Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 08.djvu/368

356 General Hood says, in support of his version, that Decatur is "only about six miles from Atlanta"; and he refers to it as if the road from Atlanta to Decatur was still open, and Wheeler's cavalry were still daily passing to and fro over it (178). And the map, at page 167, seems to further that idea, by locating the Federal forces north of the Decatur road. But, as is elsewhere shown in the text, the enemy had been occupying that road ever since the 18th of July. Both Schofield's and McPherson's armies had advanced to Atlanta by way of Decatur. And McPherson was now facing and entrenched along the Decatur side of Atlanta, with the Fifteenth corps extending two division lengths south of Decatur road, and the Seventeenth corps, on the left of the Fifteenth, extending south to and along the McDonough road. General Blair's letter, quoted by General Hood at page 188, shows this, and it is otherwise a well known fact. And a reference to the map at page 167, imperfect and misleading though it be, will show, at a glance, that a detour, not along but around the McDonough road, for that was occupied by Blair's corps, and across "Entrenchment creek at Cobb's Mill," and thence to Decatur, and thence back to the rear of the enemy near Atlanta, would have involved a march, not of six, but of about eighteen miles; and such a distance, to be accomplished by a night march, with jaded troops, and within the time desired, might well have been, as General Hardee says it was, deemed impracticable.

In addition to what is shown by the map, these distances by the country roads are furnished by the Mayor of Atlanta as follows:

But General Hood says Hardee's troops were fresh (174); that they had been allowed almost absolute rest the entire day of the 21st (191). In this he is also at fault. General Hardee says his troops had had little rest for thirty-six hours. We have seen above what