We are indebted to Mr W C
Barnes, of the Southern Express Company, for files of
Atlanta papers to the 26th of June. The victory reported by
Gen Johnston occurred on the 27th, and of course no account of that is given in these journals; but they contain the details of the battle of
Kennesaw Mountain, on the 22d, which will be read with interest.
A correspondent of the Atlanta
Intelligencer, writing from the front June 23d, thus describes the engagement:
‘
On yesterday morning the enemy held possession of a ridge on the
Powder Spring road, which commanded the country around for some distance, and which was deemed desirable for our army.
Our cavalry held possession of it previously, but on the approach of the
Yankees fell back and abandoned the important position.
Accordingly,
Major Gen Stevenson was ordered in the evening to attack and carry the ridge by storm.
It was not supposed that the enemy had fortified himself in so short a space of time, and an easy success was anticipated.
’
The necessary orders having been given,
Stevenson's division moved forward in two lines of battle, as follows:
Brown's brigade of Tennessean on the right, with
Cumming's brigade of Georgians on the left, were moved forward in advanced front, while
Reynold's North Carolinian and
Virginians supported
Brown, and
Pettus's brigade of Alabamans supported
Cumming.
These two lines were commanded by Brig
Gens Cumming and
Pettus, and moved forward in splendid style to the charge.
The ridge is on the right of the
Powder Spring read and in the rear of it is a succession of small ridges and ravines.
Over these our men had to charge, and on arriving in front of the
Yankee skirmishers, discovered them strongly entrenched, and in numbers large enough to be mistaken for a regular line of battle.
The division passed on, and on the first charge stormed this first line of entrenchments and captured several prisoners it then continued moving forward at a double quick for a short distance, when a second and strong line of entrenchments was seen.
With a yell the men rushed forward under a galling fire of infantry and artillery, and carried this second line, but not before they had lost many gallant officers and men. The ridge was now captured, but the enemy's main line of battle looming up before it our men, carried on by their impetuosity, continued to advance, and were within one hundred yards of the line when a tremendous fire of grape and canister from some twenty pieces of artillery opened upon them.
Disregarding their comrades falling around them in numbers,
Brown's, followed by
Reynolds's brigade, continued to press forward, but were soon compelled to halt in consequence of the fearful fire poured in their left flank, which rested in an open held.
The cause of the enemy gaining a flank fire on these gallant men was on account of
Cumming's line being delayed by some impediment (not yet explained to me) which kept them from keeping up with the right of the division.
They were, however, soon brought up, but not before it was too late to attempt carrying the line in front.
The
Yankees by this time were fully prepared for an assault, and had brought up reinforcements.
The artillery they had on their picket lines was withdrawn as fast as our columns carried them, and this added to that already on their main line, kept up a continual fire of grape and canister in our rear, who retained the captured ground for three hours, when they were withdrawn in accordance with orders received, to our regular line of battle, the ridge, however, being still held by our forces.
As soon as the men appeared in front of the
Yankees' main line of battle
Hindman's division came up on their right, and thus prevented the enemy from marching on the flank and opening a fire of musketry, which would have been very disastrous to our men.
This charge was a brilliant and gallantly made one, and gave the
Yankees a foretaste of what they may expect when the general engagement takes place.
Reynolds's and
Brown's brigades distinguished themselves by their heroic and firm conduct while under a terrific fire.
So severe was the fire, and so thick did the
Minnie balls fly about, that almost instantaneously,
Colonel Trigg, commanding
Reynolds's brigade,
Capt Mathews, A A G,
Capt J H Jossey, a gallant son of
Georgia, and
Lieut Patton, all of
Reynolds's staff, and gallant and chivalrous officers, had their horses shot under them.
Capt Whitfield of the same staff had his right arm paralysed by a blow on the shoulder from a piece of spent shell.
In
Brown's brigade,
Capt H J
Cheney, A A G, and Lieut J T
Brown, A D C, had their horses shot while gallantly charging the enemy's works, and
Capt G H
Lowe, of the same staff, received a Minnie ball through his hat.
The loss of field officers in very heavy.
Col C H
Walker, of the 3d Tenn, a gallant officer, was killed by a shell, which struck him on the head, shattering it and causing instant death.
His loss will be felt in the brigade.
Adj't J M
Douglass, of the 18th Tenn, was also killed.
The wounded are
Major J P
Brewster, 56th Ga; Lt Col
Bradly, 34th Ga: Adj't slide, 2d Ga State Troops, all of
Cumming's brigade.
In
Brown's brigade, Lt Col Ed C
Cook, 32d Tenn, in the arm and side; Col
Saffell, 26th Tenn, was slightly wounded;
Major McGuire, 22d;
Adj't Fonte, 26th Tenn, and
Capt Mathes,
acting Major 3d Tenn, were wounded.--Col
Cook commanded
Brown's brigade, and is as gallant an officer as there is in our army.
I trust he will soon recover.
In
Reynold's brigade, Col French of the 63d Va, was wounded, as also
Majors Harman, of the 54th Va, and
Dula, of 58th N C. The only field officers I have heard of in
Pettus's brigade as being wounded are Adj't J H
Brooks, of the 46th, and
Major Davis, of the 26th, Ala regiments.
The
Atlanta Appeal says:
‘
We are pleased to learn that our loss in the charge of
Stevenson's division on Wednesday evening, will not exceed five to six hundred.
We drove the enemy back for three quarters of a mile, but the enemy being massed behind their works, it was not deemed prudent for only two of our divisions to attack two Yankee army corps strongly intrenched.
It was a victory to us, and our loss is not as heavy as reported.
’
The
Intelligencer has the following comments upon the situation:
‘
The beautiful weather of the past two days has inspirited our troops again, and rendered operations and rapid manœuvres more effective than at any time during a week previous.
The spirit of the army is more defiant than ever, and the
morale unsurpassed.
There seems to be a general feeling that the
Yankees have made their last manœuvres for position, and that an urgent necessity is forcing them to stake a quick battle on the hazard of the hour.
The wily
Sherman now scents danger in delay, and anticipates trouble from another quarter.
he must dispose of his battle plan quickly.
Thus far his movements have been delayed for the purpose of receiving reinforcements.
Fortunately they are of a character which prove puny and inefficient obstacles to the resistless onsets of our determined soldiers.
’
