Chapter XVII

Return from Allatoona--Hood's Deportment--Cross the Coosa
River--Devastation around Rome--Rome Burned--Garrison of
Resaca Refuses to Surrender--Capture of the Seventeenth
Iowa Regiment at Tilton--Dalton Taken--Dug Gap--Dinner
of Roasting Ears--Supper--Captured Officers are Jolly
Good Fellows--Gadsden--Encampment at Mrs. Sansom's--Her
Daughter a Guide for Gen. Forrest when He Captured
Gen. Streight--Cross the Black Warrior River and Sand
Mountains--Decatur--Some Fighting at Decatur--Gen.
Beauregard with Hood--Beautiful Valley of the Tennessee
made Desolate by War--Tuscumbia--Dreary March to Columbia,
Rain and Snow--Stewart's and Cheatham's Corps Cross Duck
River _en Route_ to Spring Hill--Hood Slept--Schofield
Passed By--Pursue Schofield to Franklin--Battle of
Franklin--Incidents--Remarkable Order for a Second Assault
at Night--Losses in My Two Brigades--Exchange of Prisoners
Stopped.

The battle of Allatoona having been fought as I have described it, the blockhouse at Allatoona creek with a garrison of 110 men captured, we marched on toward New Hope Church, and near midnight encamped at the residence of Dr. Smith, in the midst of an awful rainstorm, and within three miles of Federal forces.

October 6, 1864. The rain is still falling in torrents, and
it continued until we reached New Hope Church and joined
the other two divisions. When I called at headquarters, Hood
reminded me of a disheartened man. His countenance was sad
and his voice doleful. He received me with a melancholy air,
and asked no questions; did _not refer to the battle_, "told
me where my corps was, and said he would leave next day." He
seemed much depressed in spirits. Perhaps he experienced a
feeling of remorse that his want of information had induced
him to send me to burn the Etowah bridge, stopping an hour or
two _en route_ at the Allatoona cut, "fill it up and obtain
information." Encamped on Pumpkinvine creek.

7th. Marched early this morning to Van Wirt, by a road
leading along a high ridge. Was invited to the house of Dr.
Pearce for the night.

8th. Started at dawn and marched to Cedartown, and encamped
near there.

9th. Remained in camp till 12 P.M. Left the sick and
lame-footed men with the baggage wagons to move on to J,
and took up the line of march from ... toward Rome. Struck
the road over which we marched May 17, last. Encamped at
Cunningham's, on the road from Cave Springs to Rome. Gen.
Beauregard arrived at Cave Springs; he was heartily cheered
by Cheatham's Corps.

10th. Moved by a wood road to near a ferry over the Coosa
river. Arrived there at noon, but could not cross on the
pontoon until the corps of Hardee had passed over. When
my division was across we marched about three miles to
Robinson's, at the gorge of the Texas Valley road. All over
the country within a radius of ten or twelve miles of Rome
the citizens have been robbed by the enemy of everything.
Bureaus broken, women's clothing torn to pieces, children
left in rags, mirrors broken, books torn, feather beds
emptied in the road, stock driven off; and no effort left
untried to distress the families.

On the 8th of this month Gen. John M. Corse, from
Cartersville, near here, wrote Gen. Sherman that he could not
_now burn_ or abandon Rome because there were one thousand
four hundred sick there. (War Records, page 150, Vol. 39,