THE STRUGGLE FOR ATLANTA.
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'Weary men were sound asleep. At the first peep of dawn Newton’s skir-mishers sprang over the enemy’s intrenchments to find, them abandoned.
In the ensuing pursuit, Thomas, crossing the river on a floating bridge,hastily constructed, followed directly with the Fourth and the Fourteenthcorps.
Stanley had some sharp fighting with Stewart’s Confederate division, whichWas acting as Johnston’s rear-guard. It was, in fact, a running s k irmish,Ihat lasted till evening, at the close of which we encamped for the nightne ar the enemy’s empty works at Calhoun. Meanwhile McPherson had beenmarching on parallel roads to the right toward Pome, Georgia , Jefferson C.^avis’s division from Thomas’s army sweeping farther still to the right,mid Schofield, accompanied by Hooker, to the left toward Cassville.
Our enemy, between these columns with his entire force, made a brief standmi the 17th of May at Adairsville, and fortified. About 4 p. m. Newton andWood, of my corps, Wood on the right, found the resistance constantlyincreasing as they advanced, till Newton’s skirmishers, going at double-timethrough, clumps of trees, awakened a heavy opposing fire. A little after this,While I was watching the developments from a high point, Sherman with his®taff and escort joined me. Our showy group immediately drew upon it theme of a battery, shells bursting over our heads with indescribable rapidity.
monel Morgan’s horse was very badly lamed; Fullerton, the adjutant-gen-m'al, was set afoot, and several horses of the escort were killed or crippled.Captain Bliss, of Newton’s staff, had one shoulder-strap knocked off by a frag-ment, which bruised him badly. The skirmishing of Newton and Wood kept^creasing. In fact, both parties, though desiring to avoid a general battle,Nevertheless reenforced, till the firing amounted to an engagement. It wasri °I till after 9 o’clock that the rattling of the musketry had diminished to the0r dinary skirmish, and the batteries had ceased, except an occasional shot, as ife a-hh were trying to have the last gun. The losses in my command in this';°mbat were about two hundred killed and wounded. The morning of the 18thk°Und the works in front of Adairsville with few reminders that an army hadeen there the night before. Hooker and Schofield had done the work. John-s I°u’s scouts during the night brought him word that a large Federal forceWas already far beyond his right near Cassville, threatening his main cross-°f the Etowah; and also that McPherson was camping below him at. Quire’s Cross-roads , and that our infantry (Davis’s division) was alreadym sight of the little town of Rome, where, under a weak guard, wereUndries and important mills. We began now to perceive slight evidences°ur opponent’s demoralization. I captured a regiment and quite a largeNumber of detached prisoners. The whole number taken, including many^^missioimd officers, was about four thousand.
/-he rapidity with which the badly broken railroad was repaired seemedU'aculous. We had hardly left Dalton before trains with ammunition and^uer supplies arrived. While our skirmishing was going 011 at Calhoun, thetfi e0ttl0 ^ Ve sounded in Resaca. The telegraphers were nearly as rapid:
le liues were in order to Adairsville on the morning of the 18th. While we