e　investment；　but　I　was　not　willing　to　order　a　direct　assault；　unless　some　accident　or　positive　neglect　on　the　part　of　our　antagonist　should　reveal　an　opening。　　However；　it　was　manifest　that　no　such　opening　was　intended　by　Hood；　who　felt　secure　behind　his　strong　defenses。　　He　had　repelled　our　cavalry　attacks　on　his　railroad；　and　had　damaged　us　seriously　thereby；　so　I　expected　that　he　would　attempt　the　same　game　against　our　rear。　　Therefore　I　made　extraordinary　exertions　to　recompose　our　cavalry　divisions；　which　were　so　essential；　both　for　defense　and　offense。　　Kilpatrick　was　given　that　on　our　right　rear；　in　support　of　Schofield's　exposed　flank；　Garrard　retained　that　on　our　general　left；　and　McCook's　division　was　held　somewhat　in　reserve；　about　Marietta　and　the　railroad。　　On　the　10th；　having　occasion　to　telegraph　to　General　Grant；　then　in　Washington；　I　used　this　language：
  Since　July　28th　Hood　has　not　attempted　to　meet　us　outside　his　parapets。　　In　order　to　possess　and　destroy　effectually　his　communications；　I　may　have　to　leave　a　corps　at　the　railroad…bridge；　well　intrenched；　and　cut　loose　with　the　balance　to　make　a　circle　of　desolation　around　Atlanta。　　I　do　not　propose　to　assault　the　works；　which　are　too　strong；　nor　to　proceed　by　regular　approaches。　　I　have　lost　a　good　many　regiments；　and　will　lose　more；　by　the　expiration　of　service；　and　this　is　the　only　reason　why　I　want　reenforcements。　We　have　killed；　crippled；　and　captured　more　of　the　enemy　than　we　have　lost　by　his　acts。
  On　the　12th　of　August　I　heard　of　the　success　of　Admiral　Farragut　in　entering　Mobile　Bay；　which　was　regarded　as　a　most　valuable　auxiliary　to　our　operations　at　Atlanta；　and　learned　that　I　had　been　commissioned　a　major…general　in　the　regular　army；　which　was　unexpected；　and　not　desired　until　successful　in　the　capture　of　Atlanta。　　These　did　not　change　the　fact　that　we　were　held　in　check　by　the　stubborn　defense　of　the　place；　and　a　conviction　was　forced　on　my　mind　that　our　enemy　would　hold　fast；　even　though　every　house　in　the　town　should　be　battered　down　by　our　artillery。　　It　was　evident　that　we　moat　decoy　him　out　to　fight　us　on　something　like　equal　terms；　or　else；　with　the　whole　army；　raise　the　siege　and　attack　his　communications。　　Accordingly；　on　the　13th　of　August；　I　gave　general　orders　for　the　Twentieth　Corps　to　draw　back　to　the　railroad…bridge　at　the　Chattahoochee；　to　protect　our　trains；　hospitals；　spare　artillery；　and　the　railroad…depot；　while　the　rest　of　the　army　should　move　bodily　to　some　point　on　the　Macon　Railroad　below　East　Point。
  Luckily；　I　learned　just　then　that　the　enemy's　cavalry；　under　General　Wheeler；　had　made　a　wide　circuit　around　our　left　flank；　and　had　actually　reached　our　railroad　at　Tilton　Station；　above　Resaca；　captured　a　drove　of　one　thousand　of　our　beef…cattle；　and　was　strong　enough　to　appear　before　Dalton；　and　demand　of　its　commander；　Colonel　Raum；　the　surrender　of　the　place。　　General　John　E。　Smith；　who　was　at　Kingston；　collected　together　a　couple　of　thousand　men；　and　proceeded　in　cars　to　the　relief　of　Dalton　；　when　Wheeler　retreated　northward　toward　Cleveland。　　On　the　16th　another　detachment　of　the　enemy's　cavalry　appeared　in　force　about　Allatoona　and　the　Etowah　bridge；　when　I　became　fully　convinced　that　Hood　had　sent　all　of　his　cavalry　to　raid　upon　our　railroads。　　For　some　days　our　communication　with　Nashville　was　interrupted　by　the　destruction　of　the　telegraph…lines；　as　well　as　railroad。　　I　at　once　ordered　strong　reconnoissances　forward　from　our　flanks　on　the　left　by　Garrard；　and　on　the　right　by　Kilpatrick。　　The　former　moved　with　so　much　caution　that　I　was　displeased；　but　Kilpatrick；　on　the　contrary；　displayed　so　much　zeal　and　activity　that　I　was　attracted　to　him　at　once。　　He　reached　Fairburn　Station；　on　the　West　Point　road；　and　tore　it　up；　returning　safely　to　his　position　on　our　right　flank。　　I　summoned　him　to　me；　and　was　so　pleased　with　his　spirit　and　confidence；　that　I　concluded　to　suspend　the　general　movement　of　the　main　army；　and　to　send　him　with　his　small　division　of　cavalry　to　break　up　the　Macon　road　about　Jonesboro；　in　the　hopes　that　it　would　force　Hood　to　evacuate　Atlanta；　and　that　I　should　thereby　not　only　secure　possession　of　the　city　itself；　but　probably　could　catch　Hood　in　the　confusion　of　retreat；　and；　further　to　increase　the　chances　of　success。
  I　ordered　General　Thomas　to　detach　two　brigades　of　Garrard's　division　of　cavalry　from　the　left　to　the　right　rear；　to　act　as　a　reserve　in　support　of　General　Kilpatrick。　　Meantime；　also；　the　utmost　activity　was　ordered　along　our　whole　front　by　the　infantry　and　artillery。　　Kilpatrick　got　off　during　the　night　of　the　18th；　and　returned　to　us　on　the　22d；　having　made　the　complete　circuit　of　Atlanta。　　He　reported　that　he　had　destroyed　three　miles　of　the　railroad　about　Jonesboro；　which　he　reckoned　would　take　ten　days　to　repair；　that　he　had　encountered　a　division　of　infantry　and　a　brigade　of　cavalry　（Ross's）；　that　he　had　captured　a　battery　and　destroyed　three　of　its　guns；　bringing　one　in　as　a　trophy；　and　he　also　brought　in　three　battle…flags　and　seventy　prisoners。　　On　the　23d；　however；　we　saw　trains　coming　into　Atlanta　from　the　south；　when　I　became　more　than　ever　convinced　that　cavalry　could　not　or　would　not　work　hard　enough　to　disable　a　railroad　properly；　and　therefore　resolved　at　once　to　proceed　to　the　execution　of　my　original　plan。　　Meantime；　the　damage　done　to　our　own　railroad　and　telegraph　by　Wheeler；　about　Resaca　and　Dalton；　had　been　repaired；　and　Wheeler　himself　was　too　far　away　to　be　of　any　service　to　his　own　army；　and　where　he　could　not　do　us　much　harm；　viz。；　up　about　the　Hiawaesee。　　On　the　24th　I　rode　down　to　the　Chattahoochee　bridge；　to　see　in　person　that　it　could　be　properly　defended　by　the　single　corps　proposed　to　be　left　there　for　that　purpose；　and　found　that　the　rebel　works；　which　had　been　built　by　Johnston　to　resist　us；　could　be　easily　utilized　against　themselves；　and　on　returning　to　my　camp；　at　　　that　same　evening；　I　telegraphed　to　General　Halleck　as　follows：
  Heavy　fires　in　Atlanta　all　day；　caused　by　our　artillery。　　I　will　be　all　ready；　and　will　commence　the　movement　around　Atlanta　by　the　south；　tomorrow　night；　and　for　some　time　you　will　hear　little　of　us。　　I　will　keep　open　a　courier　line　back　to　the　Chattahoochee　bridge；　by　way　of　Sandtown。　　The　Twentieth　Corps　will　hold　the　railroad…bridge；　and　I　will　move　with　the　balance　of　the　army；　provisioned　for　twenty　days。
  Meantime　General　Dodge　（commanding　the　Sixteenth　Corps）　had　been　wounded　in　the　forehead；　had　gone　to　the　rear；　and　his　two　divisions　were　distributed　to　the　Fifteenth　and　Seventeenth　Corps。　The　real　movement　commenced　on　the　25th；　at　night。　　The　Twentieth　Corps　drew　back　and　took　post　at　the　railroad…bridge；　and　the　Fourth　Corps　（Stanley）　moved　to　his　right　rear；　closing　up　with　the　Fourteenth　Corps　（Jeff。　C。　Davis）　near　Utoy　Creek；　at　the　same　time　Garrard's　cavalry；　leaving　their　horses　out　of　sight；　occupied　the　vacant　trenches；　so　that　the　enemy　did　not　detect　the　change　at　all。　　The　next　night　（26th）　the　Fifteenth　and　Seventeenth　Corps；　composing　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee　（Howard）；　drew　out　of　their　trenches；　made　a　wide　circuit；　and　came　up　on　the　extreme　right　of　the　Fourth　and　Fourteenth　Corps　of　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland　（Thomas）　along　Utoy　Creek；　facing　south。　　The　enemy　seemed　to　suspect　something　that　night；　using　his　artillery　pretty　freely；　but　I　think　he　supposed　we　were　going　to　retreat　altogether。　　An　artillery…shot；　fired　at　random；　killed　one　man　and　wounded　another；　and　the　next　morning　some　of　his　infantry　came　out　of　Atlanta　and　found　our　camps　abandoned。　　It　was　afterward　related　that　there　was　great　rejoicing　in　Atlanta　〃that　the　Yankees　were　gone；〃　the　fact　was　telegraphed　all　over　the　South；　and　several　trains　of　cars　（with　ladies）　came　up　from　Macon　to　assist　in　the　celebration　of　their　grand　victory。
  On　the　28th　（making　a　general　left…wheel；　pivoting　on　Schofield）　both　Thomas　and　Howard　reached　the　Pest　Point　Railroad；　extending　from　East　Point　to　Red…Oak　Station　and　Fairburn；　where　we　spent　the　next　day　（29th）　in　breaking　it　up　thoroughly。　　The　track　was　heaved　up　in　sections　the　length　of　a　regiment；　then　separated　rail　by　rail；　bonfires　were　made　of　the　ties　and　of　fence…rails　on　which　the　rails　were　heated；　carried　to　trees　or　telegraph…poles；　wrapped　around　and　left　to　cool。　　Such　rails　could　not　be　used　again；　and；　to　be　still　more　certain；　we　filled　up　many　deep　cuts　with　trees；　brush；　and　earth；　and　commingled　with　them　loaded　shells；　so　arranged　that　they　would　explode　on　an　attempt　to　haul　out　the　bushes。　　The　explosion　of　one　such　shell　world　have　demoralized　a　gang　of　negroes；　and　thus　would　have　prevented　even　the　attempt　to　clear　the　road。
  Meantime　Schofield；　with　the　Twenty…third　Corps；　presented　a　bold　front　toward　East　Point；　daring　and　inviting　the　enemy　to　sally　out　to　attack　him　in　position。　　His　first　movement　was　on　the　30th；　to　Mount　Gilead　Church；　then　to　Morrow's　Mills；　facing　Rough　and　Ready。　　Thomas　was　on　his　right；　within　easy　support；　moving　by　cross…roads　from　Red　Oak　to　the　Fayetteville　road；　extending　from　Couch's　to　Renfrew's；　and　Howard　was　aiming　for　Jonesboro。
  I　was　with　General　Thomas　that　day；　which　was　hot　but　otherwise　ve