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When the Army of the Cumberland was in line, facing the enemy, its leftrested near Catoosa Springs, its center at Ringgold, the railway station, andits right at Leeds Tan-yard. My corps formed the left. Catoosa Springs wasa Georgia watering-place, where there were several large buildings, hotel andboarding-houses, amid undulating hills, backed by magnificent mountainscenery. Here, on the morning of the 6th, I met Thomas and Sherman-Sherman had a habit of dropping in and explaining in a happy way what hepurposed to do. At first he intended that Thomas and Schofield shouldsimply breast the enemy and skirmish with him on the west and north, whikMcPherson, coming from Alabama, was to strike the Atlanta railroad at leafdten miles below Resaca. McPherson, failing in getting some of his troop 8back from furlough, was not now deemed strong enough to operate alone fhence he was brought to Chattanooga instead, and sent thence to VTllano'vLsoon after to pass through the Snake Creek Gap of Taylor’s Ridge, all th etime being kept near enough the other armies to get help from them in caseof emergency. By this it was ardently hoped by Sherman that McPhersonmight yet succeed in getting upon Johnston’s communications near Resaca-Thomas here urged his own views, which were to give Schofield and McPhei''son the skirmishing and demonstrations, while he (Thomas), with his strong 61army, should pass through Snake Creek Gap and seize Johnston’s commuiU'cations. He felt sure of victory. Sherman, however, hesitated to put In 8main army twenty miles away beyond a mountain range on the enemy’s lin e ’lest he should thereby endanger his own. He could not yet afford an exchangeof base. Still, in less than a week, as we shall see, he ran even a greater riskEarly in the day, May 7th, the Fourth Corps, arranged for battle, was neka small farm-house in sight of Tunnel Hill. Two divisions, Stanley’s an<Newton’s, abreast in long, wavy lines, and the other, Wood’s, in the rcu r <kept on the qui vive to prevent surprises, particularly from the sweep 0country to the north of us. The front and the left of the moving men wei' ewell protected by infantry skirmishers. It was a beautiful picture — thatarmy corps, with arms glistening in the morning light, ascending the slop e 'By 8 o’clock the few rifle-shots had become a continuous rattle. First ) v ' esaw far off, here and there, puffs of smoke, and then the gray horsemen g' lV 'ing back and passing the crest. Suddenly there was stronger resistantartillery and musketry rapidly firing upon our advance. At 9 o’clock tl ieridge of Tunnel Hill bristled with Confederates, mounted and dismounted-A closer observation from Stanley’s field-glass showed them to be oidy hoi’ 8 ®artillery and cavalry supports. In a few moments Stanley’s and Newton 8men charged the hill at a run and cleared the ridge, and soon beheld t' ieenemy’s artillery and cavalry galloping away. “ The ball is opened,” Stauk^called out, as I took my place by his side to study Taylor’s Ridge and“Rocky Face,” which was now in plain sight. We beheld it, a craggy ehW.,tion of about five hundred feet, extending from a point not far north 0us, but as far as the eye could reach southward. Its perpendicular fa 6presented a formidable wall and afforded us no favorable door of outran 66 ’[See also article, p. 278.]