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,