man a commission as major-general in the regular army, as a reward for his services in this campaign.

Stoneman marched from Decatur on the day appointed, with the whole effective strength of his division, numbering about two thousand in all, organized in three brigades, commanded by Colonels Adams, Biddle, and Capron. The first brigade consisted of the First, and Second regiments of Kentucky cavalry; the Second, of the Fifth and Sixth Indiana; the third brigade, of the Fourteenth Illinois, Eighth Michigan, and a squadron of Ohio cavalry under Captain McLoughlin.

Stoneman moved out along the line of the Georgia Central railway to Covington, and, thence turned South and pushed by way of Monticello, Hillsboro', and Clinton, for Macon. A battalion of the Fourteenth Illinois cavalry of Capron's brigade succeeded in entering Gordon, destroying eleven locomotives and several trains of cars laden with munitions of war. The bridge over the Oconee was also destroyed by General Stoneman's orders, by another detachment from his command.

On arriving within fifteen miles of Macon on the evening of the 30th of July, General Stoneman ascertained from reliable sources that, in anticipation of such an attempt, the probability of which had been freely discussed in the Northern newspapers, the Confederate authorities had taken the precaution to remove all the Union prisoners previously confined in the military prisons at Macon and Millen, in the direction of Florence, South Carolina; and that this movement had only been completed on the preceding day. The prime object of the expedition being thus, unfortunately, frustrated, Stoneman reluctantly determined to return to the main body. But in the mean while the enemy had concentrated in heavy force, and was now moving upon his line of retreat.

On the morning of Sunday, the 31st of July, finding what seemed to be a heavy force of the enemy in his front, Stoneman deployed a strong line of skirmishers, which soon developed the fact that, taking advantage of the unfavorable nature of the country for the operations of cavalry, Allen's brigade of Confederate infantry had passed around his flank

and taken up a strong position directly across the line of his homeward march, while Armstrong's brigade of the enemy's cavalry, in connection with Allen's infantry, was dangerously menacing his left flank. With the Oconee in his rear and a formidable enemy in his front, Stoneman had evidently no resource but to destroy that enemy or be himself destroyed.

Dismounting the troopers of one brigade, he caused them repeatedly to charge the enemy on foot, but they were as often repulsed with heavy loss. Rallying the broken columns by his personal exertions and with the assistance of the gallant Major Keogh and other officers of his staff, Stoneman placed himself at the head of his men, and again charged, but without more favorable result. At the critical moment, Armstrong's brigade assailed his left flank. The Union cavalry gave way before the combined opposition, and were with difficulty reformed. By this time the enemy had completely surrounded them.

Perceiving this, and deeming all further resistance useless, Stoneman gave permission to such of his officers and men as wished to try the apparently desperate chance of cutting their way through the opposing lines, to make the attempt, and then, causing hostilities to cease on his part, sent in a flag of truce, and unconditionally surrendered the remainder of his force.

Among those who cut their way through the enemy's lines, and thus escaped and rejoined the main army, was the bulk of Colonel Adams' brigade and a number of Colonel Capron's men. The entire number captured was less than fifteen hundred.

The failure to unite with McCook, which was the prime cause of this disaster, undoubtedly occurred in consequence of false, but apparently reliable, information concerning the roads and the crossings of the Ocmulgee River, whereby General Stoneman was led to believe he could prolong his easterly march to Covington without sacrificing the combination. Yet in all concerted operations, the co-operative movements are of the first importance; all others, no matter how great their intrinsic value, must be deemed secondary. Great success alone can excuse, while not even success can justify, any departure from the primary features of the plan.

CHAPTER XVIII.

TAKING BREATH.

FROM Lovejoy's Station, Hardee and Lee retreated to the line of the West Point railway at Palmetto Station, twenty-five miles southwest from Atlanta, and situated at about the same distance from the Chattahoochee as that city is. Here Hood joined them with Stewart's corps, took up a position confronting Sherman, threw a pontoon bridge across the Chattahoochee, and sent a cavalry detachment beyond the river, twenty-five miles westward to Carrollton, and another in a northerly direction to Powder Springs, about ten miles south of Lost Mountain, and an equal distance west of the Chattanooga railway. He also occupied Jonesboro' in some force. Lieutenant-General Stephen D. Lee succeeded Hardee in the command of his corps, the latter officer being relieved by orders from Richmond, and sent to Charleston to replace Beauregard. Lieutenant-General B. F. Cheatham had command of Hood's old corps, and Lieutenant-General A. P. Stewart still retained his assignment to Polk's old corps. The cavalry was largely reinforced and united in one corps, under the command of Major-General James Wheeler. General Beauregard was summoned from Charleston, and placed at the head of all the Confederate armies operating in the central region.

During the month of September, Sherman's army remained grouped about Atlanta. The terms of enlistment of many of his regiments had expired, a large number went home on furlough, and others, previously furloughed on condition of reenlisting, returned to the field with their ranks swelled by

additions of stragglers, convalescents, and recruits. Many changes were thus rendered necessary in the composition of the different commands. The Army of the Tennessee was consolidated into two corps, the Fifteenth and Seventeenth, respectively commanded by Major-General P. J. Osterhaus and Brigadier-General Thomas E. G. Ransom; the former comprising the four divisions of Brigadier-Generals Charles R. Woods, William B. Hazen, John E. Smith, and John M. Corse; the latter those of Major-General Joseph A. Mower, and Brigadier-Generals Miles D. Leggett and Giles A. Smith, with the First Alabama Cavalry, and the First Missouri engineer regiment, having in charge a large pontoon-bridge train. This organization was effected by transferring all the troops of the Seventeenth Corps remaining on the Mississippi to the Sixteenth Corps, breaking up the detachment of the latter corps in the field, and transferring Ransom's division, now commanded by Brigadier-General Giles A. Smith, and Corse's division to the Seventeenth Corps. Major-Generals Logan and Blair were temporarily absent, engaged in the important political canvass then in progress. Major-General Schofield returned to the headquarters of the Department of the Ohio, at Knoxville, to give his personal attention to affairs in that quarter, leaving Brigadier-General Jacob D. Cox in command of the Twenty-third Corps. The cavalry was reorganized so as to consist of two divisions under Brigadier-Generals Kenner Garrard and Judson Kilpatrick.

As stated in the last chapter, the Army of the Cumberland, under Major-General Thomas, held Atlanta; the Army of the Tennessee, commanded by Major-General Howard, was at East Point; and the Army of the Ohio occupied Decatur. Garrard's cavalry division was also at Decatur, and Kilpatrick's at Sandtown watching for any westward movement of the enemy. To render the communications more secure, with a view to the present wants of the army and possible future operations, Sherman sent Newton's division of Stanley's fourth corps, and Morgan's division of Jefferson C. Davis' fourteenth corps, cf the Army of the Cumberland, to Chattanooga, and

Corse's division of Osterhaus' fifteenth corps, of the Army of the Tennessee, to Rome, to garrison those places.

The topography of the country in the immediate vicinity of Atlanta was carefully studied, and a new line of works constructed for the defence of the place, capable of being maintained by a much smaller garrison than was contemplated by the Confederate authorities when laying out the old line.

Sherman now determined to make Atlanta exclusively a military post. On the 4th of September, he issued the following orders :

"The city of Atlanta belonging exclusively for warlike purposes, it will at once be vacated by all except the armies of the United States and such civilian employes as may be retained by the proper departments of the Government.

At a proper time full arrangements will be made for supply to the troops of all the articles they may need over and above clothing, provisions, &c., furnished by Government, and on no pretence whatever will traders, manufacturers, or sutlers be allowed to settle in the limits of fortified places; and if they manage to come in spite of this notice the quartermaster will seize their stores, apply them to the use of the troops, and deliver the parties, or other unauthorized citizens who thus place their individual interest above that of the United States, over to the hands of some provost-marshal, to be put to labor on forts or conscripted into one of the regiments or battery already in service. The same military principles will apply to all military posts south of Atlanta."

This order fell upon the ears of the inhabitants of Atlanta like a thunderbolt. Though they had lent all the moral and physical assistance in their power to the cause of the rebellion, they had begun to dream of the advent of the Federal troops as the commencement of an era of quiet. They had never imagined that the war would reach Atlanta. Now that it had

come, and kept its rough, hot hand upon them for so many