VOLUME 2.
The Lower Stratum of England's
Population.
John Bull, as tbe fancy pictures him,
is about as fair a representative of tbe
English people, as gaunt and spindle
shanked Brother Jonathan is of the Ameri
can. John Bull, rosy-cheeked, fat, de
monstrative of roast beef and plumb
pudding diet, is rather too flattering a
figure to symbolize a population o! which
one eighth is fed under tbe provisions of
the Poor Laws hngland mustte a very
rich country, indeed, to he able to pay
twenty-five millions of dollars per annum
for the support of her paupers. But
she must be a very poor country, to re
quire such an expenditure for suet a pur
pose.
For the statements we make on the
subjeet, we have the best of nuthority
We refer not to "Sketch of Old England
by a New I'lngland Man," nor to Lester's
' Glory and Shame of England," nor to
Channing's "Duties of Free States," nor
to any American authority whatsoever
The Bad story of the debasement, misery
and wickedness of the lower order of the
English population is told by an English
writer, a gentleman ol the legal profes
sion, in a work expressly on the subject,
designed to arouse attention, and to sug
gest efforts for tbe improvement of the
classes of which it treats. 'J he work is
entitled 'The Social Condition and Edu
cation of the People of England, by Jos.
Kay, Fsq , of Trinity College, Cam
bridge " It was published, re-printed,
by the Harpers, two years ago. In this
ho"k, evidently wr.ttcn in sor
row. not in nng«r, are narrated facts at
tested by the best evidence, documentary
and official They relate to the Condi
tion ol tbe very poor and weiksug classes j
an 1 to the pauperism and crime that pre J
vaii among them Toafew of these iacts I
we confine ourselves in this article, not |
fir tbe sake of exciting any ill feeling ;
toward England, but to arouse gratitu- e
to that Divine goodness which has or ler
cd our lot ur.dcr institutions ol enl ght
ened I'eedum, which arc adveise to the
gr wih of a seifi-h, proud and pernicious I
aristocracy. The l.icts in Mr Kay s book ,
prove that the condition of the poor in |
the agricultural counties, with regard to i
education an 1 morals, is even worse than j
in the manufacturing districts This, at
first. strikes us as so strange to be a rm -t
incredible. But when \ro read of the
habitations in which the very poor live,
all skepticism gives place ti conviction,
amazement an sorrow. Mr. Kayjs book,
it is proppcr to say was published in 1850
It led to some effoits of reformation, but
the momentum acquired by the immense
amount of pauperism was too gicat, to be
materially checked. The eau-e of the
evil being chiefly the aristocratic institu
tions of society, which mark so wide a
difference of classes that the educational
interests of the very poor are not embra
ced in general legislation, no tiansient
efforts of benevolence can effect a perma
nent and general improvement.
In IS4B, when the population of Eng
land was about sixteen mil ions, the num
ber of paupers was one million eight
hundred and'seventy thousand. Under
improved poor laws, the auiount cxpen-
deii on these de.pen.ieut people was., on
au average • 112 seventy years, no less than
twenty live millions of dollars per year.
From this enumeration are excluded tbe
large numbers who were kept from star
vation by individual and private charities,
aud the large sums of money so expended.
"This," say* Mr Kay. "has been inqui
red to alleviate the miserable condition
of our laboring population, and to keep
crowds from actual starvation. Their in
dependence is destroyed; they catinU
live unless they depend upon the chari
ties-of the higher classes."
On the score of «rime, the representa
tion is made, in tabular form, for thirteen
years •We select I he year 1848, the
latest in the table, which shows au almost
constant increase from year to year. Ibe
total number of prisoners committed was
30,349. Of these 7,530 males and 2,1 til
females could read only, or read and write
imperfectly. Similar statements are made
in relation to different sections of the
country aud to the principal cities, and
the inference drawn, by the author is
"that the greater part of their immorali
ty is the direct and immediate effect of
the utter neglect of their education."—
The city of Liverpool seems to be an e*»
ception to the author's statement of the
comparative pauperism and immorality
of the agricultural and manufacturing
population Liverpool, however, is not
a manufacturing but a commercial city,
a sea|K»rt, and, as the author remarka.
"the nearest seaport to Ireland." The
nativity of felons is given in the follow
ing figures : There were brotght before
magistrates for felony, in 1849,. 6,194
persons, of whom only 1.457 were •na
tives of Liverpool, and the iest 4,7u5,
were strangers.
Both the condition and the prospects
of the debased class are shown,in a speech
nf Lsrd Ashley, in the House of Com
mons in 1848. He reckons that in Lon
'don there are 30,000 children of an ut
terly abandoned class, -paostly without
honest employment,without homes,school
ing, or control. The number of males
taken up by the police of London, in
184'J, was 41,479, of whom 8,405 were
under thirty years of age, 3.228 between
ten and fifteen, and 307 under fen.
We have not time nor heart to dwell on
these sad details further. £he condition
of the same class of population in the
rural districts is shown, county by ctytuty
and the picture is dark and repulsive
Extracts from the London Tins and the |
Quarterly Review indicate the concern
•with which it is viewed by. the higher |
classes. A large share of the evil is as |
cribed to the want of good public schools |
such as exist in the countries of Western |
Europe and iu America, and to the mis j
erable houses in which the laboring poor
herd together with little or no regard to I
comfort or decency. The poetic idea of
English cottages is terribly shocked by a
description of them and their tenants,
among the very poor laborers on the great
lanced estate of the country. The sleep
ing arrangements, that embrace three i
be ls in a rovm twelve feet square, for the
accommodation of ten persons, are not
an exaggerated sample, buoh is given ;
as the condition of the very poor peasants j
in the best counties of England, Berk
shire, Devo» Bofbrd, Dorset, &c. VYc !
cannot shock our readers with the pain
ful details. Toe moral debasement con
sequent n their miserable way of living
fully justifies 'he author's exclamation,
'Such is tbe hideous social system to
which wc have iubjectfid our poorl"
t he Times, e] Caking in 1849, of Dorset
shire affairs, guys: l 'lt is not the old
story of wages inadequate for life, hovel'
not fit for habitations, and misery and sin
alternately claiming our pity and our dis
gust,' but it is the rapid increase of.crime.
an I it adds: "It is no light affair, that
a moral county, the abode of au ancieii !
nvd respectable aristocracy, with a popu
lation of 174,043 by the-date census,
should produce in four years neatly 4,Odd
convictions, the rite of one con
viction in that period fore- ery sixty jer
sons, or every twelfth household."
The evils connected wiih this state of
things are ascribed to a complicity ol
causes, the absence of which, in Western
Europe and America, exempts them lVom
these evils. Among th..se causes- are
named the large extent of estates, the
impossibility of a poor man getticg prop
erty, the want of free schools, the rcstric
tion of suffrage, the aristocratic constitu
tion of the English church and clergy.
The conclusion, a very sad one, to which
lire facts lead the autli r, and will lead
many candid readers, is-strongly express
ed in the closing sentence df the. book.
'•The aristocracy is richer and more pow
erful than that of any other country in
The world; the poor are more depressed,
pauperised, more numerous in compaii
sou.with the other classes, uiore irreligi
ous, and very much worse educated than
the poor of any other European nation,
solely excepting Bnsia, Taikey, South It
aly, Portugal and spain."
In no part of our country has there
been any approximation to such a social
and moral condition of society, except in
the south, and there it was not reached,
and there look for rapid improvement by
the overthrow of the slaveh'dding aristoc
racy and the slave institution and the
investment of the people w' h the privi
leges of education, citizenship and relig
ion.—Pitts. Cum. *
A NEW ENGLISH MINISTRY.—We
reason and belive that a new -English
Ministry will shortly be organized.
There i» not wanting ivMmce to
prove, however, that the Palmerston
Ministry are now fearful of an over
throw, knowing, as they do, that
their course towarcf America has
been unwise, impolitic and disapprov
ed by the people." Our success in
quelling the rebellion has not only
confounded Paltinrston and his as
sociates, but given a great impetus
to liberal ideas, which are ropresen'-
ed and - developed by such men as
Bright Goldwin fcimith, the Earl of
Argyie, Garabaldi's friend, Potter,
Cobden'a* successor, 'I enni-son and
others "Once let America crush
the rebellion and England will go,"
said Carlyle sometime since, "to de
mocracy by express trains;" and we
already see Gladstone and Lord Am-!
berly hobnobbing with the iiberals,. j
and worshipp ng the rising sun. • j
—Now that our forces have obtained j
access ■ltt Texas, we shall - learn what be |
come of Ss*iuel Houston. The j.roba
bility is that he died during the first year
of the war,'though for some reason the
Southern journals maintained a studied
science in regard to him
'Het us have Faith that Right makes Might; and in that Faith let us, to the end, dare to tio our duty as we understand it"-- LINCOLN
BUTLER, BUTLER COUNTY, PA., WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28 ISGS.
THE DIVA*.
I.
A lit tie maid of Aetrak&n,
An idol of nilk dtvan ;
Sue «o still, an i never ■peak*
Pbe holds a cup dirine;
. 'Ti® full of wine, and on ber cheeka
>ie ftuios and ameara of wine I
11.
Then little girl of Astrakan,
1 join thee on the sillr divue:
There >n no need to aeek the land,
'ihe lich b*z/:i!« where rufoiet Bhine;
For lume* are in that 1 ttle hand,
A n«l on thene little cheek® of Ihine 1
WIT AND WISDOM .
—Wanted for chemical purposes.—A
lady "dissolved in tears.".
—Punch says the gender of a railway
train is feminine. Don't you miss it?.
| —The height of Inhospitality.—Not to
j entertain your uvvn opinion,
j —A ni iwas gored to death, in Liver
j pool, recently by an—lrish bull,
j —Opportunities, like eggs, must be
j hatched when they are fresh,
j —Soft words butter no parsnips, but a
I new bonnet presented to a wife will cover
a multitude of her husband's sins.
—A Western chap, in describing a
gale of wind, says, " A white dog while
' attempting to weather the gale, was cau't
I with mouth wide open, and tujned com
; pletely inside out."
—A little boy at school, when called
upon to recite h's lesson, was asked, " Of
; what is-rtie German Diet composed ?"
j The boy replied, " Sour krout, schnapps,
lager beer, and uix-comrous."
| t—The larkey who greased Lis-fee-1 so
that he could not m ;ke a noise when he
went to steal chickens, slipped from tho
hen-roost into the custody of the owner.
| He gave, as reason Ijr his being there.—
Dat he cum dar to see ei de chickens
sleeped with dcre eyes open. He was
cooped.
—" Doctor, 1 want you to prescribe for
me" The dootor feels her pulse. "There
I is nothiug the matter, madam; you only
(vant
I iuy tongue 1 j i t look at it; look at it 1
j now say, what dues that ueed ?" "I think
| that ueeis rest, too." Exit madau; iu a j
state of great excitement.
—" You say, Mr. Snooks, that you saw
the plaintiff leave the house. Was it in
haste '
" Yes, sir."
" Do you know what caused the haste."
" I'm nut sartin, but I tbiuk it was the
boot of his landlord."
" That will do. Clerk ; call the next
witness " -
—Over in Jersey, during the last Pres
idential canvass, a young-lawyer, noted
for the length of his neck, histongueand
his bill, was on tho stump blowing his
horn for Gen. M'Clcllan. Getting on his
eloquence, he spread himself, aud said :
" 1 would that on tbe Bth day of No
vember 1 might have the wings of a bird,
ani I would fly to every city and cvety
village, to every town aud every hamlet,
to every mansion and every hut, and pro
claim to every man, woman ami child —
' George B. M'C'lellan is President of the
United
At this point, ayouugster in the crowd
sang out:
" Dry up, you fool. You'd be shot tor
a goose before you flew a mile."
—North. Adams is known as a pleasant
village in the Be kshire section of Massa
chusetts. A few days since a mysterious
gentleman, a stianger, engaged board at
the village hotel. He desired that no
peison wyuld speak to him except the
landlord. He was good-looking and well
dressed. .Several ladies endnavored to
make his acquaintance, but failed. Fi
| ually bolder ones appointed a committee
of five to visit him. They diit »o and
stated their business. He eyed them aud
replied, "I am a stranger aud a criminal.
I was convicted iu New York of a heavy
crime. Ihe judge sentenced me 8 years
iu Sing Sing or to live in North Adams
six months ; I chose the latter." The la
dies retired, aud the stranger was not
again disturbed. „
SOUTHERN WIT, —While the train was
stopping at a small place near Weldon, a
robust Georgia trooper hailed one of the
many loungess about the station with :
" Say, old tar heel, got any tar for sale?"
The native so adtjie-aed answered rather
shortly, to his " gallant defeuder ; " ',No,
sir-ee 1" " Wal, you've got fcome pitch,
haven't you?" "Nary pitch here," an
swered the sandh. !er. " Well, what
have you done with 'em, for you know you
| live on sich stuff. ' About this time the
| long, leau specimen ot» a tar-maker bright
jeped'up and replied, '• Well, w<»sold ail
|we had to Jeff. Davis." The Georgia,
i thrown off his guard, could not resist
i asking, " V* hy, what did old Davis want
i with all the tar?" Quoth the man of
pitch. "Why, you Georgians run so,
that he had to buy something to make
you Btiok."
THE CONSPIRACY TRIAL
The Case of Mrs. Mary Surratt.
Hon Rererdy Johnson's Argument.
WASHINGTON, June 19.
Mr. Clampett read tbe argument ad
dressed to the President and the gentle
men of the Commission argued by Hon.
lievetdy Johnson and concurred iu by-
Mr. John McLane, assistaut counsel for
Mrs. Mary fSurratt. It commences by
asking if the Commission has jurisdic
tion of the cases before it, and calling at
tention to the great importance of the
question, and refers to the duty of the
Commission to consider it, and declares if
the Commission is unauthorized the act
establishing it is a usurpation on the part
of the Execmtive.
ltthen proceeds to say the Constitution
deOnes the powers and duties of the ex
ecutive, and provides punishnlent for his
violation of them. Therefore he acquires
no power beyond what the Constitution
confers, and this act, beyond authority,
can furnish no defence against the legal
consequences of what are tloue under it;
and whatever is done is utterly vain. Tho
commission must therefore decide .this
question before announcing judgment.—
That a tribuual like this has no jurisdic
tion over them, other than military offi
cers. is believe Ito I e ile t That offen
ces defined and punished by the civil law,
and whose trial is provided for by the
same kiw, are not the subject of military 1
jurisdiction is of course true. A milita
ry, in contradistinction from a civil of
fence, must therefore be made to appear;
and wbeu it is, it must also appear that
military law provides for itstriai and pun
ishmeot by a military tribunal. If that
law does not provide a mode of trial, or
affix a punishment, the case is unprovi
ded for, and. as far as the military power
is concerned, is togo uiipuui»tied-j but,
as either the civil, common or statute law
embrace every offense that tho United
States or States have deemed it necessary
to punish, in all such cases the civil courts
are clothed with eveiy necessary jurisdic
tion. In u military" court, if the charge
does not state a >Tiuie provided for gener
ally or spec fically in any of the Articles
of War. the prisoner mj-t be discharged
(O'Brien, pp. "6, 27.)
The one code, the civil, embraces all
citizens, whether soldiers or not, etc. —
There the military has no jut isdici iou over
any citizen as such. If the provisions of
the Constitution clearly maintain the same
doctrine, the executive lias no authority
to declare war, to raise aud support ar
mies, to provide and maintain a navy, or
to make rules for the government of eith
er of these forces. These powers are ex
clusive in Congress. The army cannot be
raised, or have laws for its government
and regulation, but as Congress shall pro
vide. The power of Congress was gran
ted by the convention without objection
In England, the king, as General of the
whole kingdom, has this sole power, tho'
.Parliament frequently interposed. But
with us it was thought safest to give the
power to Congress, since otherwise sum
mary and severe punishments might be
iufiicted. No members of the Conven-
tion or Commentators on Constitution,
"since, has since intimated that even this
Congressional p iwer could be applied to
citizens not belonging to the army or na
vy. Tho power given to Congress, to
make laws for the government and regu
lation of the land and naval forces. No
artificeof ingenuity can make tlie.se words
include those who do not being to the ar
my and navy, and they are therefore to be
considered to exclude all others as if neg
ative wurds to that effect had been added,
and this is not only the .obvious meaning
of tbe terms considered by themselves,
but is demonstrated from other provisions
of the constitution. So jealous wero otfr
ancestors of ungranted power, and so vig
ilant to protect the.citizen against it, that
they were unwilling to leave him to tlie
safeguard which proper constructions of
the constitution, originally adopted,
furnished.
Thus they resolved,!hat nothing should
be left in doubt. determined, there
fore, nit only to guard bira against exec
utive an ! judicial, but against congres
sional abuse. With this view they adop
ted the sth constitutional amendment,
which declares' that no person shall be
held to auawer..for a capiul or otherwise
infamous crime unless on a presentment
or indictment of a grand jury, except in
cases arising ib the land or naval force* or
lu the militia when in active service in
time of war or public danger. This view
i3 elaborated by reference to the highest
legal authority, aud the constitutional
questions are discuseed at length.
The sixth amendment which our fath
ers thought so vital to individual liberty
i when assailed by governments! proeecu- 1
tions, is but ideal lu'the-course of his
argument Mr. Johnson said he had Ifro't
fvirward this quejtion of jurisdiction only
because he conscientiously Jbelieved
it to be his duty. He did not seek the
impunity to any one engaged iu the hor
rid crimes of the night of the 14th of
April. Over them the civil courts of this
district had ample jurisdiction and would
faithfully exercise it if tho cases are re
moved to them as in the case of Mrs. Sur
ratt.» He referred to her as a woman whoi
was educated a devout christian, ever
kimi, affectionate and charitable, and with
no motive disclosed to us that could have
caused her to participate iu the crimes iu
question. He said he had no evidence
uncontradicted ol showing that she was a
participant. He would say nothing of
the testimony. That would be reviewed!
by his associate). As to the. evidence of
Miehman aud Lloyd he said, if the facts
they state were true, their knowledge of
the purpose to commit the crimes aud
their participation in them is much more
satisfactorily established than the alleged
knowledge and participation of Mrs. Sur
ratt.
Mr. Aiken stated to the court that he
should not be prepared until Wednesday
to read the argument in the case of Mrs.
Surratt. The delay was attributable to
the voluminous evidence previously to be
examined by him.
GEORGIA CAMPAIGN!
1 I S FinvrPl KLM'ATIO V
COX'S DEFENCE OF ALLATOONA.
Why tho March thro' Georgia was
Planued.
Preparations for the Great Cnmostign.
WMSIMNGTON. June I'd.
The following is the official report ot
Major General Sherman, of his great
Georgia Campaign, which he has complc
ted and tra:i ni» icd to thu War Depart
ment within the past few days :
HllQ'as. MIL L>IV. or THL MISS.,")
IN THE FIFJUO, .-AVAN.NAU. TIA.,* V
JANI Al'.r, i. ISOS. )
M 'J. Gen. H. W Halaxk, Chief oj Stuff,
Washington City, I) C.
General : 1 have tbe honor to oflcr
my report of the operations ot'rfhe ardve
under my command, s.nee the occupation
of Atlanta, in the oar!) part of Rej'tem
her last, up to tho prc-cnt date.
A- heretofore reported, iu tlft; month oi
September, the Anuy of the Cumber
land, Major! icnoral'i'homiis commanding
held the city of Atlanta; the Army of
the Tennessee, Major General Howard
commanding, was grouped about Kast
Point : and tho Army of Ohio, Major
General Schofield commanding, held I'e
catiir. Many changes i ceurred in the
composition of those armies, in conse
qnence of tho expiration of the time of
service of many of the regiments. The
opportunity was given to us to consolidate
the fragments, re clothe aud re-quip the
men, and make preparations for the future
campaign I also availed myself of the
occasion to strengthen the garrisons to
our rear, to make our communications
more secure, and scut Wagner's Division
of the Fourth Ocrps,and Morgan's Divis
ion, of the Fourteenth Corps to Chattan
ooga, and Corse's Division, of the Fif
teenth Corps, to Ilome. Also, a thorough
recounoissauee was made of Atlanta, and
a new line of works begun, wlich requi
red a small garrison to hold.
JEFF. DAVIS* VISIT TO MACON.
During this month, the enemy, whom
we had left at Lovejoy's Station, moved
westward toward the Chattahoochie, tak"
iug a position facing u». aud covering the
West Point Railroad, about Palmetto Sta
tion. He also threw a pontoon bridge
across tho Chattahoochie, aud seut caval
ry detachments to the w - t in the direc
tiou of Carrol ton and Powder Springs.—
About the same time President Davis vis
ited Macon, and his army at Palmetto,
and made harangues, referring to an active
campaign against us. Hood still remain
ed in command of the Confederate forces,
with Cheatham, S. D. Lee, and SiewaTi
commanding his three corps, and \V heel
erin command of bis cavalry, which had
been largely jeinforced
My cavalry consisted of two divisions
One was stationed at Decatur, under com
tr.and of Brigadier General Uarrad ; the.
other, commanded hy Brigadier general
Kilpatrick,"wai—posted near Sandtowu,
with a pontoon bridge over the Chit a
hoocbie, from which he could watch any
movement of the enemy toward the west
PREPARATIONS TO MEET THE ENEMY.
As soon as I became convinced that
the enemy intended to assume the offen
siv«, namely, September 28th, I sent Maj.
General Thomas, second in command, to
Nashville, to organise th» new troops ax*
peoted to arrive, and to make preliminary
preparations to meet such an event.
About the fir ; t of October some of the
enemy's cavalryftnade their appearance on
the west of the Chattahoochie. and one
of his infantry corps was repwted near
the Powder Springs; and I received au
thentic intelligence that the rest of his
infantry was crossing to the we?t of the
Chattahoochie. lat once made my or
ders that Atlanta and the Chattahoochie
►railroad bridge should be held by the 20th 1
Corps, Maj'.>r General Slocum and on the
4th of October putin motion the 15th
and 17th corps, and the 4th, Fourteenth
and Twenty-third corps, to Smyrna camp
ground; and on the sth moved to the
strong position about Kenesaw. The en
emy's cavalry had by a rapid movement
upon our railroad at liig Shanty, and
broken the line of telegraph and railroad
and with a division of infantry (French's)
had moved against Allatoona, where were
stored about a million of ratu.ll9 Its re
doubts were garrisoned by three small
regiments uudor Colonel Tourtellotle, 4th
Minnesota.
THE ATTACK AND ROUT AT ALLATOONA.
I had anticipated this movement and
had, by signal and by telegraph, ordered
tien. Corse to reinforce that post from
Rome. Uen. Corse had reached Allatoo
na with a brigade during the night of the
4th, just in time to meet the attack by
French's division on the morning of the
sth. In person 1 reached Kenesaw moun
tain, about 10 A. M., of the sth, and could
see the smoke of battle and hear the faint
sounds of artillery iu the distance. 'lhe
distance, eighteen miles, was too greatfor
me to make in time to share in the battle,
but I directed the Twenty-third Corps,
Brigadier Gen ral Cox commanding, to
move rapidly from the base of'Keuesaw,
dim west, aiming to reach the road
from Allatoona to Dallas, threatening
the rear of the forces attacking A1
latoona, I Eucceded in getting a sig
ual message to Gen. Corse during
his fi;;ht. notifying lnm of my presence
The defence of Ailutooua, by Gen. Corse,
was admirably' conducted, and the enemy
repulsed with heavy slaughter. His do
■ criptii.ii < t 1 lie defense is so graphic that
it leaves nothing for me to add. The
movement of (ien. Cox had the desired
elTeet of causing the withdrawal of General
F ••nch.s division rapidly, in the direction
of Dallas.
rmiSUIT AFTER IIOOD.
On the Gill and 7th, 1 pushed my cav
airy well toward Burnt Hickory and Dal
las, and discovered that the enemy had
moved westward, and interred that he
would attempt to break our railroad agaiu
in the neighborhood of Kingston. Ac
cordingly ■ n the morning of the Bth, I
pat the army in motion through AKatoo
na Pa-is to Kingston, reaching that point
on the 10th. There I learned that the
enemy had feigned on Home, and was pas
sing the Coosa river on a pontoon bridge
about eleven miles below Rome. I there
fore on the 11th, moved to Home, and
pushed Garrard's cavalry and the Twen
ty-third Corps, under Gen. Cox, across
the Oostenaula to threaten the flanks of
the enemy passing north. Garrard's cav
alry drove a brigade of tho enemy to and
beyond the Narrows, leading iuto the val
ley ot the Chattooga, capturing two field
pieces and taking some prisoners. The
enemy had moved with great vapidity,
and made its appearance at Rcfaca, and
Hood had in person demanded its surren
der I had from Kingston reiuforeed
Resaca by two regiments of the Army of
the Tennessee. I at first intended to
move the army into the Chattooga valley
interpose between the enemy and his line
of retieat down the Coosa, but fear that
Gbd. Hood would in that, event turn east
ward by Spring Place and down the Fed
eral road, and therefore moved against
him at Resaca, Colonel Keaver at Resaca
afterward reinforced by Gen. Raum's
brigade, had repulsed'the enemy at Resa
ca, but he had succeeded in breaking
the railroad from Tilton to Dalton, and
as far north as the tutnel. Arriving at
Resaca on the morning of the 14th,1 de
termined to strike ilood in flank, or force
him to battle ; and directed the army of
the Tennessee, General Howard to move
on Snake Creek <iap, which was held by
the enemy, while General Stanley, with
the Fourth and Fourteenth Corps,'tooved
by Tilton across the mounta ds to the
rear of Sn«ie Creek Gap in the neighbor,
hood of Villaaow.
HOOD AVOIDS A FIGHT.
The army of the Tennessee found the
enemy occupying our old lines in Snake
Creek Gap, and en the 15th skirmished
tor the purpose of holding him there, un
til Stanley could get to his Tear. But the
enemy gave way about noon. and was fol
lowed through the Gap, escaping before
Gen. Stanley had readied the further end
of the pass. Ihe next day, the 16ih, the
armies moved directly toward La Fayette; l
number 29.
with a view to cut ofl hood's retreat Wo
found him intrenched iu Ship's Gap, but
the leading divisions (Hood's) of the
Fiftenth Corps rapidly carried the advance
posts held by two companies of a South
Carolina regiment, making them prison
ers. The remaining eight companies eg
caped to the main body nesr La Fayette.
The next morning we passed over into
the valley of the Chattooga, the Army of
the Tennessee moviDg iu pursuit by La
Fayette and Alpine, toward Blue Ponj ;
the Army of the Cumberland by Sommer
ville and Mellville poatoflioe to Gayles
vilie, and the Army of the Ohio, "and
Garrard's cavalry, from Villanow, Dirt
tuwn and Govers Gap to Gaylesville.
Ilood, however vrns little encumbered
with trains, and march with great rapid
ity, and had succeeded in getting into the
narrow gorge, formed by the Lookout
range, abutting against the Coose revet
in the neighborhood of Gadsden, He
evidently wanted to avoid a fight.
THE COMBINED ARMIES AT QAYLEBVILLB
On the 19th all the armies wore group
ed about Gaylesville, in the rich valley
of the Chattooga, abounding in corn and
meat, and I determined to pause in my
pursuit of the enemy to watch hia move
ments and l : ve in the country. I hoped
that Hood would turn towards? Gunterg
ville to Bridgeport. The Army of the
Tennessee was posted near Little River,
with instructions to feel forward in sup
port of the cavalry, which was ordered to
watch Ilood in the neighborhood of Wil
lis' Valley, and to give me the earliest
notice possible of h'l3 turning northward,
ihe Army of the Ohio was posted at
Cedar Biuff, wish orders to lay a pontoon
across the Coosa, and to feel forward to
Center and down in the direction of Blue
Mouutian. Ihe Army of the Cumber
land was held in reserve at Gaylesville;
and all the troops were instructed to draw
heavily for supplies from the surrounding
country. In the menntimo communica
tions were opened to Rome, and a hea
vy force set to work in repairing the
damages doue to our railroads. Atlanta
was abundantly supplied with provisions,
but firnge Wi.» scarce, and Gen. Slocum
wis in-uueted to eeud strong foraging
parties out in the direction of Sout river,
and coll ct ail the corn and fodder possi
ble, and to put his own tra*ns in good con
dition for further service. \
THE MARCH THROUGH GEORGIA PLAN-
NED.
Hood's movement! and itratagy had
■lcmonstrrted that ho had an army capa
ble of .endangering at all times my com
munications, but unablo to meet me in
open fight. To follow him would simply
amount to l eing decoyed away from Geor
gia, with lit le prospects of overtaking him
and overwlie ming him. To remain ou
tlie defensive w.juid have been bail policy
for an army of ss great value as the one I
then commuuded, and I was forced to
adopt a course more fruitful- in resulta
than the naked ouo of following him to
the Southwest. 1 had previously sub
mitted to the Comiuaudcr-iu-ohief a gen
eral plan, jvhich amounted substantially
to the destruction of Atlanta and the •
railroad back to Chattanooga, and sally
ing forth from Atlanta through the heart
of Georgia, to capture one or more of the
great Atlantic seaports. This I renewed
from Gaylesville, modified somewhat by
the ohange of events.
DIVISION OF THE ABMY
On the 26th of October, satisfied that
Hood had moved westward from Gadsden
across Sand Mountain, I detached the
Fourth' Corps, Major General Stenley,
:.nd ordered him to proceed to Chattanoo
ga and report to Major General Thomas,
at Nashville. Subsequently, en the 30th
of October, I also dstached the 28d Corps,
Maj. Gee. Schoaeid, with the same des
tination ; and delegated to Major General
Thomas full power over all the troops sub
ject to my command, cxcc-pt the four
corps with which I designed to move into;
Georgia. This gave him the two divis-' 4
iocs under A. S. Smith, then in Missouri,
but en route for Tennessea; the two corps
named, and all the garrisons in Tennessee,
as also all the cavalry of my military di
vision, except one division under Brig,
Gen. Kilpatrick, which was ordered to
rendezvous at Marietta. General Wilson
had arrived from the Army of the Poto
mac, to assume command of the oavslry
of my army, and I dispatched him back to
Nashville With all dismounted detach
ments, and orders as rapidly as possible to
collect the cavalry serving in Kentucky
and Tenuesee, to mount, organize and
equip them, and report to Major Genera!
Thomas for duty. These 112« cea I ju<lged
would enable General Thomas to defend
the railroad from Chattanooga back, in
cluding Nashville and Decatur, and give
him an army with which he could suo
. cessfuily cope with Hood, should the lair
fcer oraw the Tennessee northward