Joseph T. Derry , A. M. , Author of School History of the United States; Story of the Confederate War, etc., Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States Military History: Volume 6, Georgia
Clement Anselm Evans, Ed.

[359] was delayed there by the Confederate rear guard. At Ship's gap, Col. Ellison Capers, with his South Carolina regiment, held back the Federal advance until part of his force was captured. Thus Hood managed to move south from Lafayette down the Chattooga valley before Sherman could intercept him, and the latter followed down to Gaylesville, Ala., where he remained about two weeks from the 19th, watching the Confederate army at Gadsden, and foraging from the rich country into which Hood had led him.

On the 17th General Beauregard took command of the new military division of the West, east of the Mississippi, comprising Hood's department of Tennessee and Georgia, and Lieut.-Gen. Richard Taylor's department—Alabama, Mississippi and East Louisiana.

By the last of the month, Hood had moved his army across Alabama to Tuscumbia, and Sherman, sending the corps of Stanley and Schofield and all the cavalry except Kilpatrick's division to Chattanooga to report to Thomas, who was given chief command of all Federal troops in Tennessee, moved his remaining three corps back to Kingston, whence he sent all the impedimenta back to Chattanooga, and prepared for the long march which he now contemplated. On the 11th of November he ordered Corse to destroy everything at Rome that could be useful to an enemy, as well as the railroads in and about Atlanta, and northward to the Etowah. All garrisons from Kingston northward were ordered back to Chattanooga. Thus having cut himself off from the rear, he concentrated around Atlanta, on the 14th of November, four corps of infantry, the right wing under Howard and the left under Slocum, embracing 60,000 infantry, and 5,500 cavalry under Kilpatrick.

Under Sherman's orders Capt. O. M. Poe ‘thoroughly destroyed Atlanta, save its mere dwelling-houses and churches.’ The destruction was by fire purposely applied to buildings, and permitted to spread, as was expected,