igade　perfectly　demoralized；　and　confirmed　the　report　that　General　Stoneman　had　covered　the　escape　of　these　two　small　brigades；　himself　standing　with　a　reserve　of　seven　hundred　men；　with　which　he　surrendered　to　a　Colonel　Iverson。　　Thus　another　of　my　cavalry　divisions　was　badly　damaged；　and　out　of　the　fragments　we　hastily　reorganized　three　small　divisions　under　Brigadier…Generals　Garrard；　McCook；　and　Kilpatrick。
  Stoneman　had　not　obeyed　his　orders　to　attack　the　railroad　first　before　going　to　Macon　and　Andersonville；　but　had　crossed　the　Ocmulgee　River　high　up　near　Covington；　and　had　gone　down　that　river　on　the　east　bank。　　He　reached　Clinton；　and　sent　out　detachments　which　struck　the　railroad　leading　from　Macon　to　Savannah　at　Griswold　Station；　where　they　found　and　destroyed　seventeen　locomotives　and　over　a　hundred　cars；　then　went　on　and　burned　the　bridge　across　the　Oconee；　and　reunited　the　division　before　Macon。　Stoneman　shelled　the　town　across　the　river；　but　could　not　cross　over　by　the　bridge；　and　returned　to　Clinton；　where　he　found　his　retreat　obstructed；　as　he　supposed；　by　a　superior　force。　　There　he　became　bewildered；　and　sacrificed　himself　for　the　safety　of　his　command。　　He　occupied　the　attention　of　his　enemy　by　a　small　force　of　seven　hundred　men；　giving　Colonels　Adams　and　Capron　leave；　with　their　brigades；　to　cut　their　way　back　to　me　at　Atlanta。　　The　former　reached　us　entire；　but　the　latter　was　struck　and　scattered　at　some　place　farther　north；　and　came　in　by　detachments。　　Stoneman　surrendered；　and　remained　a　prisoner　until　he　was　exchanged　some　time　after；　late　in　September；　at　Rough　and　Ready。
  I　now　became　satisfied　that　cavalry　could　not；　or　would　not；　make　a　sufficient　lodgment　on　the　railroad　below　Atlanta；　and　that　nothing　would　suffice　but　for　us　to　reach　it　with　the　main　army。　　Therefore　the　most　urgent　efforts　to　that　end　were　made；　and　to　Schofield；　on　the　right；　was　committed　the　charge　of　this　special　object。　　He　had　his　own　corps　（the　Twenty…third）；　composed　of　eleven　thousand　and　seventy…five　infantry　and　eight　hundred　and　eighty…five　artillery；　with　McCook's　broken　division　of　cavalry；　seventeen　hundred　and　fifty…four　men　and　horses。　　For　this　purpose　I　also　placed　the　Fourteenth　Corps　（Palmer）　under　his　orders。　　This　corps　numbered　at　the　time　seventeen　thousand　two　hundred　and　eighty…eight　infantry　and　eight　hundred　and　twenty…six　artillery；　but　General　Palmer　claimed　to　rank　General　Schofield　in　the　date　of　his　commission　as　major…general；　and　denied　the　latter's　right　to　exercise　command　over　him。　　General　Palmer　was　a　man　of　ability；　but　was　not　enterprising。　　His　three　divisions　were　compact　and　strong；　well　commanded；　admirable　on　the　defensive；　but　slow　to　move　or　to　act　on　the　offensive。　　His　corps　（the　Fourteenth）　had　sustained；　up　to　that　time；　fewer　hard　knocks　than　any　other　corps　in　the　whole　army；　and　I　was　anxious　to　give　it　a　chance。　　I　always　expected　to　have　a　desperate　fight　to　get　possession　of　the　Macon　road；　which　was　then　the　vital　objective　of　the　campaign。　　Its　possession　by　us　would；　in　my　judgment；　result　in　the　capture　of　Atlanta；　and　give　us　the　fruits　of　victory；　although　the　destruction　of　Hood's　army　was　the　real　object　to　be　desired。　　Yet　Atlanta　was　known　as　the　〃Gate…City　of　the　South；〃　was　full　of　founderies；　arsenals；　and　machine…shops；　and　I　knew　that　its　capture　would　be　the　death…knell　of　the　Southern　Confederacy。
  On　the　4th　of　August　I　ordered　General　Schofield　to　make　a　bold　attack　on　the　railroad；　anywhere　about　East　Point；　and　ordered　General　Palmer　to　report　to　him　for　duty。　　He　at　once　denied　General　Schofield's　right　to　command　him；　but；　after　examining　the　dates　of　their　respective　commissions；　and　hearing　their　arguments；　I　wrote　to　General　Palmer。
  August　4th。…10。45　p。m。
  》From　the　statements　made　by　yourself　and　General　Schofield　to…day；　my　decision　is；　that　he　ranks　you　as　a　major…general；　being　of　the　same　date　of　present　commission；　by　reason　of　his　previous　superior　rank　as　brigadier…general。　　The　movements　of　to…morrow　are　so　important　that　the　orders　of　the　superior　on　that　flank　must　be　regarded　as　military　orders；　and　not　in　the　nature　of　cooperation。　I　did　hope　that　there　would　be　no　necessity　for　my　making　this　decision；　but　it　is　better　for　all　parties　interested　that　no　question　of　rank　should　occur　in　actual　battle。　　The　Sandtown　road；　and　the　railroad；　if　possible；　must　be　gained　to…morrow；　if　it　costs　half　your　command。　　I　regard　the　loss　of　time　this　afternoon　as　equal　to　the　loss　of　two　thousand　men。
  I　also　communicated　the　substance　of　this　to　General　Thomas；　to　whose　army　Palmer's　corps　belonged；　who　replied　on　the　5th：
  I　regret　to　hear　that　Palmer　has　taken　the　course　he　has；　and　I　know　that　he　intends　to　offer　his　resignation　as　soon　as　he　can　properly　do　so。　　I　recommend　that　his　application　be　granted。
  And　on　the　5th　I　again　wrote　to　General　Palmer；　arguing　the　point　with　him；　advising　him；　as　a　friend；　not　to　resign　at　that　crisis　lest　his　motives　might　be　misconstrued；　and　because　it　might　damage　his　future　career　in　civil　life；　but；　at　the　same　time；　I　felt　it　my　duty　to　say　to　him　that　the　operations　on　that　flank；　during　the　4th　and　5th；　had　not　been　satisfactorynot　imputing　to　him；　however；　any　want　of　energy　or　skill；　but　insisting　that　〃the　events　did　not　keep　pace　with　my　desires。〃　　General　Schofield　had　reported　to　me　that　night：
  I　am　compelled　to　acknowledge　that　I　have　totally　failed　to　make　any　aggressive　movement　with　the　Fourteenth　Corps。　　I　have　ordered　General　Johnson's　division　to　replace　General　Hascall's　this　evening；　and　I　propose　to…morrow　to　take　my　own　troops　（Twenty…　third　Corps）　to　the　right；　and　try　to　recover　what　has　been　lost　by　two　days'　delay。　　The　force　may　likely　be　too　small。
  I　sanctioned　the　movement；　and　ordered　two　of　Palmers　divisions　Davis's　and　Baird'sto　follow　en　echelon　in　support　of　Schofield；　and　summoned　General　Palmer　to　meet　me　in　person：　He　came　on　the　6th　to　my　headquarters；　and　insisted　on　his　resignation　being　accepted；　for　which　formal　act　I　referred　him　to　General　Thomas。　He　then　rode　to　General　Thomas's　camp；　where　he　made　a　written　resignation　of　his　office　as　commander　of　the　Fourteenth　Corps；　and　was　granted　the　usual　leave　of　absence　to　go　to　his　home　in　Illinois；　there　to　await　further　orders。　　General　Thomas　recommended　that　the　resignation　be　accepted；　that　Johnson；　the　senior　division　commander　of　the　corps；　should　be　ordered　back　to　Nashville　as　chief　of　cavalry；　and　that　Brigadier…General　Jefferson　C。　Davis；　the　next　in　order；　should　be　promoted　major　general；　and　assigned　to　command　the　corps。　　These　changes　had　to　be　referred　to　the　President；　in　Washington；　and　were；　in　due　time；　approved　and　executed；　and　thenceforward　I　had　no　reason　to　complain　of　the　slowness　or　inactivity　of　that　splendid　corps。　It　had　been　originally　formed　by　General　George　H。　Thomas；　had　been　commanded　by　him　in　person；　and　had　imbibed　some　what　his　personal　character；　viz。；　steadiness；　good　order；　and　deliberation　nothing　hasty　or　rash；　but　always　safe；　〃slow；　and　sure。〃　　On　August　7th　I　telegraphed　to　General　Halleck：
  Have　received　to…day　the　dispatches　of　the　Secretary　of　War　and　of　General　Grant；　which　are　very　satisfactory。　　We　keep　hammering　away　all　the　time；　and　there　is　no　peace；　inside　or　outside　of　Atlanta。　To…day　General　Schofield　got　round　the　line　which　was　assaulted　yesterday　by　General　Reilly's　brigade；　turned　it　and　gained　the　ground　where　the　aseanlt　had　been　made；　and　got　possession　of　all　our　dead　and　wounded。　　He　continued　to　press　on　that　flank；　and　brought　on　a　noisy　but　not　a　bloody　battle。　　He　drove　the　enemy　behind　his　main　breastworks；　which　cover　the　railroad　from　Atlanta　to　East　Point；　and　captured　a　good　many　of　the　skirmishers；　who　are　of　his　best　troopsfor　the　militia　hug　the　breastworks　close。　　I　do　not　deem　it　prudent　to　extend　any　more　to　the　right；　but　will　push　forward　daily　by　parallels；　and　make　the　inside　of　Atlanta　too　hot　to　be　endured。　　I　have　sent　back　to　Chattanooga　for　two　thirty…　pound　Parrotts；　with　which　we　can　pick　out　almost　any　house　in　town。　　I　am　too　impatient　for　a　siege；　and　don't　know　but　this　is　as　good　a　place　to　fight　it　out　on；　as　farther　inland。　　One　thing　is　certain；　whether　we　get　inside　of　Atlanta　or　not；　it　will　be　a　used…up　community　when　we　are　done　with　it。
  In　Schofield's　extension　on　the　5th；　General　Reilly's　brigade　had　struck　an　outwork；　which　he　promptly　attacked；　but；　as　usual；　got　entangled　in　the　trees　and　bushes　which　had　been　felled；　and　lost　about　five　hundred　men；　in　killed　and　wounded；　but；　as　above　reported；　this　outwork　was　found　abandoned　the　next　day；　and　we　could　see　from　it　that　the　rebels　were　extending　their　lines；　parallel　with　the　railroad；　about　as　fast　as　we　could　add　to　our　line　of　investment。　　On　the　10th　of　August　the　Parrott　thirty…pounders　were　received　and　placed　in　Position；　for　a　couple　of　days　we　kept　up　a　sharp　fire　from　all　our　batteries　converging　on　Atlanta；　and　at　every　available　point　we　advanced　our　infantry…lines；　thereby　shortening　and　strengthening　the　investment；　but　I　was　not　willing　to　order　a　direct　assault；　unless　some　accident　or　positive　negl