The　enemy；　though　evidently　somewhat　intimidated　by　the　results　of　their　defeats　on　the　22d　and　28th；　still　presented　a　bold　front　at　all　points；　with　fortified　lines　that　defied　a　direct　assault。　　Our　railroad　was　done　to　the　rear　of　our　camps；　Colonel　W。　P。　Wright　having　reconstructed　the　bridge　across　the　Chattahoochee　in　six　days；　and　our　garrisons　and　detachments　to　the　rear　had　so　effectually　guarded　the　railroad　that　the　trains　from　Nashville　arrived　daily；　and　our　substantial　wants　were　well　supplied。
  The　month；　though　hot　in　the　extreme；　had　been　one　of　constant　conflict；　without　intermission；　and　on　four　several　occasions…　…viz。；　July　4th；　20th；　22d；　and　28ththese　affairs　had　amounted　to　real　battles；　with　casualty　lists　by　the　thousands。　　Assuming　the　correctness　of　the　rebel　surgeon　Foard'a　report；　on　page　577　of　Johnston's　〃Narrative；〃　commencing　with　July　4th　and　terminating　with　July　31st；　we　have：
  Aggregate　loss　of　the　enemy。。。。。。。。。　10；841
  Our　losses；　as　compiled　from　the　official　returns　for　July；　1864；　are：　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Killed　and　Missing。　　　　Wounded。　　　　Total。
  Aggregate　loss　of　July。。。。。。。　3；804　　　　　　　　　　5；915　　　　　　9；719
  In　this　table　the　column　of　〃killed　and　missing〃　embraces　the　prisoners　that　fell　into　the　hands　of　the　enemy；　mostly　lost　in　the　Seventeenth　Corps；　on　the　22d　of　July；　and　does　not　embrace　the　losses　in　the　cavalry　divisions　of　Garrard　and　McCook；　which；　however；　were　small　for　July。　　In　all　other　respects　the　statement　is　absolutely　correct。　　I　am　satisfied；　however；　that　Surgeon　Foard　could　not　have　been　in　possession　of　data　sufficiently　accurate　to　enable　him　to　report　the　losses　in　actual　battle　of　men　who　never　saw　the　hospital。　　During　the　whole　campaign　I　had　rendered　to　me　tri…monthly　statements　of　〃effective　strength；〃　from　which　I　carefully　eliminated　the　figures　not　essential　for　my　conduct；　so　that　at　all　times　I　knew　the　exact　fighting…strength　of　each　corps；　division；　and　brigade；　of　the　whole　army；　and　also　endeavored　to　bear　in　mind　our　losses　both　on　the　several　fields　of　battle　and　by　sickness；　and　well　remember　that　I　always　estimated　that　during　the　month　of　July　we　had　inflicted　heavier　loss　on　the　enemy　than　we　had　sustained　ourselves；　and　the　above　figures　pxove　it　conclusively。　　Before　closing　this　chapter；　I　must　record　one　or　two　minor　events　that　occurred　about　this　time；　that　may　prove　of　interest。
  On　the　24th　of　July　I　received　a　dispatch　from　Inspector…General　James　A。　Hardie；　then　on　duty　at　the　War　Department　in　Washington；　to　the　effect　that　Generals　Osterhaus　and　Alvan　P。　Hovey　had　been　appointed　major…generals。　　Both　of　these　had　begun　the　campaign　with　us　in　command　of　divisions；　but　had　gone　to　the　rearthe　former　by　reason　of　sickness；　and　the　latter　dissatisfied　with　General　Schofield　and　myself　about　the　composition　of　his　division　of　the　Twenty…third　Corps。　　Both　were　esteemed　as　first…class　officers；　who　had　gained　special　distinction　in　the　Vicksburg　campaign。　　But　up　to　that　time；　when　the　newspapers　announced　daily　promotions　elsewhere；　no　prominent　officers　serving　with　me　had　been　advanced　a　peg；　and　I　felt　hurt。　　I　answered　Hardie　on　the　25th；　in　a　dispatch　which　has　been　made　public；　closing　with　this　language：　〃If　the　rear　be　the　post　of　honor；　then　we　had　better　all　change　front　on　Washington。〃　　To　my　amazement；　in　a　few　days　I　received　from　President　Lincoln　himself　an　answer；　in　which　he　caught　me　fairly。　　I　have　not　preserved　a　copy　of　that　dispatch；　and　suppose　it　was　burned　up　in　the　Chicago　fire；　but　it　was　characteristic　of　Mr。　Lincoln；　and　was　dated　the　26th　or　27th　day　of　July；　contained　unequivocal　expressions　of　respect　for　those　who　were　fighting　hard　and　unselfishly；　offering　us　a　full　share　of　the　honors　and　rewards　of　the　war；　and　saying　that；　in　the　cases　of　Hovey　and　Osterhaus；　he　was　influenced　mainly　by　the　recommendations　of　Generals　Grant　and　Sherman。　　On　the　27th　I　replied　direct；　apologizing　somewhat　for　my　message　to　General　Hardie；　saying　that　I　did　not　suppose　such　messages　ever　reached　him　personally；　explaining　that　General　Grant's　and　Sherman's　recommendations　for　Hovey　and　Osterhaus　had　been　made　when　the　events　of　the　Vicksburg　campaign　were　fresh　with　us；　and　that　my　dispatch　of　the　25th　to　General　Hardie　had　reflected　chiefly　the　feelings　of　the　officers　then　present　with　me　before　Atlanta。　　The　result　of　all　this；　however；　was　good；　for　another　dispatch　from　General　Hardie；　of　the　28th；　called　on　me　to　nominate　eight　colonels　for　promotion　as　brigadier…generals。　　I　at　once　sent　a　circular　note　to　the　army…commanders　to　nominate　two　colonels　from　the　Army　of　the　Ohio　and　three　from　each　of　the　others；　and　the　result　was；　that　on　the　29th　of　July　I　telegraphed　the　names　of　Colonel　William　Gross；　Thirty…sixth　Indiana；　Colonel　Charles　C。　Walcutt；　Forty…sixth　Ohio；　Colonel　James　W。　Riley；　One　Hundred　and　Fourth　Ohio；　Colonel　L。　P。　Bradley；　Fifty…first　Illinois；　Colonel　J。　W。　Sprague；　Sixty…third　Ohio；　Colonel　Joseph　A。　Cooper；　Sixth　East　Tennessee；　Colonel　John　T。　Croxton；　Fourth　Kentucky；　Colonel　William　W。　Belknap；　Fifteenth　Iowa。　　These　were　promptly　appointed　brigadier…generals；　were　already　in　command　of　brigades　or　divisions；　and　I　doubt　if　eight　promotions　were　ever　made　fairer；　or　were　more　honestly　earned；　during　the　whole　war。
  CHAPTER　XIX。
  CAPTURE　OF　ATLANTA。
  AUGUST　AND　SEPTEMBER；　1864
  The　month　of　August　opened　hot　and　sultry；　but　our　position　before　Atlanta　was　healthy；　with　ample　supply　of　wood；　water；　and　provisions。　　The　troops　had　become　habituated　to　the　slow　and　steady　progress　of　the　siege；　the　skirmish…lines　were　held　close　up　to　the　enemy；　were　covered　by　rifle…trenches　or　logs；　and　kept　up　a　continuous　clatter　of　musketry。　　The　mainlines　were　held　farther　back；　adapted　to　the　shape　of　the　ground；　with　muskets　loaded　and　stacked　for　instant　use。　　The　field…batteries　were　in　select　positions；　covered　by　handsome　parapets；　and　occasional　shots　from　them　gave　life　and　animation　to　the　scene。　　The　men　loitered　about　the　trenches　carelessly；　or　busied　themselves　in　constructing　ingenious　huts　out　of　the　abundant　timber；　and　seemed　as　snug；　comfortable；　and　happy；　as　though　they　were　at　home。　　General　Schofield　was　still　on　the　extreme　left；　Thomas　in　the　centre；　and　Howard　on　the　right。　　Two　divisions　of　the　Fourteenth　Corps　（Baird's　and　Jeff。　　C。　Davis's）　were　detached　to　the　right　rear；　and　held　in　reserve。
  I　thus　awaited　the　effect　of　the　cavalry　movement　against　the　railroad　about　Jonesboro；　and　had　heard　from　General　Garrard　that　Stoneman　had　gone　on　to　Mason；　during　that　day　（August　1st）　Colonel　Brownlow；　of　a　Tennessee　cavalry　regiment；　came　in　to　Marietta　from　General　McCook；　and　reported　that　McCook's　whole　division　had　been　overwhelmed；　defeated；　and　captured　at　Newnan。　　Of　course；　I　was　disturbed　by　this　wild　report；　though　I　discredited　it；　but　made　all　possible　preparations　to　strengthen　our　guards　along　the　railroad　to　the　rear；　on　the　theory　that　the　force　of　cavalry　which　had　defeated　McCook　would　at　once　be　on　the　railroad　about　Marietta。　　Atthe　same　time　Garrard　was　ordered　to　occupy　the　trenches　on　our　left；　while　Schofield's　whole　army　moved　to　the　extreme　right；　and　extended　the　line　toward　East　Point。　　Thomas　was　also　ordered　still　further　to　thin　out　his　lines；　so　as　to　set　free　the　other　division　（Johnson's）　of　the　Fourteenth　Corps　（Palmer's）；　which　was　moved　to　the　extreme　right　rear；　and　held　in　reserve　ready　to　make　a　bold　push　from　that　flank　to　secure　a　footing　on　the　Mason　Railroad　at　or　below　East　Point。
  These　changes　were　effected　during　the　2d　and　3d　days　of　August；　when　General　McCook　came　in　and　reported　the　actual　results　of　his　cavalry　expedition。　　He　had　crossed　the　Chattahoochee　River　below　Campbellton；　by　his　pontoon…bridge；　had　then　marched　rapidly　across　to　the　Mason　Railroad　at　Lovejoy's　Station；　where　he　had　reason　to　expect　General　Stoneman；　but；　not　hearing　of　him；　he　set　to　work；　tore　up　two　miles　of　track；　burned　two　trains　of　cars；　and　cut　away　five　miles　of　telegraph…wire。　　He　also　found　the　wagon…train　belonging　to　the　rebel　army　in　Atlanta；　burned　five　hundred　wagons；　killed　eight　hundred　mules；　and　captured　seventy…two　officers　and　three　hundred　and　fifty　men。　　Finding　his　progress　eastward；　toward　McDonough；　barred　by　a　superior　force；　he　turned　back　to　Newnan；　where　he　found　himself　completely　surrounded　by　infantry　and　cavalry。　　He　had　to　drop　his　prisoners　and　fight　his　way　out；　losing　about　six　hundred　men　in　killed　and　captured；　and　then　returned　with　the　remainder　to　his　position　at　Turner's　Ferry。　This　was　bad　enough；　but　not　so　bad　as　had　been　reported　by　Colonel　Brownlow。　　Meantime；　rumors　came　that　General　Stoneman　was　down　about　Mason；　on　the　east　bank　of　the　Ocmulgee。　　On　the　4th　of　August　Colonel　Adams　got　to　Marietta　with　his　small　brigade　of　nine　hundred　men　belonging　to　Stoneman's　cavalry；　reporting；　as　usual；　all　the　rest　lost；　and　this　was　partially　confirmed　by　a　report　which　came　to　me　all　the　way　round　by　General　Grant's　headquarters　before　Richmond。　　A　few　days　afterward　Colonel　Capron　also　got　in；　with　another　small　brigade　perfectly　demoralized；　and　confirmed　the　repo