Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: May 15, 2025
Commanding Officer, United States Forces, Allatoona: I have placed the forces under my command in such positions that you are surrounded, and to avoid a needless effusion of blood I call on you to surrender your forces at once, and unconditionally. Five minutes will be allowed you to decide. Should you accede to this, you will be treated in the most honorable manner as prisoners of war.
These points could usually be reached only by a dash of the enemy's cavalry, and many of these block houses successfully resisted serious attacks by both cavalry and artillery. The only block-house that was actually captured on the main was the one described near Allatoona.
Sherman's new positions placed McPherson's army on Proctor's Creek, a branch of the Allatoona in front of Ackworth on the railroad, Thomas's army between Mt. A more open belt of country lay along the western side of the line from Kennesaw to Lost Mountain, and Sherman hurried the readjustment of his forces in the hope of a decisive engagement with Johnston by the 9th of June or soon afterward.
And now, following the fall of Atlanta before Sherman's Forces, Grant had stormed "Fort Hell," in front of Petersburg; Sheridan had routed the Rebels, under Early, at Winchester, and had again defeated Early at Fisher's Hill; Lee had been repulsed in his attack on Grant's works at Petersburg; and Allatoona had been made famous, by Corse and his 2,000 Union men gallantly repulsing the 5,000 men of Hood's Rebel Army, who had completely surrounded and attacked them in front, flank, and rear.
Continuous rains in June Allatoona made a field depot on the railway and fortified Johnston in the Marietta lines That from Pine Mountain to Lost Mountain abandoned Swinging our right flank Affair at Kolb's farm Preparing for a general attack Battle of Kennesaw The tactical problem Work of my division Topography about Cheney's Our advance on the 27th Nickajack valley reached The army moves behind us Johnston retreats to the Chattahoochee Twenty-third Corps at Smyrna Camp-ground Crossing the Chattahoochee at Soap Creek At Roswell Johnston again retreats Correspondence with Davis Mission of B. H. Hill Visit of Bragg to Johnston Johnston's unfortunate reticence He is relieved and Hood placed in command Significance of the change to the Confederacy and to us.
The only possible question was as to Thomas's strength and ability to meet Hood in the open field. I did not suppose that General Hood, though rash, would venture to attack fortified places like Allatoona, Resaca, Decatur, and Nashville; but he did so, and in so doing he played into our hands perfectly.
On the 13th I reported to General Halleck as follows: All is well. I have now accumulated stores at Allatoona and Marietta, both fortified and garrisoned points. Have also three places at which to cross the Chattahoochee in our possession, and only await General Stoneman's return from a trip down the river, to cross the army in force and move on Atlanta.
After the war was over, General Johnston inquired of me who was our chief railroad-engineer. I doubt whether the history of war can furnish more examples of skill and bravery than attended the defense of the railroad from Nashville to Atlanta during the year 1864. In person I reached Allatoona on the 9th of October, still in doubt as to Hood's immediate intentions.
We passed over the divide separating Pumpkin Vine Creek, and its branches from Allatoona Creek, and the sharp skirmishing began as we approached the latter. The afternoon was well advanced when we reached the creek, and a heavy thunderstorm broke as our line forded the stream and pushed up the hill on the other side.
I know that when I reached Allatoona, on the 9th, I saw a good many dead men, which had been collected for burial. Corse's entire loss, officially reported, was: Killed. Wounded. Missing. Total. 142 353 212 707
Word Of The Day
Others Looking