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Vol J.
Death of General McPherson.
Twenty-two years ago Atlanta pre
sented a different scene from what it
does now. Then it was besieged by
Sherman’s army, and inside and all
around were horror, conflagration,
bloodshed and death. Now we have
peace, pleasure and plenty. In place
of the Atlanta, then destroyed, has
arisen as stately a city as can be found
anywhere and the surrounding coun
try that was devastated by war, is beau
tiful suburbs with lovely villas and
well-kept fields, and not a trace of that
awful siege left, save here and there a
rifle-pit, a bit of breastwork, or the
earthwork of a battery, purposely pre
served as mementoes of the terrible
struggle.
Ou the22d of July, 1864, was fought
what is known in military history as
the “Battle of Atlanta,” in which
great numbers of gallant soldiers on
both sides fell, fighting for their cause,
and among them, two of the most gal
lant, chivalrous and beloved command
ers: General J. B. McPherson, of
the Union army, and General Win.
Henry T. Walker, of the Confederate
army. It is the death of General Mc-
Pherson, who was the idol of his com
mand, the Chevalier Bayard of the
army, that, we will briefly describe.
General McPherson was born in Clyde,
Ohio, November 14, 1828, and was,
therefore, in his thirty-sixth year when
killed. He graduated at West Point,
at the head of his class, in June, 1853,
and was appointed second lieutenant
of engineers and assistant instructor of
engineering at the Academy, a com
pliment never before awarded to so
young an officer. At the commence
ment of the war he was first lieutenant
of engineers, on the Pacific coast, and
in 1861 was made captain, then ap
pointed lieutenant-colonel and aid-de
camp to Gen. Halleck. His brillian
cy as an officer caused him to be rap
idly promoted to major-general of vol
unteers, when at the close of the siege
of Vicksburg, General Grant wrote of
him : “He is one of the ablest engin
eers and most skilful generals. I
A. tiuLmorons dare-devil—the very man. to su.it my purpose. Bu.wf.k
would respectfully, but urgently, re
commend his promotion to the posi
tion of brigadier-general in the regu
lar army.” He was i m media tel v ap
pointed and confirmed, dating from
August Ist, 1863; thus in ten years, by
merit alone, rising from second-lieu
tenant to brigadier-general in the reg
ular army,
On the 22d of July, 1864. we find
him before Atlanta, in command of
the department of the Tennessee, in
cludingthe entire 15th, 16th, and 17th
corps, the flower of the army, which
held the left of the line. In conse
quence of General McPherson’s brave
ry, which amounted almost to reckless
ness, he usually made recon nuisances
in person, and in superintending the
advance of his skirmish line he had
ridden from left to right and was re
turning when he was suddenly con
fronted by a party of Confederates in
ambush and received a shot in the
breast causing almost instant death.
Through the kindness of Major Sid
ney Herbert, of Atlanta, who has made
the battles around Atlanta an exhaust
ive study, we are in possession of sev
eral of his valuable articles, written
MIDSUMMER NUMBER
h. > •- n•. --A r.-o-c ■ - •
The McPherson Memorial.
Erected Near Atlanta, On The Spot Where He Fell
eight years ago; also a letter from
General Wm. E. Strong, of Chicago,
who was inspector-general of the ar
my of the Tennessee, toMajor Herbert,
describing the circumstances attending
McPherson’s death, from all of which
we liberally quote in what follows:
On the 21st of July, Sherman’s forc
es were advanced, to use his own
words, (“Memoirs”) “rapidly close up
to Atlanta.” On the morning of the
fatal 22d. from a point near the Hurt
House, Gen. Sherman says he could see
from the “line of parapets,men dragging
up from the intervening valley, by the
distillery, trees and saplings for abatis.”
Gen. Schofield was at that time press
ing forward his lines, and General
Thomas had already commenced skir
mishing.
It was at this spot, and at this ino-
ment, that Gen. McPherson, with his
staff, came tip to Gen. Sherman, and
the entire party rode back to the Hurt
House, a “double frame building with a
porch, and sat on the steps discussing
the chances of battle, and Hood’s gen
eral character.” We agreed, says Gen.
Sherman, that “we ought to be unusu
ally cautious, and prepared at all
times for sallies and hard'fighting, as
Hood was undoubtedly a brave, deter
mined and rash man, and the Confed
erate government seemed to be dis
pleased with Gen. Johnston’s cautious
but prudent conduct.”
Gen. Shermansavs: “McPherson was
in excellent spirits, well pleased at the
progress of events so far, and had come
over purposely to see me about the or
der 1 had given him to use Dodge’s
corps to break up the railroad.” Dur
ing this interview skirmishing was go
ing on down around the distillery, and
( fen. Schofield and Gen. Thomas both
seemed to be making things lively
along their lines. Shots from the di
rection of Decatur, and which were
too far to the left rear to be explained
by known facts, led Gen. McPherson to
I hastily call for his horse, his staff and
his orderlies, and return to his com
mand. Os his appearance, dress and
i conduct at this interview, Gen. Sher
man gives the following account:
“McPherson was then in his prime
I (about thirty-six years old) over six
feet high, and a very handsome man in
every way; was universally liked, and
had many noble qualities. He had on
j his boots outside his pantaloons, gaunt
lets on his hands; had on his major
general’s uniform, and wore a sword
belt but no sword. He hastily gath
ered his papers (save one, which I pos
sess) into a pocket-book, put it in his
breast-pocket and jumped on his horse,
' saying he would hurry down his line
and send me back word what these
sounds meant. His Adjutant-General,
Clarke, Inspect r-General, Strong and
his Aids, Captains Steele and Gile,
were with him.”
The battle of the 22d of July was
fought in a southeasterly direction,
about two miles from the city of At
lanta, on both sides of the Georgia
railroad. After McPherson rode
away with his staff* he sent the various
members in different directions with
; orders for the disposition of troops, etc.,
[ until only Gen. Strong attended him.
j There was a gap in the Union line of
battle between the 16th and 17th corps
and Gen. McPherson sent (fen. Strong
to Gen Giles Smith to tell him to hold
his position and that troops wotdd be
ordered to occupy the gap. Gen.
Strong says:
“As I left Gen. McPherson remark
ed that he would remain with his Or
derly where he then was (a comand
ing position on Dodge’s right), until I
returned. I rode rapidly through the
woods to the Seventeenth corps and
found General Blair and Gen. Giles
A. Smith near the extreme left of the
Fourth division. From these two offi
N°- 7-
