The
Atlanta Intelligence, of the 27th, has the following bulletin, dated the night of the 21th:
‘
A heavy engagement occurred at or near
Dallas yesterday (Wednesday) evening.
Artillery firing heard quite distinctly from various points of the city all day since this morning.
’
A private note dispatched from one of the
Relief Committees at at noon to day, announces heavy fighting near Dallas Wednesday.
The writer states: "We drove the enemy with great slaughter; one hundred of the wounded of brigade have reached this place"
The artillery firing heard to-day in the direction of
Dallas and
Powder Springs was rapid and heavy all day.
From B
Gen. Reynolds who was wounded in the act on, and who reached here this evening, we learn that the fight on Wednesday was exceedingly spirited from 5 o'clock P M until dark, The musketry firing was fierce and rapid, and as
Gen Reynolds states, the heaviest he has ever heard.
On our side
Hindman's,
Stewart's, and a part of
Stevenson's divisions were engaged against
Booker's corps of the enemy.
The fight took place at New Hope Church, about four miles this side of
Dallas, and between the latter point and
Powder Springs.
Gen Reynolds states that the enemy were repeatedly repulsed and were driven back with heavy loss, until night put an end to the pursuit.
It is his impression the as had enough of it, and will try a little by way of relief.
All accounts represent our troops in the highest feather, and the amendment administrated to the enemy as severe extreme.
Our loss was comparatively slight and a few of the wounded have reached this point, and others are being cared for at
Marietta
From all the intelligence we have been able together, a general engagement is not looked for just yet. Wheeter's operations in the rear and the stunning repulse of Wednesday night will have a tendency to make the enemy more and less careless about coming up to the mark.
During Wednesday evening's fight, while
Gen Joppa Johnston and
Gen Hood were standing near each other in conversation, a shall burst near the group which, a prominent officer present assures us, came near killing both.
We could not well afford to lose another
Johnston in that way at such a moment as the present.
The
Atlanta Appeal, commenting on
Sherman's present position says:
‘
It
Sherman shall ever succeed in making his way back to the
Ohio without the rout and annihilation of his army, it will prove an anomaly in warfare.
In the move he is now making he as no doubt been emboldened by his successful advance to, and retreat from
Meridian, and is acting upon the impression that a compact body of one hundred thousand men can march and counter march as it pleases through the
Confederacy; but in this he will be most sadly disappointed.
He now has a large army confronting him, white the long line of his rear is expressed at hundreds of points, whereby his retreat may be successfully and entirely cut off.
’
He is undoubtedly a hold mover, but we think in the present instance he has missed the mark in suffering himself to be led so far into the interior of a hostile country where a single reverse to his arms would prove disastrous to his whole army, and make easy pray to his adversary.
The intention or accidental destruction of his depot of supplies, either at
Nashville or
Chattanooga would be fatal to him, and for some such result as this we confidently look it be true, as is generally believed, that
Gen Potris, with a large force is now in his rear and giving his attention to this work.--there are thousands of men in Siddle
Tennessee and
Kentucky who will rush to
Forrest's standard and swell his little army to formidable proportions, and sender the exit of
Sherman through these States extremely hazardous if not impossible.
They will be to him what the were to the army of
Napoleon on its and ill-fated retreat from
Moscow, and he will have cause to thank his fortune if his exit from the
Confederacy is attended with no lass fatal results than those which belief the grand army of
France in its exit from
Russia.
To prevent such a disaster as would attend a retreat to the
Ohio Sherman is compelled to defeat the army of
Gen Johnston, which no one believes he ever can or will do. For the future he will find a forward movement even more hazardous than an advance backward, and unless we are greatly mistaken, the time is not distant — probably not more than two or three days--when he will be forced to determine which he will first occupy,
Atlanta or
Louisville.
His flanking manœuvres are to use a vulgar phrase, about "played out," and if he should persist in his original purpose of taking violent possession of
Atlanta, he will now have to march over and not around
Gen Johnston's army.
He will find this really a hard road to travel, even harder than that through Snake reck Gap or around the Alleona bills, and there is a
probability that its roughness may put him upon the "study of his lines of retreat." In such an event
Louisville will become to him a point of much more attractive interest than
Atlanta, and then it is that the funny part of the campaign will begin.
