I　watched　with　painful　suspense　the　indications　of　the　battle　raging　there；　and　was　dreadfully　impatient　at　the　slow　progress　of　the　relieving　column；　whose　advance　was　marked　by　the　smokes　which　were　made　according　to　orders；　but　about　2　p。m。　　I　noticed　with　satisfaction　that　the　smoke　of　battle　about　Allatoona　grew　less　and　less；　and　ceased　altogether　about　4　p。m。　　For　a　time　I　attributed　this　result　to　the　effect　of　General　Cog's　march；　but　later　in　the　afternoon　the　signal…flag　announced　the　welcome　tidings　that　the　attack　had　been　fairly　repulsed；　but　that　General　Corse　was　wounded。　　The　next　day　my　aide；　Colonel　Dayton；　received　this　characteristic　dispatch：
  ALLATOONA；　GEORGIA；　October　6；　1884…2　P。M。　Captain　L。　M。　DAYTON；　Aide…de…Camp：　I　am　short　a　cheek…bone　and　an　ear；　but　am　able　to　whip　all　hl　yet！　　My　losses　are　very　heavy。　　A　force　moving　from　Stilesboro'　to　Kingston　gives　me　some　anxiety。　　Tell　me　where　Sherman　is。　JOHN　M。　CORSE；　Brigadier…General。
  Inasmuch　as　the；　enemy　had　retreated　southwest；　and　would　probably　next　appear　at　Rome；　I　answered　General　Corse　with　orders　to　get　back　to　Rome　with　his　troops　as　quickly　as　possible。
  General　Corse's　report　of　this　fight　at　Allatoona　is　very　full　and　graphic。　　It　is　dated　Rome；　October　27；　1864；　recites　the　fact　that　he　received　his　orders　by　signal　to　go　to　the　assistance　of　Allatoona　on　the　4th；　when　he　telegraphed　to　Kingston　for　cars；　and　a　train　of　thirty　empty　cars　was　started　for　him；　but　about　ten　of　them　got　off　the　track　and　caused　delay。　　By　7　p。m。　he　had　at　Rome　a　train　of　twenty　cars；　which　he　loaded　up　with　Colonel　Rowett's　brigade；　and　part　of　the　Twelfth　Illinois　Infantry；　started　at　8　p。m。；　reached　　Allatoona　（distant　thirty…five　miles）　at　1　a。m。　　of　the　5th；　and　sent　the　train　back　for　more　men；　but　the　road　was　in　bad　order；　and　no　more　men　came　in　time。　　He　found　Colonel　Tourtellotte's　garrison　composed　of　eight　hundred　and　ninety　men；　his　reenforcement　was　one　thousand　and　fifty…four：　total　for　the　defense；　nineteen　hundred　and　forty…four。　　The　outposts　were　already　engaged；　and　as　soon　as　daylight　came　he　drew　back　the　men　from　the　village　to　the　ridge　on　which　the　redoubts　were　built。
  The　enemy　was　composed　of　French's　division　of　three　brigades；　variously　reported　from　four　to　five　thousand　strong。　　This　force　gradually　surrounded　the　place　by　8　a。m。；　when　General　French　sent　in　by　flag　of　truce　this　note：
  AROUND　ALLATOONA；　October　5；　1884。
  Commanding　Officer；　United　States　Forces；　Allatoona：
  I　have　placed　the　forces　under　my　command　in　such　positions　that　you　are　surrounded；　and　to　avoid　a　needless　effusion　of　blood　I　call　on　you　to　surrender　your　forces　at　once；　and　unconditionally。
  Five　minutes　will　be　allowed　you　to　decide。　　Should　you　accede　to　this；　you　will　be　treated　in　the　most　honorable　manner　as　prisoners　of　war。
  I　have　the　honor　to　be；　very　respectfully　yours；
  S。　　G。　　FRENCH；　Major…General　commanding　forces　Confederate　States。
  General　Corse　answered　immediately：
  HEADQUARTERS　FOURTH　DIVISION；　FIFTEENTH　CORPS　ALLATOONA；　GEORGIA；　October　5；　1864。
  Major…General　S。　G。　FRENCH；　Confederate　States；　etc：
  Your　communication　demanding　surrender　of　my　command　I　acknowledge　receipt　of；　and　respectfully　reply　that　we　are　prepared　for　the　〃needless　effusion　of　blood〃　whenever　it　is　agreeable　to　you。
  I　am；　very　respectfully；　your　obedient　servant；
  JOHN　M。　CORSE；　Brigadier…General　commanding　forces　United　States。
  Of　course　the　attack　began　at　once；　coming　from　front；　flank；　and　rear。　　There　were　two　small　redoubts；　with　slight　parapets　and　ditches；　one　on　each　side　of　the　deep　railroad…cut。　　These　redoubts　had　been　located　by　Colonel　Poe；　United　States　Engineers；　at　the　time　of　our　advance　on　Kenesaw；　the　previous　Jane。　　Each　redoubt　overlooked　the　storehouses　close　by　the　railroad；　and　each　could　aid　the　other　defensively　by　catching　in　flank　the　attacking　force　of　the　other。　　Our　troops　at　first　endeavored　to　hold　some　ground　outside　the　redoubts；　but　were　soon　driven　inside；　when　the　enemy　made　repeated　assaults；　but　were　always　driven　back。　　About　11a。m。；　Colonel　Redfield；　of　the　Thirty…ninth　Iowa；　was　killed；　and　Colonel　Rowett　was　wounded；　but　never　ceased　to　fight　and　encourage　his　men。　　Colonel　Tourtellotte　was　shot　through　the　hips；　but　continued　to　command。　　General　Corse　was；　at　1　p。m。；　shot　across　the　face；　the　ball　cutting　his　ear；　which　stunned　him；　but　he　continued　to　encourage　his　men　and　to　give　orders。　　The　enemy　（about　1。30　p。m。　made　a　last　and　desperate　effort　to　carry　one　of　the　redoubts；　but　was　badly　cut　to　pieces　by　the　artillery　and　infantry　fire　from　the　other；　when　he　began　to　draw　off；　leaving　his　dead　and　wounded　on　the　ground。
  Before　finally　withdrawing；　General　French　converged　a　heavy　fire　of　his　cannon　on　the　block…house　at　Allatoona　Creek；　about　two　miles　from　the　depot；　set　it　on　fire；　and　captured　its　garrison；　consisting　of　four　officers　and　eighty…five　men。　　By　4　p。m。　　he　was　in　full　retreat　south；　on　the　Dallas　road；　and　got　by　before　the　head　of　General　Cox's　column　had　reached　it；　still　several　ambulances　and　stragglers　were　picked　up　by　this　command　on　that　road。　　General　Corse　reported　two　hundred　and　thirty…one　rebel　dead；　four　hundred　and　eleven　prisoners；　three　regimental　colors；　and　eight　hundred　muskets　captured。
  Among　the　prisoners　was　a　Brigadier…General　Young；　who　thought　that　French's　aggregate　loss　would　readh　two　thousand。　　Colonel　Tourtellotte　says　that；　for　days　after　General　Corse　had　returned　to　Rome；　his　men　found　and　buried　at　least　a　hundred　more　dead　rebels；　who　had　doubtless　been　wounded；　and　died　in　the　woods　near　Allatoona。　　I　know　that　when　I　reached　Allatoona；　on　the　9th；　I　saw　a　good　many　dead　men；　which　had　been　collected　for　burial。
  Corse's　entire　loss；　officially　reported；　was：
  Killed。　　　　Wounded。　　　　Missing。　　　　　Total。　　　　　　　　　　142　　　　　　　　　353　　　　　　　　　212　　　　　　　　　707
  I　esteemed　this　defense　of　Allatoona　so　handsome　and　important；　that　I　made　it　the　subject　of　a　general　order；　viz。；　No。　86；　of　October　7；　1864：
  The　general　commanding　avails　himself　of　the　opportunity；　in　the　handsome　defense　made　of　Allatoona；　to　illustrate　the　most　important　principle　in　war；　that　fortified　posts　should　be　defended　to　the　last；　regardless　of　the　relative　numbers　of　the　party　attacking　and　attacked　。　　。　　。　　。　　The　thanks　of　this　army　are　due　and　are　hereby　accorded　to　General　Corse；　Colonel　Tourtellotte；　Colonel　Rowett；　officers；　and　men；　for　their　determined　and　gallant　defense　of　Allatoona；　and　it　is　made　an　example　to　illustrate　the　importance　of　preparing　in　time；　and　meeting　the　danger；　when　present；　boldly；　manfully；　and　well。
  Commanders　and　garrisons　of　the　posts　along　our　railroad　are　hereby　instructed　that　they　must　hold　their　posts　to　the　last　minute；　sure　that　the　time　gained　is　valuable　and　necessary　to　their　comrades　at　the　front。
  By　order　of　Major…General　W。　T。　Sherman；　L。　　M。　　DAYTON；　Aide…A…Camp。
  The　rebels　had　struck　our　railroad　a　heavy　blow；　burning　every　tie；　bending　the　rails　for　eight　miles；　from　Big　Shanty　to　above　Acworth；　so　that　the　estimate　for　repairs　called　for　thirty…five　thousand　new　ties；　and　six　miles　of　iron。　　Ten　thousand　men　were　distributed　along　the　break　to　replace　the　ties；　and　to　prepare　the　road…bed；　while　the　regular　repair…party；　under　Colonel　W。　W。　Wright；　came　down　from　Chattanooga　with　iron；　spikes；　etc。；　and　in　about　seven　days　the　road　was　all　right　again。　　It　was　by　such　acts　of　extraordinary　energy　that　we　discouraged　our　adversaries；　for　the　rebel　soldiers　felt　that　it　was　a　waste　of　labor　for　them　to　march　hurriedly；　on　wide　circuits；　day　and　night；　to　burn　a　bridge　and　tear　up　a　mile　or　so　of　track；　when　they　knew　that　we　could　lay　it　back　so　quickly。　　They　supposed　that　we　had　men　and　money　without　limit；　and　that　we　always　kept　on　hand；　distributed　along　the　road；　duplicates　of　every　bridge　and　culvert　of　any　importance。
  A　good　story　is　told　of　one　who　was　on　Kenesaw　Mountain　during　our　advance　in　the　previous　June　or　July。　　A　group　of　rebels　lay　in　the　shade　of　a　tree；　one　hot　day；　overlooking　our　camps　about　Big　Shanty。　　One　soldier　remarked　to　his　fellows：
  〃Well；　the　Yanks　will　have　to　git　up　and　git　now；　for　I　heard　General　Johnston　himself　say　that　General　Wheeler　had　blown　up　the　tunnel　near　Dalton；　and　that　the　Yanks　would　have　to　retreat；　because　they　could　get　no　more　rations。〃
  〃Oh；　hell！〃　said　a　listener；　〃don't　you　know　that　old　Sherman　carries　a　duplicate　tunnel　along？〃
  After　the　war　was　over；　General　Johnston　inquired　of　me　who　was　our　chief　railroad…engineer。　　When　I　told　him　that　it　was　Colonel　W。　W。　Wright；　a　civilian；　he　was　much　surprised；　said　that　our　feats　of　bridge…building　and　repairs　of　roads　had　excited　his　admiration；　and　he　instanced　the　occasion　at　Kenesaw　in　June；　when　an　officer　from　Wheeler's　cavalry　had　reported　to　him　in　person　that　he　had　come　from　General　Wheeler；　who　had　made　a　bad　break　in　our　road　about　Triton　Station；　which　he　said　would　take　at　least　a　fortnight　to　repair；　and；　while　they　were　talking；　a　train　was　seen　coming　down　the　road　which　had　passed　that　very　break；　and　had　reached　me　at　Big　Shanty