history of war.

In the name of God and humanity I protest, believing that you will find you are expelling from their homes and firesides the wives and children of a brave people.

I am, General, very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. B. HOOD, General.

Official: MCA. HUMMETT, Lieutenant, etc. Accompanying the above letter was one addressed to Col. Calhoun, Mayor of Atlanta, as follows:

9, 1864.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY Optember 3, 1561} Hon. James M. Calhoun, Mayor:

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter touching the removal of the citizens of Atlanta, as ordered by Gen. Sherman. Please find inclosed my reply to Gen. Sherman's letter. I shall do all in my power to mitigate the terrible hardships and misery that must be brought upon your people by this extraordinary order of the Federal commander. Transportation will be sent to Rough and Ready to carry the people and their effects further South.

You have my deepest sympathy in this unlooked for and unprecedented affliction.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. B. HOOD, General. The following is Gen. Sherman's reply to Gen. Hood: HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI, Į IN THE FIELD, ATLANTA, GA., Sept. 10, 1864. } Gen. J. B. Hood, Commanding Army of the Tennessee, Confederate Army:

GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of this date at the hands of Messrs. Ball and Crew, consenting to the arrangements I had proposed to facilitate the removal south of the people of Atlanta, who prefer to go in that direction. I inclose you a copy of my orders, which will, I am satisfied, accomplish my purpose perfectly. You style the measure proposed "unprecedented," and appeal to the dark history of war for a parallel as an act of "studied ungenerous cruelty.' It is not unprecedented; for Gen. Johnston himself very wisely and properly removed the families all the way from Dalton down, and I see no reason why Atlanta should be excepted. Nor is it necessary to appeal to the dark history of war, when recent and modern examples are so handy. You, yourself, burned dwelling-houses along your parapet, and I have seen today fifty houses that you have rendered uninhabitable, because they stood in the way of your forts and

men.

You defended Atlanta on a line so close to the town, that every cannon-shot, and many musketshots from our line of intrenchments, that overshot their mark, went into the habitations of women and children. Gen. Hardee did the same at Jonesboro, and Gen. Johnston did the same, last summer, at

Jackson, Miss. I have not accused you of heartless cruelty, but merely instance those cases of very recent occurrence, and could go on and enumerate hundreds of others, and challenge any fair man to judge which of us has the heart of pity for the families of "brave people." I say it is a kindness to those families of Atlanta to remove them now at once from scenes that women and children should not bo exposed to; and the brave people should scorn to commit their wives and children to the rude barba rians, who thus, as you say, violate the laws of war, as illustrated in the pages of its dark history. In the name of common sense, I ask you not to ap peal to a just God in such a sacrilegious manner-you who, in the midst of peace and prosperity, have plunged a nation into civil war, dark and cruel war," who dared and badgered us to battle, insulted our flag, seized our arsenals and forts that were left in the honorable custody of a peaceful Ordnance Sergeant, seized and made prisoners of war the very garrisons sent to protect your people against negroes and Indians, long before any overt act was committed by the "to you hateful Lincoln government, tried to force Kentucky and Missouri into the rebellion in spite of themselves, falsified the vote of Louisiana, turned loose your privateers to plunder unarmed ships, expelled Union families by the thousand, burned their houses, and declared by act of Congress the confiscation of all debts due Northern men for goods had and received. Talk thus to the marines, but not to me who have seen these things, and will this day make as much sacrifice for the peace and honor of the South as the best-born Southerner among you. If we must be enemies, let us be men, and fight it out as we propose to-day, and not deal in such hypocritical appeals to God and humanity. God will judge me in good time, and He will pronounce whether it be more humane to fight with a town full of women, and the families of a "brave people" at our backs, or to remove them in time to places of safety among their own friends and people.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. T. SHERMAN, Maj.-Gen. Com'g.

The following is the truce agreed upon between the two generals:

HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION, MISSISSIPPI,
IN THE FIELD, ATLANTA, GA., Sept. 10, 1964.

Special Field Order No. 70.

1. Pursuant to an agreement between Gen. J. B. Hood, commanding the Confederate forces in Geor gia, and Maj.-Gen. W. T. Sherman, commanding this Army, a truce is hereby declared to exist from daylight of Monday, September 12, until daylight of Thursday, September 22-ten (10) full days-at a point on the Macon Railroad known as Rough and Ready, and the country round about for a circle of two (2) miles radius, together with the roads leading to and from, in the direction of Atlanta and Lovejoy station, respectively, for the purpose of affording the people of Atlanta a safe means of removal to points south.

2. The Chief Quartermaster at Atlanta, Col. Easton, will afford all the citizens of Atlanta who elect to go south all the facilities he can spare to remove them, comfortably and safely, with their effects, to Rough and Ready station, using cars and ambulances for that purpose; and commanders of regiments and brigades may use their regimental and staff teams to carry out the object of this order; the whole to cease after Wednesday, 21st inst.

3. Maj.-Gen. Thomas will cause a guard to be established on the road out beyond the camp ground, with orders to allow all wagons and vehicles to pass that are used manifestly for this purpose; and Maj.Gen. Howard will send a guard of one hundred men, with a field officer in command, to take post at Rough and Ready during the truce, with orders, in concert with a guard from the Confederate army of like size, to maintain the most perfect order in that vicinity