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2 JL . 1 ' i I "/'Mi,, MAiJmlSfc o ' ■ Kl I I 77A D / D / / / T.— Eastern Fort.—Tourtellotte’s Headquarters. / . %7 I y/ C. V. Road. — Road to Cartersville. c, ~ ——•—Federal Entrenchments. Profile* of Top of Ridge from R to C' ic —Federal Rifle Pits. from the two commanders down to ■ those holding minor rank. As a conclusion he will state that if the result of his researches will be of assistance to those who would write his tory truthfully his ambition in the mat ter will be satisfied. On October 4, 1864, when Stewart’s corps of Hood’s army was engaged in destroying the Western & Atlantic Railroad from Kennesaw Mountain on up to Acworth, both Generals Stewart and French were told by citizens re siding in the vicinity that the Allatoo na Pass was fortified and garrisoned. At about two p. m. General Stew art received the following orders from General Hood, who was near Lost Mountain: Headquarters Army of Tennessee, ] October 4, 1864, 7.30 A. M. j Lieutenant-General A. P. Stewart, Commanding Corps, General: General Hood directs that later in the evening you move Stevenson back to Davis’ cross roads, and that you bring two of your divisions back to Adams’ and be tween Adams’ and Davis’ Cross Roads, placing them in such away as to cover the position at Adams’ now cccupied by Stevenson, and that your third division (say French’s) shall move up the railroad and fill up the deep cut at Allatoona with logs, brush, rails, dirt, etc. To-morrow morning at daylight he de sires Stevenson to be moved to Lieutenant- General Lee’s actual left, and that two of your divisions, at that time at Adams’, to draw back, with your left in the neighbor of Davis’ cross roads, and your right in the neighborhood of Lost Mountain, and the division that will have gone to Allatoona to march thence to New Hope Church and on the position occupied by your other troops; that is, that the division shall re- join your command by making this march out from the railroad and via New Hope. General Hood thinks that it is probable that the guard at the railroad bridge on Etowah is small, and when General French goes to Allatoona, if he can get such infor mation as will justify him, if possible move to the bridge and destroy it. General Hood considers that its destruction would be a great advantage to the army and the country. Should he be able to destroy the bridge, on coming out, he could move as lias been before indicated via New Hope. Yours respectfully, A. P. Mason, Assistant Adjutant-General. A little later in the afternoon the following order was received : Headquarters Army of Tennessee. Office of Chief of Staff, - Oct. 4,1864, 11.30 a. m. J Lieut.-Gen’l Stewart, Commanding, General: General Hood directs me to say that it is of the greatest importance to destroy the Etowah railroad bridge, if such a thing is possible. From the best information we have now he thinks the enemy cannot dis turb us before to-morrow, and by that time your main body will be near the remainder of our army. He suggests that if it is con sidered practicable to destroy the bridge when the division goes there and the artil lery is placed in position, the commanding officer call for volunteers to go to the bridge with lightwood and other combustible ma terial that can be obtained, and setfire to it. Yours respectfully, A. P. Mason, Major and Ass’t. Adj’t-Gen’l. When General Stewart brought them to General French he remarked, “From the wording of these orders General Hood does not appear to know that Allatoona has been fortified. You now have an independent com mand, and I hope you will be success ful.” General French then asked, in THE KENNESAW GAZETTE. view of the fact that he was to assault a position well fortified, for an increase of his artillery. General Stewart as sented to this, and ordered Major My rick to increase the number of guns to twelve (12), and accompany the expe dition. About dusk General French arrived at Acworth, where he had to remain until eleven o’clock for the rations for his command. While waiting there he was informed that two young ladies, living close by, had just returned from Allatoona. From them he obtained the infor mation of the composition of the garri son and its reported strength. Being without a guide, through the aid of the citizens, he obtained the services of a boy about eighteen years of age, by the name of Thomas Moore (now residing in Texas), who said he was ac quainted with the localities around Allatoona, having been raised in that vicinity. Also before sunset Captain James R. Taylor, of Pinson’s regiment of cavalry, with twenty-five men re ported to General French for duty. Captain Taylor was ordered by Gen eral French to take with him fifteen men and without delay strike the Western & Atlantic Railroad near its bridge over the Etowah River, and take up the rails and hide them, and thus destroy the railroad, so as to prevent any trains from the north reaching Allatoona and reinforcing the garrison, as well as to prevent any trains that might be there from escap ing. At eleven p. m. the rations were cooked and the troops ready to march. The night was very dark and the roads rough, which, with the delay at the crossing of Allatoona creek, pre- vented the division from reaching Allatoona until near three o’clock in the morning. When the command was at Allatoo na creek, three miles south of Allatoo na Pass, General French left the Fourth Mississippi regiment and one piece of artillery under the command of Colonel T. N. Adaire, with instruc tions to capture the block house, which was garrisoned by one hundred and ten men, and destroy the bridge. *** On arrival at Allatoona the first du ty was to find a suitable position for the artillery. The guide named an elevation, on which the house of ex- Gov. McDaniel’s father was after wards built and now stands, and there the guns were left under the command of Major Myrick, supported by two regiments of infantry the Thirty-ninth North Carolina and Thirty-second Tex as, both under Colonel J. A. Andrews. These, by the way, took no part in the subsequent assaults on the forts ex cept about one company, as will be shown later. From this plateau the twinkling of lights moving about the fortifications was seen, as well as the Hash of musk ets occasionally along the picket line in advance of the works. General French says in his report of‘the battle: . All was darkness. I had no knowledge of the place, and it was important to attack at the break of day. The artillery having been left in a position to sweep through the deep railroad cut, and where it would be effective on the main forts on either side of the railroad, the guide was re quested to lead the way over the ter ribly rough and steep hills, so as to