Although the Chattahoochee River forms the main dividing line between the opposing armies, we have no inconsiderable force on the other side. Firing is occasionally heard from their direction. Supplies are being accumulated at Marietta from which place they are distributed to the trains of the various corps. No effort is being made to rebuild the railroad bridge, for the reason that a strong fort on the rebel side of the river effectually commands the approaches to the old piers. A general movement to the south side of the river is daily expected. The army is resting and nerving for the severe struggle which will then, in all probability, begin.
Our expectations will be very agreeably disappointed, if the ten miles intervening between our present camp and Atlanta are not more difficult of accomplishment than the one hundred over which Gen. SHERMAN has so successfully led us since we left
J.G.
Special Dispatch to The New York Times
Washington, Monday, July 25
The Battles Before Atlanta
Both engagements delivered before Atlanta, namely, that of Wednesday and that of Friday last, have been assaults on the part of the rebels. This is accounted for from the fact that Gen. Hood, Johnston’s successor, has been throughout the campaign one of the most bitter opponents of Johnston’s retreating policy and he felt impelled, the moment he was placed in command, to pitch in. It does not appear that he has gained any other result than to bring upon himself, in each instance, a loss thrice as heavy as that inflicted on the assailed party.
General Sherman Confident of Success
Gen. SHERMAN’S latest dispatches show an assured confidence in the capture of Atlanta, though the prize may not be won as speedily as the public had anticipated.
What the Historians Say
The battle at Atlanta occurred on July 22, 1864 in Fulton County, Georgia. It was the culmination of the Atlanta Campaign of 1864. The principal commanders were Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman commanding the United States Military Division of the Mississippi confronting Gen. John Bell Hood’s Confederate Army of Tennessee. The estimated casualties were 3,641 and 8,499 respectively.
Following the Battle of Peachtree Creek, Hood determined to attack Maj. Gen. James B. McPherson’s Army of the Tennessee. He withdrew his main army at night from Atlanta’s outer line to the inner line, enticing Sherman to follow. In the meantime, he sent William J. Hardee with his corps on a fifteen-mile march to hit the unprotected Union left and rear, east of the city. Wheeler’s cavalry was to operate farther out on Sherman’s supply line, and Gen. Frank Cheatham’s corps were to attack the Union front. Hood, however, miscalculated the time necessary to make the march, and Hardee was unable to attack until afternoon. Although Hood had outmaneuvered Sherman for the time being, McPherson was concerned about his left flank and sent his reserves, Grenville Dodge’s XVI Army Corps, to that location.
Two of Hood’s divisions ran into this reserve force and were repulsed. The Rebel attack stalled on the Union rear but began to roll up the left flank. Around the same time, a Confederate soldier shot and killed McPherson when he rode out to observe the fighting. Determined attacks continued, but the Union forces held. About 4:00 p.m., Cheatham’s corps broke through the Union front at the Hurt House, but Sherman massed twenty artillery pieces on a knoll near his headquarters to shell these Confederates and halt their drive. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan’s XV Army Corps then led a counterattack that restored the Union line. The Union troops held, and Hood suffered high casualties. It was a significant Union victory that affected the outcome of the Campaign and the action in the theater of war.
16
Opequon
The Fifth Major Battle in Sheridan’s Shenandoah Valley Campaign
AUTHOR’S COMMENTARY
Only two correspondents accompanied Sheridan’s force at the battle at Opequon, perhaps the most significant battle in Sheridan’s Shenandoah campaign. One was from the Baltimore American, the other from the New York World, a Democratic newspaper. The New York Times, a staunch Republican newspaper, chose the reportage of the former newspaper to reprint, perhaps for reasons other than proximity.
Election day was fast approaching, and Abraham Lincoln had been severely demeaned by a press loyal to the Democratic Party. His popularity had diminished considerably.
Following Sherman’s victory at Atlanta and Farragut’s victory at Mobile Bay, Lincoln’s popularity increased. The victory at Opequon helped seal the election for the President. The New York Times had national distribution in the northern states, and, with election day fast approaching, the reportage could only help Lincoln’s re-election efforts.
Sept. 20, 1864: From the Charleston Mercury Telegraphic – Hamption’s Last Dash
Gen. Lee’s Official Account
Richmond, September 17 – The following was received at the War Office today:
Headquarters
Army Northern Virginia
September 17
To the Hon. Secretary Seddon: At daylight yesterday the enemy skirmishers west of the Jerusalem Plank Road were driven back on their entrenchments along their whole extent. At the same time HAMPTON attacked his position north of the Norfolk Railroad, near Sycamore Church, and captured about 300 prisoners, some arms and wagons, a large number of horses, and 2,500 cattle.
GREGG attacked HAMPTON, on his return, in the afternoon, at BerrienMill, on the Jerusalem Plank Road, but was repulsed and driven back. Everything was brought off safely. Our entire loss does not exceed 50 men.
(Signed)
R. E. LEE.
Movements in Virginia
Richmond, September 19
A raiding party of Yankees burned the railroad bridge over the Rapidan yesterday afternoon.
GROVER’S DIVISION, 19TH CORPS, IN ACTION AT THE BATTLE IN THE OPEQUON (WAUD). LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.
Intelligence from Winchester on the afternoon of the 16th inst. says: ‘Our forces hold their ground. The enemy infantry, 30,000 strong, remain behind their entrenchments. Their cavalry, 10,000 strong, display considerable enterpriseand activity. EARLY’S army is in fine condition, enjoying abundant supplies of every kind.’
The Charleston Mercury
September 23, 1864
Telegraphic Important from Virginia
A Reverse in the Valley
Richmond, September 20
Information deemed reliable states that the Yankee raiders, after partially destroying the railroad bridge over the Rapidan, returned to Culpeper, where they were ambushed by a force of Confederate infantry and badly cut up.
Official information was received tonight of a severe engagement near Winchester yesterday morning, but the result is not definitely stated. Generals RHODES, of Alabama, and GODWIN, of North Carolina, were killed.
Richmond, September 21
A despatch from Gen. LEE says Gen. EARLY reports that on the morning of the 19th the enemy advanced on Winchester, near which place he met the attack, which was resisted from early in the day till near night when he was compelled to retire. After night he fell back to FisherHill. Our loss is reported severe. Gens. RHODES and GODWIN were killed, nobly doing their duty. Three pieces of artillery were lost. The trains and supplies were brought off safely. An unofficial report says EARLY has fallen back to Strasburg.
Petersburg, September 21
There is no change in the position along the lines. The enemy shelled the city furiously this morning from 5 to 6 o. Our batteries replied, and the roar of cannon was incessant, and deafening.
CUSTER’S DIVISION CAVALRY CAPTURING PRISIONERS NEAR TURNPIKE (WAUD). LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.
Loud cheering in the enemy camp was heard this morning, but the cause has not transpired – supposed to be some news encouraging from the Valley.
Richmond, September 21
Six hundred returned prisoners reached the city tonight, at 8 o. A large crowd of ladies and others assembled at the wharf to greet them, but had mostly dispersed before the arrival of the steamer, which was detained at the obstructions by low tide
. The men all in excellent spirits. Four hundred more will be brought up tomorrow.
Lynchburg, September 21
The remains of General RHODES arrived here tonight. The body will lay in state at the city Court House until Friday morning, when it will be interred.
Petersburg, September 22
The Lynchburg Virginian has a report of the battle in the Valley on Monday last. The fight is represented to have been very severe. It occurred on the Berryville Road, two miles below Winchester. The early part of the engagement is said to have resulted directly in our favor, but a flank movement of several thousand of the enemy cavalry necessitated a retrograde movement on the part of our forces, which was accomplished in an orderly manner, without hurry or confusion.
The position to which our army fell back is FisherHill, this side of Strasburg. It is said to be a very strong position. The losses on both sides were severe, but enormously so on the part of the enemy. Generals FITZ, LEE and YORK, of Louisiana, were wounded – the latter losing an arm; the wound of the former is said to be not dangerous. General RHODES, while selecting a position for a battery, to fill a gap in our lines, was shot through the head and instantly killed.
All the advantage was on our side, except the loss of ground.
The enemy is believed to have numbered 40,000; and it is reported that GRANT was in command.
Wheeler’s Operations
Meridian, September 20
The Clarion gives an accountof WHEELER’S operations; MARTIN’S brigade tore up the State Road between Atlanta and Dalton; HUME and KELLY tapped it near Dalton, and Gen. WILLIAMS between Tunnel Hill and Chattanooga; HUME destroyed the East Tennessee Road from Calhoun to Athens. WHEELER was unable to cross the Tennessee River and went around Knoxville, crossing the Holston at Strawberry Plains, came over the Cumberland Mountains via Sparta. Sixteen miles of the Nashville and Chattanooga Road were destroyed – the road being destroyed from Franklin to Campbell Station. Gen. KELLY was mortally wounded in the fight at Franklin, on the 29th WILLIAMS’, ROBINSON’S, DIBBRELL’S and ASHBY’S commands have not joined the main command yet.
The Charleston Mercury
September 29, 1864
Results of the Summer Campaign
In this campaign, remarks the Richmond Dispatch, notwithstanding the two small reverses at Atlanta and Winchester, the balance has been greatly in our favor. We have frustrated the most tremendous combination ever formed against any modern city, and in frustrating it, have slain or wounded, or otherwise put hors de combat, at least two hundred thousand men, of which number GRANT himself lost, under his own eye, at least one hundred and fifty thousand. That General himself acknowledges that he has been awfully beaten when he calls for one hundred thousand fresh troops to finish the job which he expected to finish last June. He is conscious that he does so, and endeavors to explain it away in conversation with one of the toadies that stick to him like a leach in his late journey from HarperFerry to Philadelphia. He only wants them, he says, to make the victory more complete, and to diminish the effusion of blood. Those are the very objects for which all commanders seek overwhelming numbers. To state that object is merely to confess that his present numbers are insufficient to effect the object. Now, taking in HUNTER’S army and BUTLER’S army, GRANT had at least three hundred thousand men engaged in this enterprise. If he still wants one hundred thousand more, it affords the strongest proof that he has been signally and terribly beaten. We say, then, thus far the advantage in this campaign has been prodigiously on our side. We have killed enormous numbers of Yankees, and that is the surest way to bring the rest to their senses. It is far better, indeed, than peace congresses at Niagara or elsewhere. The Yankees are the most mercenary of Gods creatures. And yet the Yankee loves his life better even than his interest; and when the universal nation finds that nothing but death is to be gotten by coming here, they will conclude that it does not pay, and will give it up. The best road to peace lies through the blood of the Yankees. The more we kill, the nearer we approach to peace. Such being the fact, we must be admitted to have made vast progress in this campaign. They have been slaughtered awfully here and every where else.
From The New York Times
September 21, 1864
Baltimore, Tuesday, Sept. 20 – 10 P.M.
The following is the American’s special account of the great battle in the Shenandoah Valley:
Headquarters
Middle Military Division
Winchester, VA, Monday, Sept. 19 – 9 P.M.
Gen. SHERIDAN’S army has this day fought one of the most successful and decisive battles of the war. Victory again perched on our banners, and the rebel army, which so recently threatened the invasion of the loyal North, has been defeated and utterly routed, with the loss of at least three thousand killed and wounded including seven Generals: namely, RHODES. WHARTON, BRADLEY, T. JOHNSON, GORDON, YORK and GODMAN, the first two of whom were killed and the others badly wounded. We have captured 2,500 prisoners, nine battle flags, representing nine different regimental organizations, and five pieces of artillery with caissons.
The recital of the victory ought to make every loyal heart at the North glow with admiration and gratitude to the brave men and gallant officers who have achieved so signal success.
In order to more thoroughly understand the nature of the battle, with all the surrounding influences, it will be necessary briefly to refer to the operations of Sunday.
Sunday morning Early sent Gordon’s division of rebel infantry from Bunker Hill, where it had been stationed for the past few days, to drive Averill out of Martinshurg and destroy the bridge on the Baltimore and Ohio R. R. across the Opequon, which they erroneously thought had been repaired. They occupied Martinsburgh for a short time, without doing any damage to the railroad, and were eventually driven by Averill as far as Darkesville.
Gen. Sheridan, learning their movements, ordered the whole command to break camp and prepare to march. Accordingly at 3 o’clock on Sunday the tents were all struck and packed in wagons. The different divisions were all under arms, and prepared to move at a moment’s notice, and remained in the state for about an hour, when the order came to go into camp for the night, and everything remained perfectly quiet. About 9 o’clock orders were received from Sheridan for the Sixth and Nineteenth Corps to be ready to start at 3 o’clock, and the Army of Western Virginia, under Crook, at 5 the following morning – the order of march to be as follows: the Sixth Corps to move out on the Winchester and Berryville pike, and move in two parallel columns on both sides of the road, with the artillery, ammunition and supply trains on the road; the Nineteenth Corps to follow on the same road and in similar order; the Army of Western Virginia, under Crook, to move from its camping-ground in the vicinity of Summit Point, and striking across the country in a south-westerly direction, was ordered to form a junction at the crossing of the Opequon, on the Berryville and Wincheater pike, and shortly after 8 o’clock Wilson’s division of cavalry crossed the Opequon at the Berryville and Winchester pike. Moving his command rapidly along the road, driving in the enemy’s skirmish line, he gallantly charged the enemy’s field works with the first brigade, and carried them at the point of the sabre, capturing thirty prisoners. In this charge, Col. BRIXTON, Eightenth Pennsylvania cavalry, was wounded within a few feet of the enemy’s works, while gallantly leading his regiment.
These field-works were constructed at the Opequon, and prevent our passage at that point. It will be seen how signally they failed to accomplish the object for which they were constructed.
Our cavalry having secured a safe passage for the infantry, the Sixth corps was moved across the Opequon, and along the pike toward Winchester – leaving its train to part on the opposite side of the stream – to a point about a mile and a half distant from the ford, where it formed in line of battle and threw out a strong skirmish line. At the same time the artillery opened on the woods into which the enemy’s infantry had retired, and kept up an incessant cannonade, the enemy rep
lying briskly with parts of two batteries.
There was a delay of at least two hours, caused by the non-arrival of the Nineteenth corps, who through misconception of orders, had failed to come up at the proper time. Gen. EMERY had moved his column to the rear of the baggage train of the Sixth corps instead of keeping his command closed up in the rear of the advancing column of the Sixth corps.
Gen. Sheridan, having learned on Sunday that the main portion of Early’s forces were encamped to the vicinity of Bunker Hill and Stephenson’s Depot, resolved to mass his forces on the Winchester and Berryville pike, and by a rapid movement hurl them on Early’s rear. There is no doubt that the enemy were surprised and outnumbered by Sheridan.
Whilst his different columns were being marched to the appointed place of rendezvous, a portion of our cavalry under Gens. Torbett and Averill kept up a strong picket line along the Opequon, and by demonstrating in force at Burn’s ford kept a large portion of the enemy at that part of the field, which was nearly twelve miles distant from the point where it was intended our Infantry should operate, and strike a blow which should result in the signal defeat of Early’s army.
The delay in the arrival of the 19th Corps enabled EARLY to move GORDON’s Division at the double quick from Bunker Hill, distant about ten miles, and bring it up in time to form in line of battle with Breckenridge’s, Ramseur’s, and Rhodes’ commands, who had already arrived, and were formed in a belt of woods skirting Berryville and Winchester.
As soon as the 19th corps arrived, it was formed in four lines of battle, about 300 yards apart, on the right of the 6th corps, and everything being in readiness, the advance was sounded at about 12 o’clock, and the different lines moved forward.
The Words of War Page 26