The Railroad Cut

Marker Text:
In 1864 the single track of the Georgia railroad was through a deep cut opposite this point. Crossing it and the Decatur road was the intrenched line of the Federal 15th Army Corps as of July 22. This was a sector of McPherson's Army of the Tennessee which occupied trenches vacated by General Cheatham's Army Corps (CS) the previous night.
Cheatham's troops temporarily recovered the line here - late afternoon of the 22nd - mostly by frontal assault, partly by penetrating it in the unguarded cut - an episode portrayed in the Cylcorama at Grant Park. The ground was greatly altered after the war; the railroad cut was still visible as late as 1903.

060-94 Georgia Historical Commission erected 1956

Located: DeKalb Avenue near DeGress Avenue
GPS:
Visited: July 01, 2008

I am really confused now. Why would you abandon defensive lines, albeit outer ones, one night only to attack them the next day? What kind of feigning and boxing is this? Did Hood determine to tighten up his defensive line once McPherson started around to the east of Atlanta? Only he decided that he didn't want to give it up yet and attacked the next day. Now consider Hardee's march around to the rear near, but a little south of, this sector in regards to this attack. Was it meant to be a two pincer attack on the Federals as they moved into position? If this was so, why move out of such a defensive line only to attack your own defensive bulwarks? Granted I am sure that McPherson's troops beefed up and turned the bulwarks around to protect themselves, but it seems like a lot of effort on the Confederate's part. Plus, if it is a true two pincer attack, wouldn't the rear attack match closely with the front attack?
Again, I am not a military strategist or historian, but something doesn't add up.
At least it is beginning to make some sense though. When I was first in this area at the Pope house, I believed that somehow the Confederates pushed up from Leggitt's Hill area, which is quite a long way to walk, much less fight. Now it makes sense that Cheatham's troops withdrew and drew in the Federals from this line. When Hardee's men made the attack at Memorial Drive and Clay Street and up towards Leggitt's Hill, Cheatham's troops went back over and attacked their former abode, although through the unguarded railroad cut. These would be the troops that were talked about moving up and getting discombobulated by the widow Pope's house.