was　not；　for　some　reason；　simultaneous；　for　the　first　attack　on　our　extreme　left　flank　had　been　checked　and　repulsed　before　the　sally　came　from　the　direction　of　Atlanta。　Meantime；　Colonel　Sprague；　in　Decatur；　had　got　his　teams　harnessed　up；　and　safely　conducted　his　train　to　the　rear　of　Schofield's　position；　holding　in　check　Wheeler's　cavalry　till　he　had　got　off　all　his　trains；　with　the　exception　of　three　or　four　wagons。　　I　remained　near　the　Howard　House；　receiving　reports　and　sending　orders；　urging　Generals　Thomas　and　Schofield　to　take　advantage　of　the　absence　from　their　front　of　so　considerable　a　body　as　was　evidently　engaged　on　our　left；　and；　if　possible；　to　make　a　lodgment　in　Atlanta　itself；　but　they　reported　that　the　lines　to　their　front；　at　all　accessible　points；　were　strong；　by　nature　and　by　art；　and　were　fully　manned。　　About　4　p。m。　the　expected；　sally　came　from　Atlanta；　directed　mainly　against　Leggett's　Hill　and　along　the　Decatur　road。　　At　Leggett's　Hill　they　were　met　and　bloodily　repulsed。　　Along　the　railroad　they　were　more　successful。　　Sweeping　over　a　small　force　with　two　guns；　they　reached　our　main　line；　broke　through　it；　and　got　possession　of　De　Gress's　battery　of　four　twenty…pound　Parrotts；　killing　every　horse；　and　turning　the　guns　against　us。　　General　Charles　R。　Wood's　division　of　the　Fifteenth　Corps　was　on　the　extreme　right　of　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee；　between　the　railroad　and　the　Howard　House；　where　he　connected　with　Schofield's　troops。　　He　reported　to　me　in　person　that　the　line　on　his　left　had　been　swept　back；　and　that　his　connection　with　General　Logan；　on　Leggett's　Hill；　was　broken。　　I　ordered　him　to　wheel　his　brigades　to　the　left；　to　advance　in　echelon；　and　to　catch　the　enemy　in　flank。　　General　Schofield　brought　forward　all　his　available　batteries；　to　the　number　of　twenty　guns；　to　a　position　to　the　left　front　of　the　Howard　House；　whence　we　could　overlook　the　field　of　action；　and　directed　a　heavy　fire　over　the　heads　of　General　Wood's　men　against　the　enemy；　and　we　saw　Wood's　troops　advance　and　encounter　the　enemy；　who　had　secured　possession　of　the　old　line　of　parapet　which　had　been　held　by　our　men。　　His　right　crossed　this　parapet；　which　he　swept　back；　taking　it　in　flank；　and；　at　the　same　time；　the　division　which　had　been　driven　back　along　the　railroad　was　rallied　by　General　Logan　in　person；　and　fought　for　their　former　ground。　　These　combined　forces　drove　the　enemy　into　Atlanta；　recovering　the　twenty　pound　Parrott　guns　but　one　of　them　was　found　〃bursted〃　while　in　the　possession　of　the　enemy。　　The　two　six…pounders　farther　in　advance　were；　however；　lost；　and　had　been　hauled　back　by　the　enemy　into　Atlanta。　　Poor　Captain　de　Gress　came　to　me　in　tears；　lamenting　the　loss　of　his　favorite　guns；　when　they　were　regained　he　had　only　a　few　men　left；　and　not　a　single　horse。　He　asked　an　order　for　a　reequipment；　but　I　told　him　he　must　beg　and　borrow　of　others　till　he　could　restore　his　battery；　now　reduced　to　three　guns。　　How　he　did　so　I　do　not　know；　but　in　a　short　time　he　did　get　horses；　men；　and　finally　another　gun；　of　the　same　special　pattern；　and　served　them　with　splendid　effect　till　the　very　close　of　the　war。　　This　battery　had　also　been　with　me　from　Shiloh　till　that　time。
  The　battle　of　July　22d　is　usually　called　the　battle　of　Atlanta。　　It　extended　from　the　Howard　House　to　General　Giles　A。　Smith's　position；　about　a　mile　beyond　the　Augusta　Railroad；　and　then　back　toward　Decatur；　the　whole　extent　of　ground　being　fully　seven　miles。　In　part　the　ground　was　clear　and　in　part　densely　wooded。　　I　rode　over　the　whole　of　it　the　next　day；　and　it　bore　the　marks　of　a　bloody　conflict。　　The　enemy　had　retired　during　the　night　inside　of　Atlanta；　and　we　remained　masters　of　the　situation　outside。　　I　purposely　allowed　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee　to　fight　this　battle　almost　unaided；　save　by　demonstrations　on　the　part　of　General　Schofield　and　Thomas　against　the　fortified　lines　to　their　immediate　fronts；　and　by　detaching；　as　described；　one　of　Schofield's　brigades　to　Decatur；　because　I　knew　that　the　attacking　force　could　only　be　a　part　of　Hood's　army；　and　that；　if　any　assistance　were　rendered　by　either　of　the　other　armies；　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee　would　be　jealous。　　Nobly　did　they　do　their　work　that　day；　and　terrible　was　the　slaughter　done　to　our　enemy；　though　at　sad　cost　to　ourselves；　as　shown　by　the　following　reports：
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD　NEAR　ATLANTA；　July　23；1864。
  General　HALLECK；　Washington；　D。　　C。
  Yesterday　morning　the　enemy　fell　back　to　the　intrenchments　proper　of　the　city　of　Atlanta；　which　are　in　a　general　circle；　with　a　radius　of　one　and　a　half　miles；　and　we　closed　in。　　While　we　were　forming　our　lines；　and　selecting　positions　for　our　batteries；　the　enemy　appeared　suddenly　out　of　the　dense　woods　in　heavy　masses　on　our　extreme　left；　and　struck　the　Seventeenth　Corps　（General　Blair）　in　flank；　and　was　forcing　it　back；　when　the　Sixteenth　Corps　（General　Dodge）　came　up　and　checked　the　movement；　but　the　enemy's　cavalry　got　well　to　our　rear；　and　into　Decatur；　and　for　some　hours　our　left　flank　was　completely　enveloped。　　The　fight　that　resulted　was　continuous　until　night；　with　heavy　loss　on　both　sides。　　The　enemy　took　one　of　our　batteries　（Murray's；　of　the　Regular　Army）　that　was　marching　in　its　place　in　column　in　the　road；　unconscious　of　danger。　　About　p。m。　the　enemy　sallied　against　the　division　of　General　Morgan　L。　Smith；　of　the　Fifteenth　Corps；　which　occupied　an　abandoned　line　of　rifle…trench　near　the　railroad　east　of　the　city；　and　forced　it　back　some　four　hundred　yards；　leaving　in　his　hands　for　the　time　two　batteries；　but　the　ground　and　batteries　were　immediately　after　recovered　by　the　same　troops　reenforced。　　I　cannot　well　approximate　our　loss；　which　fell　heavily　on　the　Fifteenth　and　Seventeenth　Corps；　but　count　it　as　three　thousand；　I　know　that；　being　on　the　defensive；　we　have　inflicted　equally　heavy　loss　on　the　enemy。
  General　McPherson；　when　arranging　his　troops　about　11。00　A。M。；　and　passing　from　one　column　to　another；　incautiously　rode　upon　an　ambuscade　without　apprehension；　at　some　distance　ahead　of　his　staff　and　orderlies；　and　was　shot　dead。
  W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General　commanding。
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD　NEAR　ATLANTA；　July　26；1864。
  Major…General　HALLECK；　Washington；　D。　C。
  GENERAL：　I　find　it　difficult　to　make　prompt　report　of　results；　coupled　with　some　data　or　information；　without　occasionally　making　mistakes。　　McPherson's　sudden　death；　and　Logan　succeeding　to　the　command　as　it　were　in　the　midst　of　battle；　made　some　confusion　on　our　extreme　left；　but　it　soon　recovered　and　made　sad　havoc　with　the　enemy；　who　had　practised　one　of　his　favorite　games　of　attacking　our　left　when　in　motion；　and　before　it　had　time　to　cover　its　weak　flank。　　After　riding　over　the　ground　and　hearing　the　varying　statements　of　the　actors；　I　directed　General　Logan　to　make　an　official　report　of　the　actual　result；　and　I　herewith　inclose　it。
  Though　the　number　of　dead　rebels　seems　excessive；　I　am　disposed　to　give　full　credit　to　the　report　that　our　loss；　though　only　thirty…　five　hundred　and　twenty…one　killed；　wounded；　and　missing；　the　enemy's　dead　alone　on　the　field　nearly　equaled　that　number；　viz。；　thirty…two　hundred　and　twenty。　　Happening　at　that　point　of　the　line　when　a　flag　of　truce　was　sent　in　to　ask　permission　for　each　party　to　bury　its　dead；　I　gave　General　Logan　authority　to　permit　a　temporary　truce　on　that　flank　alone；　while　our　labors　and　fighting　proceeded　at　all　others。
  I　also　send　you　a　copy　of　General　Garrard's　report　of　the　breaking　of　the　railroad　toward　Augusta。　　I　am　now　grouping　my　command　to　attack　the　Macon　road；　and　with　that　view　will　intrench　a　strong　line　of　circumvallation　with　flanks；　so　as　to　have　as　large　an　infantry　column　as　possible；　with　all　the　cavalry　to　swing　round　to　the　south　and　east；　to　strike　that　road　at　or　below　East　Point。
  I　have　the　honor　to　be；　your　obedient　servant；
  W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General　commanding。
  HEADQUARTERS　DEPARTMENT　AND　ARMY　OF　THE　TENNESSEE　BEFORE　ATLANTA　GEORGIA；　July　24；　1864
  Major…General　W。　T。　　SHERMAN；　commanding　Military　Division　of　the　Mississippi。
  GENERAL：　I　have　the　honor　to　report　the　following　general　summary　of　the　result　of　the　attack　of　the　enemy　on　this　army　on　the　22d　inst。
  Total　loss；　killed；　wounded；　and　missing；　thirty…five　hundred　and　twenty…one；　and　ten　pieces　of　artillery。
  We　have　buried　and　delivered　to　the　enemy；　under　a　flag　of　trace　sent　in　by　them；　in　front　of　the　Third　Division；　Seventeenth　Corps；　one　thousand　of　their　killed。
  The　number　of　their　dead　in　front　of　the　Fourth　Division　of　the　same　corps；　including　those　on　the　ground　not　now　occupied　by　our　troops；　General　Blair　reports；　will　swell　the　number　of　their　dead　on　his　front　to　two　thousand。
  The　number　of　their　dead　buried　in　front　of　the　Fifteenth　Corps；　up　to　this　hour；　is　three　hundred　and　sixty；　and　the　commanding　officer　reports　that　at　least　as　many　more　are　yet　unburied；　burying…parties　being　still　at　work。
  The　number　of　dead　buried　in　front　of　the　Sixteenth　Corps　is　four　hundred　and　twenty…two。　　We　have　over　one　thousand　of　their　wounded　in　our　hands；　the　larger　number　of　the　wounded　bei