of the enemy's lines at Cassville, but the morning of the 20th again found Johnston's army gone. Here, as before Dalton, a retreat without giving earnest battle had been compelled by a rapid advance of McPherson on the right, threatening Johnston's left flank. Cassville, not far from the Etowah river, is a few miles beyond Kingston, the point from which a branch railroad diverges westward to the important manufacturing town of Rome, at the junction of the Oostenaula and Etowah, forming the Coosa river. Kingston and Rome were occupied on the 20th of May, Howard's corps first entering the former town, while the Twentieth and the Twenty-third Corps, moving forward on the left, entered Cassville the same day. A large portion of the army remained encamped at these places for the three days following, while McPherson demolished the Rebel manufactories at Rome, and prepared to continue his effective movements southward-steadily threatening the enemy's flank, and pressing on with all convenient speed toward the Chattahoochee. The railroad was, meanwhile, put in running order to Cassville, and the telegraph lines were extended with Sherman's advance.

Continuing the march on the 23d of May, Hooker crossed the Etowah river, his entire corps encamping at night on the south side of that stream. On the 24th and 25th, his corps was crossing over the Allatoona Mountains, while Sherman's center occupied Dallas. This movement to turn Allatoona drew out the enemy, who attacked Hooker's First Division near Pumpkin Vine Creek, about three miles from Dallas, on the 25th. A general action ensued, sometimes designated as the battle of New Hope Church. The enemy was driven back three miles, and at nightfall had been forced within his inner line of intrenchments. The new position taken up by Johnston was a strong one at the fork of the roads to Marietta and Atlanta, in a thickly wooded and broken country, with scarcely any roads, among the Etowah mountains. The center of Sherman's army was now about three miles north of Dallas, his right being at that place. This situation, with occasional sharp conflicts, was maintained for several days.

McPherson's flanking column, meanwhile, moving forward

from Rome, by a wide circuit to the right, had passed beyond Dallas, toward the Chattahoochee river. At Powder Spring, a dozen miles north of Sandtown, on the Chattahoochee, McPherson encountered a considerable force of the enemy, a sharp engagement following, in which the Rebels were driven toward Marietta, with the loss of 2,500 killed and wounded left on the field, and about 300 prisoners. The total Union loss did not exceed 300, as officially stated. After this victory, it appears that a cavalry force advanced to the Chattahoochee, at Sandtown, but was subsequently withdrawn.

On the 1st of June, a movement was commenced by the Army of the Tennessee toward the left, Sherman concentrating his forces for the purpose of flanking, by a general advance to the left, the enemy's position, from which he could, with great difficulty, be dislodged. His works were firmly held during several days, in which more or less fighting occurred. The approaches to the Chattahoochee by our right were especially guarded against, and McPherson's advance in that direction was suspended. On the 5th, the enemy was again found to have withdrawn, to avoid the new menace, now on their right, toward the railroad, and Sherman advanced his army to Acworth, on the railroad, north of the Kenesaw Mountain, about fifteen miles from Marietta. Headquarters remained at this place during the next five days, while supplies were brought up, and preparations made for a further advance. On the morning of the 11th, Big Shanty was occupied, the Army of the Tennessee proceeding southward on the railroad, until within sight of the enemy's lines at a point called the Peach Orchard, when our forces formed in line of battle, throwing up intrenchments at the edge of an open field. The enemy's left now rested on Lost Mountain, and his right on Kenesaw. From this point the army gradually advanced by the usual slow approaches toward the opposing intrenchments, with some losses, until the 19th, when Johnston was found to have fallen back. During this period (on the 14th of June) Gen. Polk was killed. Sherman at once ordered an advance toward Marietta, in the hope of occupying that place without further serious opposition.

The enemy had now also put in motion a cavalry column tc strike the railroad northward, and to break Sherman's communications with his base. Wheeler made his appearance at Calhoun on the 10th of June, cut the railroad and seized a train of cars laden with grain, which was on its way to the army. A train going northward was telegraphéd and stopped at Adairsville, about twelve miles below, when Gen. Hovey, who was on board, collected a battalion of two hundred convalescent soldiers, who proceeded with the train, moving cautiously on. About half way to Calhoun, a torpedo exploded under the train, throwing the locomotive from the track, and demolishing four cars-no person on board being seriously injured. On reaching Calhoun, the enemy was found to have retreated, and the train passed on uninterruptedly to Resacca. Wheeler appeared again the same evening, destroying the track below Calhoun. This raid, however, only delayed the trains for two or three days. Meanwhile, there were reports of a much more formidable expedition under Forrest, aiming at the communications farther north, and, perhaps, across the Tennessee. Early in the month of June a large cavalry force, under Gen. Grierson, had set out eastward from Memphis, with the evident purpose of watching Forrest and keeping him in check.

A campaign, undertaken by the Rebel Gen. Pillow, with all the confidence of a Burgoyne, to force Sherman into hasty retreat, prematurely ended in his mortifying repulse, with severe loss, before Lafayette, on the 24th of June.

Instead of continuing his retreat, on the 19th, Johnston had established his lines in a position of great strength upon the crest of Kenesaw, defying assault and arresting a further advance. Sherman intrenched again, and remained in this position, with only occasional skirmishing, until the 27th of June, when an attempt was made to carry the enemy's lines by assault. The battle of this day, in which our losses were somewhat severe, resulted in a repulse at all the intrenched points attacked. Schofield, however, with the Army of the Ohio, succeeded in flanking the enemy, driving a column of Rebel cavalry before him. On the 3d of July, Johnston's forces evacuated their works on Kenesaw Mountain, and fell back to

a position designed to cover the crossing of the Chattahoochee. On the morning of the 4th, McPherson's column crossed Nickojack Creek, at Ruff's Mills, and forming on the south bank, assailed the enemy, who retired within his intrenchments. During the day our forces constructed rifle pits, and, just at dark, a brilliant charge, made by the 39th and 27th Ohio Regiments, grandly carried the enemy's works. So complete a success, in a direct assault upon formidable works, had rarely, if ever, occurred during the war. It cost many losses in killed and wounded. Among the latter was Col. Noyes, of the 39th, who lost a foot.

The army now advanced on the right, pressing closely upon the lines of the enemy, the right and left of which rested on the Chattahoochee. Marietta was now securely in the possession of Sherman, who had driven back the enemy from one stronghold after another, with a steadily lengthening line of communication, for the distance of one hundred and twentyfive miles, during a campaign of two months. Many were the complaints of Rebel observers, and great the discontent manifested at Richmond. by reason of the repeated evacuations and retreats of Johnston's army, from positions of almost unparalleled strength. It is not to be denied that, on the other hand, there was some anxiety among loyal men, as the season wore on, and the difficulties in Sherman's path were apparently increasing, instead of his achieving the prompt capture of Atlanta, which the too sanguine had anticipated. So much as this is now manifest: Johnston handled his army with great skill, making the most of his resources-wisely, no doubt, determining to avoid any desperate stake or heavy losses until Sherman should have advanced far into the interior, when his communications could be effectively assailed, and his further advance indefinitely prolonged by elaborate fortifications, at last desperately defended, near the Rebel base. The arrival of our army at Marietta, confronting the enemy, resolutely defending the north bank of the Chattahoochee, terminates one distinct period of this campaign. The rough mountains, the gorges, creeks and forests were passed. A large river was now to be crossed, and only a brief space of gently rolling and open

country lay beyond, between our victorious troops and the elaborate fortifications of Atlanta.

To maintain his communication with Chattanooga, and thence to Nashville; to force his way across the Chattahoochee, in spite of all the resistance his adversary could make, and to carry at last the manifold lines protecting Atlanta, without the possibility of establishing a close siege : such were the important problems which Sherman must solve. To fail in one of them was to ruin all. To succeed in each, could only be accomplished by the highest order of generalship. President Lincoln, while entertaining an exalted opinion of the military skill of the general commanding in Georgia, with a due appreciation of what he had thus far accomplished, had also such a conception of the obstacles still to be overcome, that he never spoke, without a degree of moderation bordering on apprehension, at this stage, of the probable issue of the advance on Atlanta.

If the campaign in Georgia, no less than that in Eastern Virginia, had, as yet, failed fully to satisfy the popular hope, the disasters which had attended the Red river expedition under General Banks still weighed with depressing effect upon the public heart. The returning steps of our army in Louisiana, and the work of extricating the fleet under Admiral Porter, were watched with an anxiety dreading further defeat, and not with any hope of redeeming success. By an effort of skill which will ever be memorable, Colonel Bailey had built his dam across the fails of the Red river, above Alexandria, and our gunboats and transports were thus relieved, on the 9th of May. General Canby, succeeding Banks, reached the mouth of Red river on the 14th, intending to coöperate with the latter in securing a safe withdrawal of his force, but no assistance was required. In moving from Alexandria to the Mississippi, Banks had two engagements with the enemy, first at Mansuna, then at Yellow Bayou, repulsing his assailants in both instances.

The dangers which threatened affairs in Arkansas, after the advance of General Steele toward Shreveport, and the failure of Banks to support the intended converging movement, were