VIEW OF THE BATTLE OF PEACH TREE CREEK FROM GENERAL HOOKER'S POSITION. FROM A SKETCH MADE AT THE TIME.
A bout IT o’clock on the night of the 17th of- July, IS(14, I received a telegram from theWar Office directing me to assume command ofthe Army of Tennessee. It is difficult to imaginea commander placed at the head of an army un-der more embarrassing circumstances than thoseagainst which I was left to contend. I was com-paratively a stranger to the Army of Tennessee.The troops of the Army of Tennessee had for suchlength of time been subjected to the ruinous policypursued from Dalton to Atlanta that they wereunfitted for united action in pitched battle. Theyhad, in other words, been so long habituated to se-curity behind breastworks that they had becomewedded to the “timid defensive” policy, and nat-urally regarded with distrust a commander likelyto initiate offensive operations.
The senior corps commander [Hardee] consid-ered he had been supplanted through my promo-tion, and thereupon determined to resign. Inconsequence, I have no doubt, of my applicationto President Davis to postpone the order trans-ferring to me the command of the army, he, how-ever, altered his decision, and concluded to remainwith his corps.
The evening of the 18th of July found Gen-eral Johnston comfortably quartered at Macon ,whilst McPherson’s and Schofield’s corps weretearing up the Georgia railroad between Stone
jTaken by permission and condensed from General Hood 'G. T. Beauregard for tins Hood Orphan Men
Mountain and Decatur; Thomas’s army was h !lS 'tening preparations to cross Peach Tree Greek,within about six miles of Atlanta ; and Ibusily engaged in hunting up the positions of, illl<establishing communication with, Stewart's a' 11Hardee’s corps.
After having established communication >vitt'the corps and the cavalry of the army during tl 10forepart of the night, I found myself upon th®morning of the Tilth in readiness to fulfill tJ»®grave duties devolving upon me.
Our troops had awakened in mo heartfelt. syWP 1 *"thy, as I had followed their military career wd ‘deep interest, from early in May of that year,had witnessed their splendid condition at tub;period; had welcomed with pride the line body 0reinforcements under General Polk ; but, with <!"’appointment, I had seen them, day after day, t |11 "their back upon the enemy, and lastly cross w*Chattahoochee Kivor on the night, of the Jfh 0July with one-third of their number lost—the u' e ’Jdowncast, dispirited, and demoralised. Stragglyand deserters, the captured and killed, could u°now, however, he replaced by recruits, because 1the recruiting depots had boon drained to recnioHeither Leo or Johnston. I could, therefore,make the host, dispositions in my powerthe reduced numbers of the army, which win*** 1a force of 100,000 Federals, buoyant with su°
■rill
386