Final Blow at Atlanta--Johnston's Untried Plan of
Resistance--Hood's Faulty Move--Holding the Pivot of the Position
--Anecdotes of the Men in the Ranks--Deferring to General Stanley
in a Question of Relative Rank--The Failure at Jonesboro'--The
Capture of Atlanta--Absent from the Army--Hood's Operations in
Sherman's Rear--Sent Back to Thomas's Aid--Faulty Instructions to
Oppose Hood at Pulaski--At Columbia--Reason of the Delay in Exchanging
Messages.

Chapter X. Hood Forces the Crossing of Duck River--Importance of
Gaining Time for Thomas to Concentrate Reinforcements at Nashville
--The Affair at Spring Hill--Incidents of the Night Retreat--Thomas's
Reply to the Request that a Bridge be Laid over the Harpeth--The
Necessity of Standing Ground at Franklin--Hood's Formidable Attack
--Serious Error of Two Brigades of the Rear-Guard--Brilliant Services
of the Reserve--Yellow Fever Averted--Hood's Assaults Repulsed--
Johnston's Criticism of Hood--The Advantage of Continuing the
Retreat to Nashville.

Chapter XI. The Correspondence with General Thomas previous to
the Battle of Franklin--The Untenable Position at Pulaski--Available
Troops which were not Sent to the Front--Correspondence with General
Thomas--Instructions Usually Received too Late--Advantage of Delaying
the Retreat from Duck River--No Serious Danger at Spring Hill--
General Thomas Hoping that Hood might be Delayed for Three Days at
Franklin.

Chapter XII. After the Battle of Franklin--The Arrival at Nashville
--General Thomas's Greeting--A Refreshing Sleep--Services of the
Cavalry Corps and the Fourth Army Corps--Hood's Mistake after
Crossing Duck River--An Incident of the Atlanta Campaign Bearing
on Hood's Character--An Embarrassing Method of Transmitting Messages
in Cipher--The Aggressive Policy of the South.

Chapter XIII. Grant Orders Thomas to Attack Hood or Relinquish
the Command--Thomas's Corps Commanders Support Him in Delay--Grant's
Intentions in Sending Logan to Relieve Thomas--Change of Plan before
the Battle of Nashville--The Fighting of December 15--Expectation
that Hood would Retreat--Delay in Renewing the Attack on the 16th
--Hopelessness of Hood's Position--Letters to Grant and Sherman--
Transferred to the East--Financial Burden of the War--Thomas's
Attitude toward the War.

Chapter XIV. Hood's Motive in Attempting the Impossible at Nashville
--Diversity of Opinions Concerning that Battle--No Orders on Record
for the Battle of Decemb