Additional from the North.
From
Baltimore papers of the 26th we take some additional accounts of occurrences already briefly noticed:
The recent battle near Atlanta.
The Northern papers contain some characteristic accounts of the late movements of
Sherman near
Atlanta and the defeat of
McPherson's corps there.
The correspondent of the Cincinnati
Gazette, who actually dates his letter at
Atlanta, on the 22d, gives the following account of the movements since crossing the
Chattahoochee:
On the morning of the 18th the whole line advanced,
McPherson taking position on the extreme left,
Schofield having the left centre,
Howard the centre,
Hooker the right centre, and
Palmer the extreme right.
On the morning of the 19th our advance reached
Peach Tree Creek, a stream running four miles north of
Atlanta, and after considerable skirmishing the enemy was dislodged, and a portion of
Howard's corps crossed our left wing in the meantime, swinging around to the Atlanta and Augusta Railroad, near
Decatur, and tearing up several miles of track.
On the evening of the 19th and morning of the 20th of July,
Howard,
Hooker, and
Palmer crossed the balance of their corps, forming a line of battle along the north bank of the creek.
At 3 o'clock P M the rebels made a desperate and sudden assault on
Howard in great force.
The attack soon extended to
Hooker's corps, the rebels advancing three lines deep.
A portion of our line at first wavered before the terrible onset, but were quickly rallied and stood as firm as a rock.
Upon this portion of our line was massed more than half the rebel army, both parties fighting for the first time in this campaign in an open field.
Before dark the rebels were entirely defeated, having failed to break our lines at any point, and retired in disorder, leaving most of their dead and two hundred wounded on the field.
Our loss will reach 2,000 men, principally from
Hooker's corps.
The rebel loss in killed, wounded, and missing exceeded six thousand, including three
Brigadier Generals.
On the extreme left our operations were equally successful,
Gen. McPherson driving the enemy for several miles.
Gen. Blair's division advanced a mile and a half south of the Augusta railroad.
On the morning of the 21st (Thursday) the enemy were driven, with but small loss to us, to their works immediately around
Atlanta; and on the 23d (Friday) they had withdrawn entirely from
Gens. Hooker and
Palmer's front, and at 2 P. M. of that day portions of our army entered the city.
This correspondent thinks that
Sherman may "have some fighting for the full possession of the city, but the campaign is considered substantially closed." A correspondent of the Cincinnati
Commercial puts down the official report of the loss in the four divisions of
Hooker's corps at 1,713.
Gresham, commanding one division, was wounded.
The
Washington correspondent of the New York
Tribune telegraphs that paper the following about
McPherson's defeat and death:
‘
The Government has received dispatches from
General Sherman, announcing that on Friday the
Rebels, under
Gen Hood, massed a heavy force against his left wing, consisting of
McPherson's grand division, composed of
Logan's and
Blair's corps, and made a desperate attack, gaining a temporary advantage.
The enemy did terrific fighting, in which a number of charges were made on both sides, but were repulsed with much slaughter and driven into their fortifications.
’
Major General McPherson, during the battle, became separated from his staff, and was killed by sharpshooters firing from an ambuscade.
The loss of
Gen McPherson is deeply deplored by the
Government, and will fill the hearts of all loyalists with sadness and gloom.
After
Gen McPherson's death
Gen Logan assumed command of his grand division.
A later dispatch states that our forces had obtained possession of the elevated ground on the northeast of the town, and that siege guns had been mounted, which command the place; also, that the rebels were burning their stores preparatory to a retrograde movement.
Everybody feels confident that
Atlanta by this time has fallen into our hands.
On Saturday, the 23d, the Washington
Republican published an extra, from which we extract the following:
‘
The terrible struggle ended in the city by repulsing the enemy at every point on the line.
It was arranged that on Saturday the dead of both armies should be buried, and the wounded removed, under a flag of truce.
’
The Union troops buried 1000 rebels left upon the field within our lines.
The rebels buried many of their own dead near their own works, and upon this basis it is estimated that the rebel killed and wounded on Friday will exceed six thousand, the average being about seven wounded to one killed. Our loss will reach about 2,500 in killed and wounded.
The 15th corps suffered severely, for the reason named above, that the enemy massed against it. It was this act of the enemy, in part, that cost him such heavy loss.
While the work of burying the dead and removing the wounded was going on, on Saturday,
Sherman's heavy artillery was playing upon the city, and at the same time large fires were observed in different parts of
Atlanta, supposed to be the destruction of the supply depots, and such other property as the enemy could not carry away, and did not wish to have fallen in our hands.--This was considered an evidence of their intention to evacuate the place.
Several rebel
Generals are reported killed, but their names are not given.
A telegram from
Washington, dated the 25th, says:
‘
A dispatch to-day from
Gen. Sherman states that his loss in the battle.
of Friday was less than two thousand, while that of the enemy cannot be less than seven thousand, owing to the advantages he took in their efforts to turn his left column.--There is no official information to show that our forces have entered
Atlanta.
’
The defeat of the Yankees in the Valley.
Speaking of the
Yankee defeat in the
Valley, the Baltimore
Gazette says the
Yankees under
Crook,
Averill,
Mulligan and
Kelly were not pursuing the "rebel raiders" when they met with their reverse, but had discontinued the pursuit.
They were near
Winchester on Sunday morning when
Gen Ewell (?) pounced on them with an overwhelming force.
it says:
No details have been received of the fight of Sunday, further than those given by parties from the vicinity of
Martinsburg, which are to the effect that the
Confederates massed a large force in front of
Gen Averill, and hurling it upon him succeeded in capturing all his artillery besides a portion of his cavalry.
Gen Averill is reported to have been killed, and acting Brig
Gen Mulligan was seen to fall from his horse and is believed to have been killed.
No other losses of Yankee officers are reported.
The forces of
Gen Hunter, who was not himself present in the engagement, are said to have been greatly outnumbered by the enemy.
Late last evening there was no telegraphic communication beyond
Harper's Ferry, as the enemy had out the wires.
The character of this movement of the
Confederates is not yet ascertained, and opinions greatly differ as to its object and importance; some contending that it is simply a return of the party recently in
Maryland, who, taking advantage of the division of
Gen Hunter's forces to punish very severely a portion of them, while others think it is a movement in force into
Maryland, with a view of attacking
Washington.
A few days, however, will probably develop its object.
The account given above may be somewhat exaggerated by those persons who have retreated to this city from the threat
ened district; yet the main points are partially confirmed by reports received by military officers, though not of an official character.
In the meantime reinforcements are being forwarded, and there is no feeling of insecurity apparent in military circles.
Gen. Rousseau, in command of 2,700 Federal cavalry, started for
Decatur, Ala., on the 10th inst, on a raid, the object of which was to destroy the bridges and break up the railroad connecting
Columbus, Ga., with
Montgomery, Ala. The distance to be travelled cannot be much less than a hundred miles, and the line of the routs is one which has heretofore been untrodden by Federal troops.
After destroying the road and bridges alluded to,
Rousseau was to endeavor to join
Gen. Sherman on the
Chattahoochee river.
The expedition thus undertaken is a bold one, and is fraught with difficulties.
We are not, therefore, surprised to learn that the officers attached to the expedition left
Nashville with the idea that they might become inmates of a Southern prison, and very prudently arranged their affairs accordingly.
The
Evansville (lud)
Journal, of the 21st, says a courier arrived there Thursday from
Henderson, Ky., advising the military authorities that
Henderson was attacked by rebels, from 150 to 700 strong, and fighting was going on. Our gunboats immediately left for
Henderson.
The Union troops which went to
Henderson on Wednesday to shoot two guerilla prisoners, in retaliation for the murder of a Union man in
Henderson, occasioned this rebel raid.
Certain distinguished citizens made great efforts to prevent the execution.
Gen Ewing postponed it. The citizens of
Henderson left the place in large numbers before the attack began.
Persons who left later report the guerillas in the city, and the
Union troops in line of battle awaiting the attack.
The timely arrival of the gunboats would save the
Union troops from disaster.
The gunboats were shelling the woods at last accounts.
There was much excitement at
Louisville, and horses were being impressed for the emergency by the
Yankee authorities.
A rumor was also afloat that the
Confederates had whipped the
Federals at
Hopkinsville, and had also turned up in Carrol county, and captured the home guard and two 6 pounder brass pieces there.
