They all said, "Good-bye,
Sam, good-bye, Sam." I cried. I remember stopping the whole command
and begging them to please not leave us; that if they did, Atlanta, and
perhaps Hood's whole army, would surrender in a few days; but they told
me, as near as I can now remember, "We regret to leave you, but we
have to obey orders." The most ignorant private in the whole army saw
everything that we had been fighting for for four years just scattered
like chaff to the winds. All the Generals resigned, and those who did
not resign were promoted; colonels were made brigadier-generals, captains
were made colonels, and the private soldier, well, he deserted, don't you
see? The private soldiers of the Army of Tennessee looked upon Hood as
an over-rated general, but Jeff Davis did not.
BATTLE OF JULY 22, 1864
Cannon balls, at long range, were falling into the city of Atlanta.
Details of citizens put out the fires as they would occur from the
burning shells. We could see the smoke rise and hear the shells pass
away over our heads as they went on toward the doomed city.
One morning Cheatham's corps marched out and through the city, we knew
not whither, but we soon learned that we were going to make a flank
movement.
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