The correspondents of the
Atlanta papers give us some accounts of affairs around
Chattanooga.
A letter to the
Atlanta Appeal says of
Scenes at the President's Visit.
At ten o'clock in the morning the commanders of corps and divisions, in full dress, assembled at the quarters of
Gen. Buckner, for the purpose of proceeding in a body to the headquarters of
Gen. Bragg, and there paying their respects to the
President; but before this purpose could be consummated His
Excellency, attended by
Generals Bragg and
Longstreet, had started on a tour of inspection down the lines.
It was, of course, imprudent for the various brigades to change their position — the enemy being only a few hundred yards distant--and the review accordingly took place where they stood.
The ceremony was not different from all other occasions of the kind, except that the brigades were not as full as usual, by reason of the strong details on picket and at work.--The cortege rode down the line, the bands played the
President, with hat off, saluted the war-worn banners, so often stirred by battle breezes, and then moved on from right to left.
As the cavalcade progressed it gathered strength and interest, and by the time it reached the division of
Gen. Hood, now commanded by
Gen. M. Jenkins, of
South Carolina, presented a striking subject for the painter or historian.
We saw grouped together, in a picturesque cluster, around the chief of all, officers whose traces have been written on every battle-field, and whose names are household words.
General Bragg,
Lieut. Generals Longstreet and
D. H. Hill,
Major-Generals Chestham,
Buckner,
Breckinridge,
Mclawa,
Walker,
Cleburne, and
Stuart;
Brigadier-Generals (commanding divisions)
Preston and
Jenkins;
Brigadier-Generals Gist,
Mackall, and others whose names I do not at present recollect.
Attending the
President were
Colonels Chesnut and
Johnston, of his personal staff,
Gen. Custis Lee,
Col. Preston, of
Kentucky, and
Lieutenant-General Pemberton.
The presence of the latter officer excited some surprise in the army, though it was not generally known, and it was surmised by some that the design of the
President is to place him in command of the corps of
Gen. Polk, who is now suspended.
Whether
Pemberton would accept such a proffer until his record has been cleared by the finding of a court of inquiry, remains to be seen.
The review occupied most of the day, and I learn that the
President expressed his gratification at the general appearance of the army.
There was little or no outward enthusiasm manifested by the troops on the left, though
Bragg's army shouted lustily.-- Yet officers and men were all pleased by the presence of the
Chief.
The reason for their silence is a good one, though it may not have occurred to others at the time.
The President was, during a portion of the time, within one thousand yards of the
Federal batteries, and had the enemy suspected his presence every gun on their front would have rained shells along our line.
The Federal pickets during the review were in plain sight.
Subsequent to the review His
Excellency rode up the
Lookout Mountain, and inspected the
Yankee camps.
Here, too, he was within easy range of their guns, and an unlucky shot might have terminated his career forever.
But fortune favors the brave.
The Result of Wheeler's Expedition.
Wheeler captured upwards of eleven hundred and sixty-five wagons in the
Sequatchie Valley, ten hundred and sixty of which he destroyed, and the remainder he succeeded in bringing safely across the
Tennessee.
He shot upwards of thirty-five hundred mules, and brought out with him nearly one thousand horses and mules.
At
McMinnville he destroyed thirty days rations for
Rosecrans's entire army, including fifteen hundred sacks of green coffee, and twenty five hundred barrels of parched coffee, with other stores in proportion.
At
McMinnville he also destroyed two trains of cars loaded for
Chattanooga, and also the railroad track for nearly fifteen miles. He then destroyed the track on the
Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad, for nearly twenty miles below
Murfreesboro'. His loss was three pieces of artillery, and about one thousand men in killed, wounded and prisoners, the most of them being prisoners.
In connection with the above we extract the following, from a special to the
Rebel, at
Marietta, dated the 17th inst., which states that after he paroled the prisoners captured "he then dashed on and destroyed the bridge over
Stono and
Duck rivers, while
Wharton threatened
Murfreesboro'.
Wharton then joined
Wheeler at
Shelbyville.
The enemy were reinforced and fought and drove
Wheeler back.
He retreated across the
Tennessee river near
Courtland, Ala. Our loss heavy, but it was a brilliant exploit.
Roddy is reported to have blown up the tunnel at Cowans."
The situation of affairs.
The question which now recurs is: At what point is
Rosecrans likely to develop his intention ? I believe that it will be on the left of our line, and for the following reasons:
Lookout Mountain, which is now in our possession, is as essential to the
Federal commander, if he has determined to hold
Chattanooga as a base of further operations, as
Nashville,
Murfreesboro', or
Bridgeport, for the simple reason that it commands the railroad, contains several important passes, and is a standing threat over
Chattanooga.--Once possessed by the enemy it relieves their wagon trains, enables them to provision their army, and gives them the most valuable position for offence or defence in this entire region.
That
Rosecrans has fastened his eye on this point is evident from the fact that he is now building a bridge across
Chattanooga creek, near its union with the
Tennessee, and near the base of
Lookout Mountain.-- Across the
Tennessee, on what is called the "Moccasin," formed by a graceful bend of the river, the
Federals have erected a fortification, from whose guns projectiles are thrown to the summit of the mountain, and a persevering attempt is daily made to annoy us in our occupation.
Much ammunition has been thus expended by the
Federals, but little has been accomplished.
We receive their fire with a dignified silence, and seldom reply.
Should an infantry attack be made, however, come in what shape it may, we are prepared for it at every point.
Rosecrans would doubtless be willing to sacrifice ten thousand men to gain his object, but twice that number will bite the dust if such as attempt is made in force.
There is no probability of a demonstration against any other portion of our line.
Last evening unusual commotion was observable in the
Yankee camp, both to ear and eye. Some officer was engaged in reviewing the troops along the line, and cheers long and loud "rent the air." During the night their bands were serenading until a late hour, and the wave of melody that rolled across the country was in strange contrast to the sleeping quiet of our own army.
It may be that reinforcements have arrived at
Chattanooga, or what is equally probable, that
Lincoln, like
Davis, is on a tour of inspection.
If so, it would be a remarkable coincidence that two
Presidents, who hate each other so cordially, should be only two miles apart, engaged on the same mission.
