Horace Greeley, The American Conflict: A History of the Great Rebellion in the United States of America, 1860-65: its Causes, Incidents, and Results: Intended to exhibit especially its moral and political phases with the drift and progress of American opinion respecting human slavery from 1776 to the close of the War for the Union. Volume II.

[639] and Lebanon, whence he was chased southward across the Tennessee near Florence into Alabama. He destroyed much property during this extensive raid; but his operations had little influence on the results of the campaign.

Hardee, moving to his right, formed a junction with Hood near Jonesboroa, and their army was soon considerably reenforced : Jefferson Davis hastening from Richmond to Georgia, visiting the army at Palmetto, and making at Macon¹ a speech remarkable for the frankness of its admissions that the loss of Atlanta was a great blow, and that the prospects of the Confederates were gloomy; yet which was said to have aroused many to a more desperate activity in the cause. Hood was still retained in command; and very soon, flanking Sherman's right, he crossed the Chattahoochee, pushed up to Dallas, and thence impelled his cavalry rapidly by the right to Big Shanty, where they tore up the railroad and broke the telegraph; while French's division of infantry appeared ² before Allatoona, where one million rations were stored, under protection of Col. Tourtelotte, 4th Minnesota, with three thin regiments. Happily, Gen. Corse, holding Rome, had been ordered hither with his brigade, and had arrived with two regiments a few hours before.

Sherman had ere this been aroused by news that the Rebels had crossed the Chattahoochee; and he had sent ³ Gen. Thomas to Nashville to look out for Rebel demonstrations across the Tennessee. Leaving Slocum's 20th corps to hold Atlanta, he had impelled the bulk of his army northward ; and, when French attacked Allatoona, he was near Kenesaw, 18 miles distant ; whence, at 10 A. M., he could see the smoke of the conflict and faintly hear the sound of the guns. He was even able to signal Corse that he was not to be abandoned.

Corse had 1,944 men; French many times that number. The place was completely invested at daylight, and a sharp cannonade of two hours was followed by a summons., which being declined, French assaulted in full force, rushing his men up to the very parapets, where they were mowed down by hundreds; yet still assault after assault was delivered; while the 23d corps, under Gen. J. D. Cox, were making all haste to come to the rescue, and flags conveying from peak to peak the messages interchanged by Sherman and Corse. Sherman, on learning that Corse was there, exclaimed, “He will hold out! I know the man!” And he did hold out; though 707 (more than a third) of his men had fallen, when the enemy desisted. Corse himself had been struck in the face at noon by a bullet, but refused to leave his post; Tourtelotte and Col. R. Rowell, 7th Illinois, were also among the wounded. French drew off, as Cox approached, leaving 231 dead, 411 prisoners, and 800 of his muskets behind, to attest the severity of the struggle.

Hood, instructed to draw Sherman out of Georgia, moved rapidly northwest, threatening again to strike the railroad, and compelling Sherman to make a forced march of 38 miles to save Kingston.⁴ Here he learned