Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 08.djvu/397
General Hardee and the Military Operations Around Atlanta. 385
hook, and my opportunities for" knowing or hearing of any such expression as is there attributed to General Hardee, and of the relations that existed between Generals Hardee and Cleburne.
I never heard of any such expression as is attributed to General Hardee on pages 185-186 of General Hood's book until I saw it there.
My opportunities of hearing of it at the time it occurred and afterwards were briefly these: I commanded the sharpshooters of Cleburne's division in the operations of the army around Atlanta in July, August and September of the year 1864.
I was present and participated in the battles of the 20th, 21st and 22d of July, near Atlanta, and the battles at Jonesboro' on the 31st August and 1st of September.
I had been quite well acquainted with Generals Hardee and Cleburne from the summer of 1861, and had served under their command nearly all of the war. Before and during the forward lovement of Cleburne's division on the 20th July, I was in the line of battle which it formed, and saw Generals Hardee and Cle- burne several times on that occasion.
If, on that occasion, General Hardee, in the presence of soldiers, iad cautioned General Cleburne " to be on the lookout for breast- works," such a remark under the circumstances would have caused dde-spread comment and criticism among the officers and soldiers )f that division, and no man living would have better known that "lan General Hardee.
That division never heard that kind of talk on the battlefield rom its subordinate officers, much less from General Hardee ; that livision was composed of veteran officers and soldiers, who had uently stormed Federal breastworks before, and had never been jpulsed in any such attack ; and on the 20th of July every man in that division knew that in attacking the Federal forces, as we were ibout to do, that we would necessarily attack. them behind breast- works. It would have been a nonsensical absurdity (which he ras utterly incapable of) for General Hardee to have used any mch language, at such a time, and under such circumstances, and
- ie bare statement of it is preposterous to any man who was
jquainted with General Hardee's conduct and bearing upon the ittleneld.
In battle I am satisfied that such an idea as sparing himself or the men under his command from the necessary casualties of such an ision never occurred to him, but every movement was directed at destruction of the enemy. He moved troops with great ipidity ; and there was never any halting or hesitation in attacks lade by troops under his command which could directly or indi- Jtly be attributed to him.
I was on terms of intimate friendship with General Cleburne id the officers of his staff. I camped at night at General Cle- >urne's headquarters and generally received my orders direct from him every morning; frequently reported to him during the day, 4
