A Civil War letter...
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[Following is a letter from Walcott Cheney of the 6th Georgia Cavalry to his father Franklin Washington Cheney, a resident of Dirt Town. In the letter, Cheney discusses the removal of General Joseph Johnston by Confederate President Jefferson Davis, and the appointment of General John Bell Hood as Johnston's replacement. Three months after this letter was written, Hood's Confederates would lead Sherman's Union Army on a chase through Chattooga County during the "Campaign of October".]
Camp 6th Ga. Cav July 20th 1864
East of Atlanta
Dear Pa,
I must write you a few lines as I know that you will be very anxious to hear from me amid such stirring events as are transpiring around this place. The Yankeys have extended their line of battle from the river to the Geo. R.R. between Decatur and Atlanta. I expect that the strength of the two armies will be tried today or tomorrow. Our Army is anxious to try their strength with the enemy. The removal of Gen Johnson [ Joseph E. Johnston ] from the command of the Army of Tenn. is not at all satisfactory to the Army. You can hear complaints from all directions and sources through the Army. Gen. Johnson has been tried and we know that he's good. Gen. Hood [ John Bell Hood ] has to be tried and at one of the most critical periods at which a Gen. could take command of an Army. The destruction of this Army would render the Confederate cause in this Dept. hopeless. The remainder of the Army would scatter to the four winds of the earth and then it would be too late to try to rectify the great blunder which I think may have [been made] by the removal of Gen. Johnson from the command of this Army, every soldier in the Army justifies Gen. Johnson's course up to this time and always would do so. It matters not to what point he would go. I have not got time to write much. Dr. Briscoe is well, Bill Farmer is sick but I think he will be on duty in a few days. Give my love to all. I remain your son,
W.W. W. W. Cheney
Write soon.
[Source: Barbara Cheney Roberts, Franklin Washington Cheney (1808-1882) in Chattooga County, Georgia, published by Louisiana Society, Daughters of the American Revolution (1990). Copy available for review at the Georgia Department of Archives and History.]
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