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2 Johnston could justly console him self with the knowledge that the posi tion was wrested from him not by as sault, nor s » much by pure strategy as by “two to one:” but, with the cov eted prize in his grasp, Sherman could well afford to feel independent of the criticism which minified the glory of the achievement. Just here is probably the best place to interject a short reference to a sub sequent occurrence which has linked the name of Allatoona with one of the most stirring gospel lyrics of the Eng lish tongue. After the fall of Atlanta, when Hood was making his famous move ment toward and into Tennessee, in Sherman’s rear, he sent General French, with his division, to seize Al latoona, where General Sherman had stored over a million rations of bread. Learning of this movement, Generaf Sherman signalled from Macßae’s Hill, at Vining’s Station, on the Western & Atlantic Railroad, to the signal sta tion on the .crest of Kennesaw Moun tain, and thence in turn the message was transmitted over the heads of the Confederates, “ through the sky,” to the forts on Allatoona heights, for General John M. Corse, at Rome, Ga., to be notified that he must at once hasten to Allatoona with re-enforce ments for the garrison at that import ant station. Corse, with the least possible delav, started from Rome at 8 P. M , < Ictober 4, 1864, and arrived at Allatoona at 1 A. M., October sth. He brought 1,054 men to re-inforce Colonel Tour tellotte’s garrison of 890, thus making a total, for the defence, of 1,944. He found the outposts already en gaged, and, as soon as daylight came, he drew back the men from the village to the ridge on which the two forts were built. These, by the way, were connected by a bridge which spanned the deep railroad cut. Soon thereafter a lively bombard ment was opened from a Confederate battery on a high hill a few hundred yards to the south ; and, at about 8 A. M., the assault began, coming from front, Hank and rear. Genera] Sherman says . These redoubts had been located * * * at the time of our advance on Kennesaw, the previous June. Each redoubt overlooked the store houses close by the railroad, and each could aid the other defensively by catching in Hank the attacking force of the other. Our troops at first en deavored to hold some ground outside the redoubts, but were soon driven in side, when the enemy made repeated assaults, but were always driven back. About 11 A. M., Colonel Redfield, of the Thirty-ninth lowa, was kdled, and Colonel Rowett was wounded, but never ceased to fight and encourage his men. Colonel Tourtellotte was shot through the hips, but continued to command. General Corse was at 1 P. M.,shot across the face, the ball cutting his ear, which stunned him, but he continued to encourage his men and to give orders. The enemy (about 1.30 P. M.) made a last and desperate effort to carry one of the redoubts, but was badly cut to pieces by the artillery and infantry file from the other, when THE GREAT KENNESAW ROUTE GAZETTE. he began to draw off, leaving his dead and wounded on the ground. —(Me- moirs, Vol. I, page 149.) General French’s assaulting force in this battle was about 2,000 men. The federal loss, officially reported, was 70/ men. General French’s of ficial report shows that his total loss was 799 men. He also states that the attack failed because his ammunition nave out. as Hood was not aware that Allatoona was fortified, and ordered him there to fill up the railroad cut. The above figures, however, show how desperate were both the attack and de fense. The deep cut through which the railroad runs was strown with dead and wounded men on that fatal day. The Confederate retreat was hast ened by the information received dur inn the battle, that General Cox’s di vision was rapidly approaching from Kennesaw Mountain, to the relief of • the garrison, and was close at hand. Early in the day, General Sherman, who was on the top of Kennesaw I Mountain, succeeded in exchanging 4 ~~~ 'Mxs. i ' J xs! ’ The Soldier’s Grave. On the Western and Atlantic Railroad, in Allatoona Pass. messages with the signal station on Allatoona heights. He received intel ligence that Corse had arrived; and signalled back, “ Hold the fort; for I am coming.” From this message, and the attend ant thrilling circumstances, have come the gospel hymn, which is now sung wherever the English language is being used for evangelizing the world: Ho ! my comrades see the signal Waving in the sky ! Re enforcements now appearing, Victory is nigii! “Hold the fort; fori am coming,” Jesus signals still, Wave the answer back to heaven, “By Thy grace we will.” See the glorious banner waving, Hear the bugle blow, In our Leader’s name we’ll triumph Over every foe. “ Hold the fort,” etc. Fierce and long the battle rages, But our help is near; Onward comes our Great Commander, Cheer, my comrades, cheer! “ Hold the fort,” etc. The most characteristic memorial of this oloody and famous struggle, which now salutes the eye of the tourist, as th ? train darts through the deep, fern lined pass, is a lone grave at its north western end, immediately by the track, on the west side. This is the resting place of a Confederate soldier, who was buried on the spot where he fell. For years past the track-hands of the Western & Atlantic Railroad have held this grave under their sp cial charge, and made attention to it a sa cred duty. Whenever their periodic rounds bring them hither, they see that it is kept clear of rubbish, and that the head and foot stones are firm. A neat marble head-stone has been placed here, on which is the following inscription : An UNKNOWN HERO, He died for the cause he thought was rigid. The Marietta Journal thus touching ly refers to this’memorial: He was some mother’s darling, and perhaps when the cruel war was over, she wiped her tear-bedimmed eyes and through her spectacles watched for the coming of her soldier boy, but he came not. Still she prayed and gazed down the road and scanned the face of every passer-by; every foot-step that sounded on the walk her eager ears caught up with expectancy ; her heart beat faster and thrilled with hope; her eyes kind led with joy ; her wrinkled face lighted up with a smile, and her old arms, no doubt, involuntarily went out to clasp to her bosom her darling boy ; but she was doomed to disappointment; it was her neighbor’s boy who had returned, and not her’s; and sadly she turned back to her old arm chair by the win dow, she choked down the heart sobs and cleared away the unbidden tears, and wondered why her boy did not come. No tidings came of his where abouts. She did not know that the boy whom she saw proudly leave home in his new suit of gray, iu response to his country’s call, at that moment filled an unknown grave. Perhaps, after many years of waiting, she too has gone over the river of death, and, with her boy, will be a shadowy wit ness of the erection of the headstone to the memory of “An Unknown Hero.” We add hereto the touching little poem which was written of this lonely soldier’s grave by one who did not know whether it was that of a Confed erate or a Federal soldier. There is a touch of human nature in it which we believe all will appreciate. '• In the railroad ent there’s a lonely grave Which the track-men hold sacred to care; They have piled ’round it stones, and tor it thev save Every Hower, when their task calls them there. Away from the home of his love, Awav from his sweetheart or wife, Away from his mother, whose pray ers went above, He gave for his country his life. We know not if, wearing the blue, became ’Neath the “bright starry banner’ ar rayed, And, dying, that it o’er the mountain of fame Might forever in triumph wave, prayed. Or we know not if, ’neath the red cross Hag He rush’d forth, his country’s deiender, Valiant, smote those who her cause down would drag, And only to death did surrender. That, God only knows; and so in His hand Let the secret unfathomed e’er rest; But this we know that he died tor his land. And the banner bethought was the best. Heav’n pity the dear ones who pray’d his return, Heav’n bless them, and shield them from, woes, . ... . Heav’n grant o’er his grave to melt anger stern, And make brothers of those who were foes!” The ‘•Signal Tree ” on Allatoona Mountain. On the crest of the highest peak of the Allatoona Mountains, north of Al latoona ami nearly one mile east of the Western and Atlantic railroad, was the signal station which was estab lished by General Sherman, during the Atlanta campaign. There was a large pine tree, about sixty feet high, on the imme diate summit of the mountain. All the limbs except a few at the top were trimmed off, and a platform about six feet square was fastened thereon. This platform was occupied by the men who sent signals to the other sta tions. These signals consisted in the waving of Hags in a peculiar manner, or, rather, somewhat after the manner of telegraphic signals —the various methods of waving constituting a sys tem of spelling words. From the ground to the top of the tree, large cleats were nailed to its trunk, so as to enable the men to easi ly climb to the platform on the top. The tree towered above the others on the mountain, and from its peculiar appearance after being trimmed up it could be easily pointed out for miles around as the “ signal tree.” On the afternoon before the battle of Allatoona, which is described in other columns of this issue, signals were exchanged from that station with the one on the summit of Kennesaw Mountain, some fifteen miles distant, and thence these signals were repeated to the garrison of the forts at Alla toona Pass, about a mile or two south of this mountain, and between it and Kennesaw.