the face of the astonished enemy. His life was the foreit of his te merity, for he and others after him who attempted to take up the colors were shot.

Battle of New Hope Church.-The main body of the army now moved after the retreating enemy, while Davis' division, following the Ostenaula to Rome, captured 8 heavy pieces of artillery and destroyed rolling mills and foundries of great value to the enemy. At Adairsville and Kingston, Johnson held strong positions, but, after a sharp brush with the pursuing army, in which the 42d, 44th, 59th, 80th, 84th and 88th Illinois became engaged, he aban doned them and occupied Altoona, a place strong by nature and more so by art. By Johnson's last movement, the valley of the Etowah was abandoned to Sherman, who now began to think it was the intention of his adversary to draw the Union army far into the interior before risking a general engagement. He nevertheless accepted the issue, and determined to make another attempt to draw him out of his entrenchments for the purpose of fighting him on open ground. Accordingly, with supplies for 20 days, on the 20th of May, he set out with the army on a westward detour to Dallas, intending, after arriving thither, to seize and destroy the railroad west of the town. Johnson quickly divined the object of the movement, and Hooker, in our van, encountered a stubborn resistance at New Hope church, in the vicinity of Dallas. Altoona had been evacuated and the rebel army was stretched from Dallas to Marietta on the railroad, the rugged character of the ground occupied giving it every facility for opposition and defensive operations. Sherman, pushing up his forces toward the enemy's entrenchments, brought on heavy skirmishing, which, on the 29th, culminated in a fierce assault on Johnson's position, the assailants suffering heavy loss and gaining no permanent advantage.

The next day the rebels made an assault on McPherson, occupying the Union right. Our men were sheltered by earthworks, up to which the rebels advanced in one of those overwhelming charges for which they were distinguished, and, with a shout which rose above their crashing volleys. The federals reserved their fire till the surging masses came within deadly range, when they opened with such destructive effect that the storming party was compelled to retire. Again and again they rallied and marched up almost to the muzzles of our guns, refusing to desist till the ground on which they fought was covered with heaps of dead and dying. In the terrible onslaught the former colonel of the 52d Illinois, now styled Bull Dog Sweeney, on account of his stubborn fighting qualities, with his division twice received the rebels and sent them in disorderly masses from the field. The Illinois regiments engaged at New Hope church and its vicinity, were the 42d, 44th, 48th, 51st, 52d, 59th, 60th, 64th, 79th, 80th, 84th, 86th, 88th, 101st, 104th, 105th and 111th.

Battle of Kennesaw Mountain.-After this death grapple, several days were spent in skirmishing, when Sherman again determined to turn the position of the enemy. He therefore gradually moved his forces in the direction of the railroad and Johnson, closely watching him, led his troops to Marietta, whence he fell

back to Kennesaw mountain. This towering height, and its almost equally formidable neighbors, Pine and Lost mountains, now loomed up before the pursuing army, dark with panoplied hosts and their inaccessible spurs frowning with batteries. Sherman, after reconnoitering the new situation of the enemy, commenced forcing a passage between Pine and Kennesaw, which caused him to concentrate on the latter so as to cover Marietta and the railroad. In effecting these changes, the fighting was desultory, but severe, the rebels from their high position being able to minutely scrutinize the movements of our men and pour down upon their heads a pelting rain of iron.*

Johnson, seeing the Union army gradually approaching his position, on the 22d of June, ordered Hood to make an assault on Hooker's corps, which had moved to an advanced position. The onset was fierce and determined but repulsed with heavy loss to the enemy in killed, wounded and prisoners. Sherman now determined to deal a counter blow, and, on the 27th, after a heavy cannonade, Thomas and McPherson, at different points, moved simultaneously up to the rebel works. Soon the mountain, volcano-like, became wrapped in fire and shook from base to summit under the incessant peals of heavy guns. Our men fought with unparalleled devotion, and portions of Newton's and Wood's divisions succeeded in capturing the first line of rebel works, but the side of the mountain above them was abrupt and inaccessi ble, and they were compelled to return.

The entire loss of the army in the fatal charge was 3,000. A large part of this fell on the Illinois troops, as might be expected from the long list of regiments. The 12th, 27th, 31st, 32d, 35th, 38th, 42d, 44th, 48th, 51st, 52d, 55th, 59th, 60th, 64th, 65th, 78th, 79th, 80th, 84th, 86th, 88th, 89th, 101st, 104th, 107th and 111th, were in the hottest part of the engagement and correspondingly suffered.

This was Sherman's first defeat and perhaps the greatest mistake of the campaign. He had so frequently outflanked the enemy that an idea prevailed, both among his own and the rebel officers, that he would not make an assault, and he says he or dered the attack partly for the moral effect. The best method of procedure in every case is to secure victory with the least expenditure of life, and, therefore, his pretext hardly seems satisfactory. Besides, in this instance, the chances of success were in favor of the enemy, and the assault proving unsuccessful, the moral effect was in his favor also.

After the bloody repulse he buried his dead and again resorted to flanking, which, as the result shows, should have been tried in the first place. McPherson was sent on the right toward the Chattahoochie, and Johnson, as soon as he became aware of the movement, departed from his fortified heights, and also hurried to the river. Sherman pushed after him with the hope of striking a

"While thus making observations, Gen. Polk, the Episcopal bishop of Louisiana, was struck by a 3-inch ball from our guns, and instantly killed. In company with Johnson and Hardee, the group was discovered on its lofty lookout, and, at the instance of Sherman, a gun was turned upon it and fired. The missile passed directly over the party, which caused them to dismount and retire to a place of safety. Polk, however, refusing to remain under cover, returned, and a second shot directed with unerring aim, struck and tore his body into fragments. Our men having discovered the meaning of the signals employed by the enemy by reading the dispatches sent along his lines, learned soon afterwards that he had been killed.

fatal blow when he attempted to cross, but the wary confederate had provided for this contingency by seizing and fortifying a position on its banks. This was held till the passage of the men was effected when he retired into his works around Atlanta, where he was destined to meet his final overthrow.

Battle of Peach Tree Creek.-The Chatahoochie here is a large stream running in a southwesterly direction and near where the railroad crosses it, receives the waters of Peach Tree creek, a deep tributary falling into it from the west. Within the angle formed by the streams and 8 miles distant from each, Atlanta, the prin cipal objective point, is situated. The rebels, taking advantage of the peculiar conformation of the streams, had arranged their lines of defense with a view of disputing the passage of these natural barriers which lay between them and the national army. To surmount this difficulty was the problem which Sherman had to solve. With his army on the west side of the river below the mouth of Peach Tree creek. he could easily approach the city on the south and west where it was comparatively defenseless, but to cross it in the face of a powerful foe, and risk a battle with it in his immediate rear, was a dangerous undertaking. Another plan was to cross the river above the mouth of Peach Tree creek, where little opposition would be encountered, and then turning southward, risk the contingencies of crossing the smaller stream. The latter alternative was adopted as the least difficult, but, during its execution, Johnson was relieved of his command.

This was only one of the many acts of stupendous folly which characterized the Richmond authorities during the latter days of the confederacy and materially hastened its downfall. He had skillfully used the advantages of defense offered by the rugged mountain passes through which he had been driven; yet, because he had failed to annihilate his adversary, who exceeded him in numbers, the rebel president was displeased and superseded him. Says Pollard: "He lost 10,000 men in killed and wounded, and 4,700 more from other causes, a fact which proves his men never failed to meet the invading army whenever an opportunity offered to strike a damaging blow." The fiery and impetuous Hood was placed in his stead, and, commencing a furious offensive warfare, and remorselessly slaughtered his men when there was little prospect of success. Hood, in taking command of the rebel army, found it, in consequence of reinforcements, some 5,000 stronger than at the commencement of the campaign, while that of his adversary had also been kept up to the original standard, and, flushed with triumph, was better prepared than at first to grapple with the foe.

As the army was developing a line along Peach Tree creek, Thomas on the right, Schofield in the centre, and McPherson on the left, Hood, on the 20th, massed his forces and endeavored to penetrate a gap between Thomas and Schofield which Sherman was trying to fill. The assault, although as sudden as a thunder clap, was received by Palmer's, Hooker's and Howard's corps, with such determined resistance that defeat was impossible. Musketry and artillery mowed them down by hundreds, yet, with a devotion worthy of a better cause, they continued to crowd up in the wasting fire which no amount of blood was able to quench. The

great sacrifice did not avail, for, after a five-hours' battle and the loss of 5,000 men, they were driven back to their entrenchments.

Battles of Atlanta.—The main army now closed in on the fated city, in the form of a semi-circle of two miles radius, and Hood determined to strike another offensive blow to extricate himself from its toils. Moving up on the extreme left, the most vulnerable part of our line, he massed his forces for an assault. McPherson, in command of this wing, had made a wide circuit by way of Decatur, and it was Hood's intention to fall on and crush him before he could properly get in position. Accordingly, on the 22d the latter was impetuously assaulted, the charging squadrons sweeping along the whole line, for a time it seemed almost irresist able. The first blow fell on Blair's corps, but soon that of Dodge, which, moving around him in the rear to form on his left, became involved. Dodge, finding his right about to be turned, ordered a charge on the enemy's flank by the 12th Illinois and 81st Ohio, which, sweeping up to the foe, captured two stand of colors and left the ground covered with his dead. Hardee had entered a gap between the two corps, when Sweeney's division met him, and by stubborn fighting, in which the 9th Illinois bore a distinguished part, kept him at bay till other forces could arrive and assist him. While Dodge roughly handled the rebels and took many of them prisoners, their assaults on Blair were more successful. With their customary daring they rushed up and both armies fought on opposite sides of the same breastworks on which were planted their respective standards. The orders of officers were unheard, and each combatant rallying round his colors struck such blows as seemed likely to do the greatest execution.

In the meantime a heavy force of the enemy got in our rear and captured 12 guns. Sherman sent word to Logan, whose corps was on Blair's right, that he must charge and retake them. Two batteries placed on commanding hills, were now ordered to open upon the enemy, and under cover of their converging fire, he massed and pushed irresistibly forward his charging columns. All the guns were retaken except two, which had been carried from the field, and when night put an end to the contest, Hood found himself again foiled, and his forces exhausted.

The Illinois regiments in the two preceding battles were the 16th, 26th, 27th, 30th, 31st, 35th, 38th, 42d, 44th, 48th, 51st, 52d, 53d, 55th, 59th, 60th, 64th, 73d, 74th, 75th, 78th, 80th, 84th, 86th, 88th, 89th, 92d, 101st, 102d, 104th, 105th, 107th, 111th, 112th, 115th and 129th. In the heavy charging and counter charging of the opposing forces in the battle they frequently became intermingled in hand to hand contests. On one occasion, Col. Flynn, of the 129th Illinois, met a rebel colonel, and while their regiments were engaged in a death grapple they had a combat from behind trees. with guns, each dodging round his covert so as to give and avoid shots. One of our batteries planted on the Atlanta road did such terrible execution upon the enemy, a heavy column was sent up to capture it. The 74th Illinois, stationed on the right of the road, and the 88th on the left, poured into the assaulting force such a destructive fire, it was compelled to forego the prize, and pay dearly for the attempt to get it. One stand of colors was cap tured by the 129th, two by the 105th. The 104th distinguished

itself by the determined stand it made in an advanced position, where the enemy first came thundering down on our lines. In this stubbornly contested battle, the rebel loss was 18 stand of colors and 8,000 men, of whom 3,000 were killed and 1,000 taken prisoners. Our own loss amounted to 3,000, of whom 1,000 were mnade prisoners.

Among the dead was Gen. McPherson, who, at the time he lost his life, was riding unprotected in the rear. While proceeding in fancied security he came unexpectedly upon a detachment of rebels who shot him, and his steed escaping wounded and riderless out of the forest, gave the first intimation of his fate. He was a young man of fine personal appearance, of rare ability as an officer, and possessed a heart abounding in kindness and winning for him the esteem and affection of all who came near him. It is said Sherman burst into tears when he heard of his death, and the whole army expressed the most intense sorrow. By order of the president, Gen. Howard assumed command of the Army of the Tennessee. Geus. Hooker and Palmer resigned, and their respective places were filled by Gens. Stanley and Davis.

With this assault the direct operations on the north and east terminated. Sherman determined to try a flank movement on the south and west. To assist in this movement Stoneman, with 5,000 cavalry, was ordered to move round the city on the left, and McCook, with 4,000 on the right, to destroy Hood's communications. The latter moved along the west bank of the Chattahoochie, and crossing the West Point railroad, tore up a portion of the track, and proceeding thence to Fayetteville, captured 250 prisoners, 500 wagons and 800 mules. Next Lovejoy, on the Macon railroad, was visited, to form a junction with Stoneman, who had arranged to meet him at that place. The latter failing to come, he destroyed part of the road, after which, being confronted by a force of Mississippi infantry on their way to join Hood, he was forced to return with a loss of 500 men. Stoneman had started with the magnificent project of sweeping down the Macon road, capturing the city, and then turning on Andersonville and releasing our suffering soldiers confined in its prison. Sherman gave his assent to it, with the understanding that he should meet McCook at Lovejoy, and with the united forces proceed to Andersonville. Stoneman, however, failed to comply with his part of the engagement, and as the result he made his appearance before Macon with an inadequate force, and in attempting to retire he and 1,000 of his men were captured by the cavalry of the enemy.

The army of the Tennessee now moved round the city on the right, and Hood, detecting the movement, prepared to risk another offensive battle. On the 28th his infantry poured in dense masses from the west side of the city, and moved in magnificent style up to Logan's corps on the Bell Ferry road. Our troops having learned from experience Hood's method of warfare, hurriedly made breastworks, and with comparative immunity, as the rebels came within range, slaughtered them by hundreds, forcing them to retire. Six different times, however, they were reformed and pushed up to our works by their infuriated officers, and it was only when their loss reached some 5,000 men, and the survivors could no longer be driven to the slaughter, that the battle ceased.