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Georgia as a Fighting State.
A Grand Record of Heroism and Endur
ance —She Clung to the Confederate
Government, but Battled some of
its most Important Measures.
(Extract from an article by 1. W. Ayery, Col
onel Fourth Georgia Cavalry.)
The robust commonwealth of Geor
gia seems to have been ordained for
an uncommonly romantic fighting ex
perience. One of the original thir
teen Colonies who has had, both be
fore and since the Revolution of 1776,
a very full and varied run of Indian
fighting. In the war of Independence,
she had some hard episodes of warfare.
The famous siege of Savannah was one
of the most notable events of that
struggle. It was in the recent colossal
Civil War that she brilliantly blazoned
her fighting record. Such battles as
Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, Re
saca, New Hope Church, Kennesaw
Mountain, Atlanta, Jonesboro, and
the continuous and bloody engagement
for four hundred miles from the moun
tain to the seaboard, over a track of
forty miles width, constitute an im
pressive chronicle of fighting history.
STRIKING STATISTICS.
In looking into the details of Geor
gia’s war record, one gathers a dra
matic and picturesque revelation. In
1861 this State voted 101,505 citizens
and had property valued at $672,732,-
901. She sent over 120,000 soldiers
into the war, or 20,000 more than her
voting population. Her property was
valued in 1868, the first year that of
ficial statistics were gathered after
the war, at $191,235,520, or $481,-
497,381 less than in 1861, there be
ing a sacrifice by the war of between
two-thirds and three-fourths of her
whole property. These are striking
statistics, and show how sturdily this
powerful Southern State adhered to the
Confederate cause in that most gigantic
civil strife of the world’s history; and
to what extent she devoted her men
and means to what she espoused.
It is a matter of well-grounded doubt
if any State in the Union displayed
greater heroism. But while she thus
practically did her duty in sending her
sons and daughters, and giving her re
sources to the cause, she held a singu
lar and exceptional attitude in firmly
antagonizing every measure of the
Confederate government that she
thought was an encroachment upon
constitutional kiw or liberty. Her
record in this particular is romantic
and impressive in the extreme.
SHE FOUGHT TO THE LAST RESOURCE,
some of the most pronou need measures of
the Confederate Government, arguing
and protesting against their policy, and
yet in every case giving the substan
tial aid called for under such meas
ures. Amid the direct necessities of
the conflict she sought to preserve the
principles of a Constitutional Govern
ment. She gave men and money
whenever called for, —more than called
for. But she made a decided stand for
the Constitution whenever she thought
Confederate legislation invaded its
principles, and when the history of
the war comes to be written, several of
her conflicts of argument with the Con
federate Government will stand as his
toric constitutional land-marks.
The entire war record of Georgia
bristles with dramatic incidents. She
seemed fated to take a conspicuous
and decisive part in the great strug
gle. She was the theater of control
ling operations for a long period, and
of that famous “Sherman’s march to
the sea,” that proved the most destruct
ive blow the Confederacy received. I
A Terrible Charge and Bloody
Repulse at Kennesaw.
The following letter, written on the
afternoon after the great battle of
Kennesaw Mountain, gives a graphic
description of the scenes in front of
the Confederate entrenchments on their
left, southwest of the mountain:
From the Augusta Constitutionalist, June 29,1864.
LATEST FROM THE FRONT.
Near Marietta, June 27, 1864. I
2 o’clock p. m. J
This morning, about ten o’clock, our
men on the mountain discovered the
enemy were massing their troops upon
our left, and immediately opened a
tremendous fire upon the moving col
umns of the enemy, who, not dismayed
by the steady fire poured upon their
columns, still continued to mass their
troops upon our left centre, and with a
yell they dashed forward upon our
lines. The main attack being upon
the left of Cheatham’s and right of
Cleburne’s division ; Cheatham having
three brigades, and Cleburne two en
gaged, the enemy were suffered to come
within ten steps of our works, when a
terrible fire from the artillery and in
fantry was opened upon them with
withering effect, and they fell back in
great disorder, leaving all of their dead
and wounded upon the ground. About
this time Walker’s division of Hood’s
corps reached the spot, and were
placed in line of battle at right angles
with the other divisions, and the mo
ment the retreat began they swung
around and captured a large number
of officers and men; although they
were still coming in when I left the
field, they had succeeded in bringing
in 468 prisoners, including a large
number of officers, among whom was
Col. Kerr, of the 74th Illinois, who
was commanding a brigade; but un
fortunately received a shot through
the back which prevented his making
his escape.
After the fight was over I rode over
the battlefield and such a sight I trust
to God I may never see again. The
groans and cries of the wounded and
dying being perfectly appalling.
I am assured by Gen. Cleburne’s staff
that the affair at New Hope church,
May 27, was nothing in comparison to
the one of to-day; and amid the nu
merous battle-fields I have seen, from
the first Manassas to the present, I have
never beheld anything to compare
with the battle-field of to-day.
Gen. Cleburne promptly sent out an
infirmary corps, but the enemy opened
a sharp fire upon them, and by order
of the division commander they were
ordered to retire, and at the time of
my leaving, the groans and cries of
the Yankee wounded were truly heart
rending.
On every hand I hear the conduct
of Gen. Lowrey, during the action,
spoken of in the highest terms, his
brigade having borne a conspicuous
part in the engagement.
Heavy firing has continued during
the day all along the line, including
the cavalry upon the right; but they
and Loring have nobly held their own.
The excessive heat is telling upon
our men and the enemy.
Special.
The Western & Atlantic is the only
railroad running from Atlanta which
has through sleeping cars, without
change, Atlanta to Cincinnati.
What beautiful scenery, pure water
and salubrious atmosphere those en
joy who spend the summer at charm
ing, hospitable, Dalton, Gad
The Kennesaw Route always ahead.
THE KENNESAW GAZETTE.
War Courtesies.
From the Augusta Constitutionalist, July 3, 18G4.
FROM NORTH GEORGIA.
Marietta, July 1, 1864.
It was Lieutenant Colonel Martin, of
the Ist Arkansas Regiment, who per
mitted the Yankees to rescue their
wounded from the flames of the burn
ing woods on Monday, June 27, and the
act proves him to be worthy of his
rank, a Southern gentleman, and a
magnanimous soldier. The Yankees
themselves were struck by it, and the
Major who commanded the escort of
relief presented to Col. Martin his belt
of pistols, saying that if he fought a
thousand battles he could never win
them so nobly.
The entente cordiale between the pick
ets of the two armies is rather novel,
considering the bitterness with which
the campaign has been waged. They
converse, exchange coffee for tobacco
and Federal and Confederate papers,
talk politics, and now and then take a
drink together. One of our Colonels
came very near having a fist-and-skull
fight with a Yankee of the same rank
the other day. The two officers were
commanding, respectively, the oppos
ing lines of skirmishers. It was very
warm, and a brisk fire of words had
been kept up till noon, when the men
left their arms behind them, and min
gled together in the shade, about mid
way between the fortifications. Col.
diately hurried forward. He reached
the ground just in time to find one of
his Captains quietly fraternizing with
a Yankee Major, over a cup of excel
lent whisky, furnished from a canteen
of the latter. The Federal Colonel was
smoking a pipe of tobacco in a group
of graycoats, discoursing upon politics
and offering to bet upon the coming
election. “Well I’ll be d —d!” cried
our officer-of-the-day, “if this don’t
beat h —l! What do you mean, sir?”
The Yankee replied: “Nothing at all.
Won’t you have a cigar?” “Ab, sir,
I have a great mind to put you under
arrest.” “Try it.” Poor Colonel
was a little non-plussed, for the laugh
was against him. “Boys,” said he,
“get back into line. These h—l-fired
Yankees may allow this thing; but it
is against orders.” ‘ ‘Just as you please,
Colonel,” rejoined the Federal, “if you
want a cessation of neighborly courtesy
we will not press our hospitality upon
you. Good-day,” and the parties
moved off in a little spleen amid the
roars of the rest, who separated quiet
ly and resumed arms.
The appointment of Maj.-Gen. Stew
art, of Tennessee, to succeed Lt.-Gen.
Polk, is endorsed by the army as a
very excellent selection. His great
experience, eminent ability, thorough
education, shining piety, and unobtru
sive manners, have made Gen. Stew
art a useful and favorite officer. He
is a brave man, energetic and practi
cal, and will wield a corps as efficient
ly as any one of our Lieutenant-Gen
erals.
All quiet now. The disturbance of
the other night was the last excite
ment. Not much prospect of a fight
for several days. Grape.
The Western & Atlantic Railroad is
the only railroad in Georgia which has
four daily freight schedules from one
of its termini to the other. Conse
quently, freight forwarded via the
Western A Atlantic, from the west to
the southeast, if it misses one schedule
has a chance at three others the same
day. This makes it emphatically a
FAST FREIGHT LINE, and shippers
have found it out, and are acting in
accordance with their interests.
The Kennesaw Route is the quickest.
Marietta and Kennesaw Moun
tain in War Times.
From the Augusta Constitutionalist, July 1,1864.
The “Local” of the Atlanta Register
has been to the front. Hear him:
Our object being to visit the moun
tain, we did not tarry long in the city,
which one can scarcely recognize as *
the quiet little watering place of years
gone by. Hotels and dwelling houses
have been converted into hospitals,
store houses and quarters for the mili
tary, and the group of pleasure-seek
ers lounging around, have given way
to groups of convalescent soldiers—
soldiers hurrying to and fro on busi
ness, soldiers on the hotel balconies,
soldiers on the house-tops, watching
the shells bursting over the mountain
in the distance. Quartermasters and
commissaries with their retinue of
clerks, medical gentlemen, and mem
bers of the relief committee, with their
uniform and badges, now and then a
General, with his well dressed staff on
horseback, wagons and teamsters, am
bulances with the sick and wounded -
all kinds of looking men on horseback,
and all kinds of looking men and boys
on mules, and a hundred other sights
incident to the rear of a large army,
catch the eye as you wade through the
mud of Marietta of to-day.
It is three miles to the top of Ken
nesaw, which looms up so plainly as
you leave the city that you would
hardly imagine it half the distance.
Mounted upon a white horse with “C.
S.” plainly visible upon the left shoul
der, which we suppose stands for
“can’t swim,” or something else, we
succeeded, after wading, plunging and
sliding through the mud for a couple
of miles, in reaching the mountain.
The shells which had been screaming
away in the distance became unpleas
antly nearer and nearer as we ascended
the acclivity, and, as we were tying
old Whitey in a thicket, one of them
passed so near our head that we found
ourselves making a profound obeisance
to a rock near by.
Thought it wouldn’t do to stand still,
and kept on up towards the mountain
top. Hadn’t gone far before another
one of those things with “shucks to its
tail” went crashing through the trees
overhead, and we went down again.
Got up again, however, and traveled
along the rocky path at a very lively
pace until we ensconced ourself be
hind the works of the battery at the
apex. After a little while, our ears
becoming less nice, we strolled outside
the battery, and took a good view of
the Army of the Cumberland spread
out before us in the valley below. It
was a grand sight, and one worth risk
ing more shells than the Yankees can
throw at Kennesaw, to see. In the
distance the plains were dotted with
Yankee tents and wagons, here and
there, like little villages of (Southern
negro quarters; and nearer, their
lines and fortifications were plainly vis
sible, apparently not over a mile dis
tant.
With the aid of a glass we could see
the gunners plainly, as they loaded
their pieces, and nearer still, could be
discerned plainly with the naked eye
their sharp-shooters down lower in the
valley, popping away now and then at
our men. On the little Kennesaw to
our left, a battery of our guns was fir
ing away at the Yankee battery farth
er down to the left, and along both
lines, as far as we could see, puffs of
white smoke were ascending from time
to time, followed by the dull booming
of cannon.
The smoke of the Yankee locomo
tives on the Western & Atlantic
Railroad went trailing along the tree
tops, and their wagons could be seen