a

May 7, 1864.

small stream flowed and the railway and wagon road passed; but it was so thoroughly fortified that no army could safely attempt the passage. Sherman therefore determined to turn the Confederate position at Dalton, and for that purpose he sought a passage of the great hills at Snake Creek Gap, farther south. To mask that movement, General Thomas menaced Johnston's front; but in so doing, he had quite a severe engagement with the Confederates at Buzzard's Roost Gap. He pushed their cavalry well through the pass, and two divisions (Newton's of Howard's [Fourth] corps, and Geary's, of Hooker's [Twentieth] corps) gained portions of the Ridge. But they were soon driven off with considerable loss. Meanwhile, Schofield, with the Army of the Ohio, came down from the north and pressed heavily on Johnston's right; and McPherson, marching rapidly from the Chickamauga, by way of Ship's Gap and Villanow, passed through Snake Creek Gap, at the southern end of the Chattanooga. Mountain, and appeared suddenly before the Confederate works at and near Resaca, on the railway south of Dalton. These works were too formidable to warrant an attack with his force alone, and so McPherson fell back to a strong position in Snake Creek Gap, to await the arrival of the main army. Sherman was somewhat disappointed by the result of McPherson's movement, but felt that an advantage was gained. On the 10th' he ordered Thomas to send Hooker's corps to the support of McPherson, and to follow with Palmer's (Fourteenth) corps. Schofield was ordered to follow on the same day with his entire force; and on the 11th the whole army, excepting Howard's corps and some cavalry left to menace Johnston's front at Dalton, was marching in the grand turning movement, westward of Rocky Face Ridge, for Snake Creek Gap and Resaca. This compelled Johnston to abandon Dalton, and fall back, closely pursued by Howard, to the menaced position. That position, by good and direct roads, he reached, and took post behind a line of intrenchments, before Sherman could get to Resaca over the rough country from Snake Creek Gap. McPherson was pushed forward from that gap, preceded by Kilpatrick's cavalry, which drove the Confederates from a cross-road near Resaca. Kilpatrick was wounded, and his command was turned over to Col. Murray. McPherson pressed on, drove the Confederate pickets within their intrenchments, and took post on a ridge of bald hills, with his right on the Oostenaula River, and his left abreast the village. Thomas came up on his left, facing Camp Creek, and Schofield forced his way through the dense woods to the left of Thomas, and confronted the Confederate intrenchments on a group of hills covered with chestnut-trees, at the north of the village.

May.

Such was the position of the opposing forces at Resaca, on the 14th of May, when Sherman ordered a pontoon bridge to be laid across the Oostenaula at Lay's Ferry, and directed Sweeny's division, of the Sixteenth Corps, to cross and threaten Calhoun, farther south. At the same time the cavalry division of General Garrard moved from Villanow in the direction of Rome, with orders to destroy the railway between Calhoun and Kingston. Sherman, meanwhile, was severely pressing Johnston at Resaca, at all points, and a general engagement ensued in the afternoon and evening of the 15th. McPherson had secured a lodgment across Camp Creek, near the town, and held a hill which commanded the bridges across

• May.

376

THE CONFEDERATES AT ALLATOONA.

the Oostenaula, while Thomas, pressing along Camp Creek Valley, threw Hooker's corps across the head of that stream to the main Dalton road, close to Resaca. Schofield came up on Thomas's left, and at that point the heaviest of the severe battle occurred. Hooker drove his foe from several strong

hills, and captured a four-gun battery and many prisoners. That night Johnston abandoned Resaca, fled across the Oostenaula, firing the bridges behind him, and leaving as spoils a four-gun battery and a considerable. quantity of stores.

On the following morning, the Nationals took possession of May 16, Resaca, when Sherman's whole force started in pursuit. Thomas 1864. followed directly in the track of Hardee, who covered the retreat. McPherson crossed on the right, at Lay's Ferry, and Schofield made a wide circuit to the left, across the considerable streams which form the Oostenaula. General J. C. Davis's division, of Thomas's army, moved down the Oostenaula, to Rome, where they gave the Confederates a severe blow by destroying important mills and founderies there, and capturing nearly a dozen of their heavy guns. Davis left a garrison to hold the place. In the mean time, Sherman pressed on. He met slight opposition near Adairsville, the location of the Georgia State Arsenal, which he destroyed. But Johnston made only a brief stand; he quickly moved on, closely followed by his implacable pursuers, and was found at Cassville, on the 19th, holding a strong position and apparently determined to fight. Prudence told him to move on, and he did so that night, under the friendly cover of darkness, and crossing the Etowah River, burned the bridges, and placed that stream between his army and the hosts of Sherman. He halted near the Allatoona Pass, in a very strong position among rugged hills, where he was not molested for two or three days, because Sherman gave his army rest on the right bank of the Etowah, while supplies were brought forward to that point for the next stage of the campaign.

Sherman determined to flank Johnston out of his new position, by mov

1 This is a view of the battle-ground, eastward of Camp Creek, about two miles northwest of Resaca, as it appeared when the writer sketched it, on the anniversary of the battle, 1866. In the middle, on the hill, is seen the residence of Mrs. Margaret Wright, which was perforated with the bullets. The trees on the hill to the right, where General Judah made a charge on the Confederates, were nearly all dead, from the effects of bullet wounds.

A SERIES OF BATTLES AND SKIRMISHES.

a

• May 25,

1864.

377 ing far to the right, and concentrating his troops at Dallas. Thomas advanced along the road from Kingston, while McPherson moved farther to the right by way of Van Wert. Schofield went eastward of both, so as to come in on Thomas's left. The Confederate leader quickly perceived his peril, and prepared to avert it. As the latter was moving toward Dallas from Burnt Hickory, Hooker's corps in the advance, Geary's division of that corps was met near Pumpkinvine Creek, by Confederate cavalry. These he pushed over that stream, and saved a bridge they had fired. Following them eastward two miles, he came upon the foe in strong battle order. A sharp conflict ensued; and when, at four o'clock, Hooker had his whole corps well in hand, he made a bold push, by Sherman's order, to secure possession of a point at the New Hope Church, where the roads from Ackworth, Marietta, and Dallas meet. But a stormy night coming on, Hooker, though he gained some ground, could not drive the Confederates from that position. Meanwhile, Johnston's troops had been very busy with their pickaxes and spades, and on the following morning Sherman found his antagonist strongly intrenched, with lines extending from Dallas to Marietta.

b

May 26.

Sherman now found formidable difficulties in his way. The approach to Johnston's intrenchments must be made over a rough, broken, and wooded country, and he was engaged several days, constantly skirmishing, in making disposition for pushing through them to the railway east of Allatoona Pass. For this purpose McPherson was moved up to Dallas, and Thomas's troops were deployed against New Hope Church, in the vicinity of which there were many severe encounters, while Schofield was directed to turn and strike Johnston's right. Garrard's horsemen were operating with McPherson, and Stoneman's with Schofield. Just as General McPherson was on the point of closing to the left on General Thomas, in front of New Hope Church, that Sherman might more easily and safely envelop Johnston's right, the Confederates struck him a severe blow at Dallas. They were repulsed with heavy loss; and at about the same time Howard, nearer the center, was repulsed.

с

May 28

Sherman now moved his army to the left, seized the roads leading to Allatoona Pass and Ackworth, and, enveloping the former stronghold, compelled Johnston to evacuate it. The cavalry of Garrard and Stoneman were pushed on to occupy it, and a garrison to hold it was placed there. The bridge over the Etowah was rebuilt, the railway was repaired, and Allatoona was made a secondary base of supplies for Sherman's army.

4 June 6.

On the 4th of June Johnston abandoned his works covering New Hope Church and Ackworth, when Sherman advanced to the latter place and took possession of the railway. There, on the 8th, he was joined by General Frank Blair, with two divisions of the Seventeenth Corps, and the cavalry brigade of Colonel Long, of Garrard's division. These re-enforcements raised the number of Sherman's effective force nearly to what it was when he moved from the Chattanooga region.' His communications in his rear being now secure, he moved on to Big • June 9. Shanty where before him arose the Twin Mountain of Kene

By losses in battle and in hospitals, and the detention of detachments at Resaca, Rome, Kingston, and Allatoona, his army was considerably diminished when he reached Ackworth.

378

THE CONFEDERATES ON KENESAW.

saw (Big and Little), with Lost and Pine mountains forming with it a triangle, on each of which the Confederates had signal-stations. Batteries covered their summits, and thousands of men were busy in the dark forest, casting up intrenchments from base to base, in a connected chain, in preparation for a great struggle. Cannon on the summit of Great Kenesaw completely commanded the beautiful town of Marietta. There Johnston, with the Chattahoochee River at his back, determined to make a vigorous stand. "The scene was enchanting," said Sherman, in his report; "too beautiful to be disturbed by the harsh clamors of war, but the Chattahoochee lay beyond, and I had to reach it."

After much planning and maneuvering, and drawing his lines close to those of the Confederates, Sherman made disposition for breaking through those of Johnston between Kenesaw and Pine mountains. Hooker was on the right and front of his line, Howard on its left and front, and Palmer between it and the railway. Under cover of a heavy cannonade, the advance began on the 14th." The troops pressed over the rugged ground with difficulty, fighting at almost every step, and on the morning of the 15th they found that the Confederates had abandoned Pine Mountain, and taken position on their line of intrenchments between Kenesaw and Lost mountains.' Upon these Thomas, Schofield, and McPherson advanced, while rain was falling copiously, and on the 17th the Confederates abandoned

June, 1864.

Lost Mountain, and the long line of works connecting it with Kenesaw. Sherman continued to press them heavily at all points, skirmishing in dense forests that were furrowed by ravines and tangled with vines, and compelling

1 At the time of this advance, General Polk, formerly Protestant Episcopal Bishop of the diocese of Louisiana, was killed instantly, by a piece of shell which passed through his body. Polk, Johnston, and Hardee, were upon the summit of Pine Mountain when the cannonade commenced, reconnoitering. Seeing the group, General Thomas, it is said, ordered a shot to be fired at them from Knapp's battery. This caused them to retreat to a place of safety. Polk soon reappeared, when another shell was fired, which exploded near him, and killed him instantly. The two shells were fired by a young man named William Atwell, of Alleghany City, Pennsylvania, attached to Knapp's battery.

2 This was the appearance of the summit of Great Kenesaw, when the writer sketched it, in May, 1866. In the foreground is seen the remains of a Confederate battery and signal-station. To the left is seen the top of Little Kenesaw. In the distance, at the center of the picture, rises Lost Mountain; and on the extreme right, the higher elevation, seen beyond the two large stones in the foreground, is Pine Mountain or Knob, on which General Polk was killed. A little to the left of Lost Mountain was New Hope Church.