was always

contingency and provided for it. He laying up stores of knowledge for future use. depended upon the great laws of cause and effect, and not upon the possible exceptions to them. Another feature of McPherson's character was his uncompromi-' sing discharge of duty. Duty sat enthroned on his brow, and its supremacy was as manifest in General McPherson, the beloved commander of the Army of the Tennessee, as in Lieutenant McPherson of the Regu lar Army. He had a profound reverence for law, political and moral. While some Generals were emblazoning their dispatches with the rapture of glory, McPherson simply recorded in his the discharge of duty.

Other features of his character constituting and marking his greatness, some of them moral, some of them social, might easily be specified. For example: his manly uprightness, his pure and disinterested patriotism, his moderation and simplicity, his self-denial and truthfulness, his self-reliance and industry, and last, but not least, either in beauty or significance, his love of home, finding there delight and satisfaction. General Mc Pherson was a model of a soldier. He was as gentlemanly as Chesterfield, and as chivalrous as Bayard. He was the brightest star in the constellation of genius, which Grant called about him in his brilliant career. He was a noble man, a fine scholar, and an exemplary Christian. Noble, glorious, patriot.

About ten o'clock, on the morning of the 22d of July, General McPherson rode up to the Headquarters of General Sherman-dismounting, the two Generals seated themselves beneath a tree near by, and were conversing on the subject of a speedy occupation of Atlanta. About twelve o'clock, mid-day, slight firing was heard on the left. The fire grew in volume, and McPherson, ever at the post of danger, threw himself into his saddle and dashed off in the threatened direction. Upon reaching the scene of the conflict, he found one of his Corps, the Sixteenth stoutly contesting a heavy column on its front. Failing here the enemy next massed in front

of Giles A Smith's Division, which held the left of the Seventeenth Corps. At the time of the first attack there was a gap between the right of the Sixteenth and left of the Seventeenth Corps. Supposing the gap was clear, as it had been traversed but ten minutes before, the General started to ride across, it being the nearest route to the scene of the second attack. He was accompanied a portion of the way by his Inspector General, Lieutenant Colonel William E. Strong.

Upon reaching the point where the road entered the wood, the General halted, and after looking the ground over carefully, ordered Colonel Strong to direct General John A. Logan, of the Fifteenth Corps, to throw a brigade across the gap, East of the road, connecting with the right of the Sixteenth Corps, with instructions to join him at General Giles A. Smith's command. Colonel Strong rode off to obey his instructions, and the General, alone, dashed spiritedly down the road and into the woods. By this time the rebel skirmishers had reached the road. General McPherson had ridden within twenty yards of their line before they were seen. The rebel officer cried: "Halt." The General politely raised his hat, bowed, wheeled his horse to the right, and dashed into the wood. The enemy followed him with a volley. McPherson fell, and his horse soon came out of the woods alone, wounded in two places. The saddle and equipments exhibited bullet marks. The horse was discovered by Captain Howard, of the Signal Corps, who also heard the volley. It was hoped that the General was either wounded or captured. Private Joseph Sharland, of the 64th Illinois Infantry, returning from the skirmish line, followed by a straggler, entered the road, and had proceeded but a short distance when he heard a voice, about five rods distant, telling him it was safer there. This was done in order to attract his attention, and not to alarm the General. The soldier entered the woods, where he found a man severely wounded, whose name was George Reynolds, of the 15th Iowa Volunteers, Fourth Division, Seventeenth Corps, and by his side lay General McPherson, writhing in the most intense agony from a

mortal wound. A Minnie ball had entered his right breast, passed near the heart, and made its exit near the left side, passing completely through the body. The soldier offered his general some cold water from his canteen, but he could not drink it. He then asked to bathe his temples. To this the General merely faintly nodded assent. During gleams of cessation from pain, the General would make an effort for his hat. Upon search, it was found that both this and his belt had been stolen. About five minutes after a rebel straggler came up and claimed the soldiers as his prisoners; but, the wounds of one and the blood on the pantaloons of the other, dissuaded him from carrying out his demand. Soon after, four more rebels came up, and two of our own stragglers passed near by, one of the rebels now extracted the papers from McPherson's pocket and secured his watch and marine-glass. They took nothing more, and asked no questions. While being rifled, the General sat up and faintly again asked for his hat. After this he lost all power of articulation. The rebels now ordered the two soldiers to follow them. They replied, if they wished to take them they would have to be carried, as they could not walk. With this information the rebels left. After they were out of sight, it was agreed that the unwounded soldier should go on in search of an ambulance, while the other should remain with the General. After walking about a fourth of a mile he struck the rebel skirmish line, and by dint of stout running, escaped and returned to the General. He had just died in great agony, from the effect of which his face and body were horribly distorted. McPherson being dead, the two soldiers fearing capture, determined to go in search of an ambulance. Before leaving they secured what was left about the General's person. An inventory was taken, and the whole placed in the hands of Reynolds, who being wounded, it was supposed would not be robbed if taken prisoner. The two soldiers now started on their errand in the direction of the trains and ambulances, which they could see moving at a distance. While arranging

for an ambulance, three officers rode up. The soldiers explained their object. The ambulance was at once ordered to the spot. The rebel skirmishers were advancing and bullets were flying in all directions. One of the soldiers now informed the staff officers of the danger, and all drew their revolvers. The General's body was hastily carried out of the woods, and placed in the ambulance, and whirling around, the whole party dashed up the road, under a volley which was fired after them. Upon reaching Sherman's Headquarters, the body was conveyed to a house. Private Reynolds, who remained faithfully by the side, and watched the last moments of his fallen commander, was taken to the nearest hoapital where his wounds were carefully dressed.

He was wounded by a Minnie ball through the left arm, just above the elbow, and, though faint from the loss of blood, until the body of the General was safely cared for, he never gave a moment's thought to himself. During all this the battle raged fearfully. The fierce Logan assumed command, and sounded the battle-cry: "McPherson and revenge." That night the enemy's dead summed up nearly four thousand, while ours was less than one-fifth of that number. Such was the revenge of McPherson's enraged soldiers. Reynolds, as soon as sufficiently strong to undergo the excitement, was presented, in the presence of his regiment, under arms, with the "Medal of Honor," instituted by McPherson for the heroes of the Seventeenth Corps. This act of devotion, which we have just narrated, not only secured to the country the remains of one of its best Generals, but has linked with the name of Major General McPherson the name of Private George Reynolds.

CHAPTER XI.

Rapid Movements of the Enemy.-The Exertions of both Armies. Sherman Arranges his Army.-The Enemy divine his intentions and give Battle.-The Decisive Moment Approaches.-The Rebels Attack Energetically.-Progress of the Fight.-Logan's Corps is Victorious.-The Rebels Retreat.-The Miseries of War.-Hospital Scenes.-What a Chaplain saw.-The Battle-field Hospital.

The entire army had made a movement en echelon from left to right, by which the line was prolonged due South-east, facing East. General Howard, who had now succeeded the lamented McPherson in command of the Army of the Tennessee, defended the right, the Army of the Cumberland, General Thomas, holding the centre, and the Twenty-Third Corps was on the left. To protect Howard's column from any sudden dash of the enemy, Jefferson C. Davis' Division, of the Fourteenth Corps, was ordered to a position so as to aid Howard, if necessary. Davis' Division, by some mishap, not knowing the roads, probably, failed to report, and the Fifteenth Corps, unaided and alone, fought one of the most desperate and sanguinary battles of the

war.

The enemy, divining Sherman's intentions, massed his troops, on the 28th of July, and swung round on the Macon railroad.

The 27th of July had been excessively hot. The march of the Fifteenth and Seventeenth Corps, from the extreme left to the extreme right, a distance of several miles, followed by one of the severest actions on record, had sorely tried the patience of our brave soldiers. Toward the evening of the 27th, however, a violent thunder storm mitigated the sultriness, but flooding the earth, converted the roads into mire.