er for
some of A. J. Smith's troops to support the right if necessary.
But no orders whatever were given, to my knowledge, looking to a
battle the next day--at least none for my troops or the cavalry.

The next morning revealed the enemy in his new position, his left
remaining where it was the night before, in my immediate front,
but the rest of his line far back from the ground on which the
other portions of Thomas's army had passed the night. Some time
was of course required for the other corps to come up and get in
contact with the enemy, and the whole forenoon was passed by me in
impatient anxiety and fruitless efforts to get from General Thomas
some orders or authority that would enable us all to act together
--that is, the cavalry and the two infantry corps on the right.
At length the cavalry, without order from General Thomas, had worked
well round on the enemy's left so as to threaten his rear; I had
ordered Cox, commanding my right division, to advance his right in
conjunction with the movement of the cavalry, and at the proper
time to attack the left of the enemy's intrenchments covering the
Granny White pike, and that movement had commenced; while, having
been informed by General Darius N. Couch, commanding my left
division, that one of Smith's divisions was about to assault, I had
ordered Couch to support that division, which movement had also
commenced. Then General Thomas arrived near our right, where I
stood watching these movements. This, about four o'clock P. M.,
was the first time I had seen or heard from General Thomas during
that day. He gave no order, nor was there time to give any. The
troops were already in motion, and we had hardly exchanged the
usual salutations when shouts to our left announced that McArthur's
division of Smith's corps had already carried the enemy's work in
its front, and our whole line advanced and swept all before it.

In my judgment, General Thomas gave a little less than full credit
to McArthur's division, and considerably more than full justice to
the other troops, in his description of that assault, which was
distinctly seen by him and by me.

The resistance along the whole left and center of Hood's line cannot
be said to have been strong or obstinate. Our total losses were
comparatively insignificant; and whatever may have been the appearance
to the troops under fire, to a cool observer out of the smoke the
enemy's fire seemed no more than that of an ordinary