sharp skirmishing between our van | well sheltered foe. Next morning, and his rear-guard; until, having the Rebel intrenched lines stretched passed through Kingston, he was unbrokenly from Dallas to Marietta, again found' holding a strong and over a most difficult region, wherein fortified position about Cassville, ap- days were necessarily spent by Sherparently intent on a decisive battle. man, amid continual skirmishing and Upon being pressed, however, he re- fighting, in making careful approachtreated, under cover of night, across es. He had just ordered Schofield the Etowah; burning the railroad to advance our left and flank the enand other bridges, and taking a still emy's right, when Johnston struck stronger position covering the Alla- heavily at our right at Dallas, held toona pass, where the country again by McPherson. But this attack becomes mountainous, rugged, and gave our men the advantage of difficult, and where he doubtless had breastworks, and was repulsed with determined to fight in earnest. loss; as one made by Howard's corps on Cleburne, farther toward the center, was repulsed by the enemy. Our army was now moved" to the left along the Rebel front, enveloping the Allatoona pass, and compelling the enemy to evacuate it; as he soon af ter did his intrenchments covering New Hope church, and Ackworth also. Allatoona pass was promptly garrisoned by Sherman, and made a secondary base of supplies: the railroad bridge across the Etowah being repaired, and our trains down the road run to this point.

Sherman, after halting two days to rest and reconnoiter, decided to flank him out of this by moving well to the right, concentrating his army on Dallas; to which point Jeff. C. Davis, at Rome, had already been directed, and on which Thomas now advanced; McPherson moving still farther to the right, by Van Wert, and swinging in on Thomas's right; while Schofield, moving on the east, should aim to come in on Thomas's left. Johnston promptly divined this movement, and prepared to baffle it.

Gen. Frank Blair here came up," with two divisions of the 17th corps, and Col. Long's brigade of cavalry; raising Sherman's effective force nearly to that with which he left Chattanooga; and he moved forward next day to Big Shanty.

Thomas, advancing from Burnt Hickory to Dallas, was confronted" at Pumpkinvine creek by Rebel cavalry, whom he rapidly pushed across, saving the burning bridge; but, as Hooker's corps, in the van, pushed on, his foremost division (Geary's) found the enemy in line of battle; and a severe conflict ensued, without decisive result. Hooker finally concentrated his command four miles north of Dallas, and struck hard, by Sherman's order, at Stewart's posi-nable by nature-lines which the ention covering New Hope church; whence, though he gained some ground, he was unable to drive the 9 May 19. 10 May 25.

Kenesaw mountain, with its almost equally formidable neighbors, Pine and Lost mountains, now loomed before him, with Rebel lines two miles long covering the points not impreg

emy were actively strengthening each hour. Here Sherman halted perforce, and studied and planned

11 June 1.

12 June 8.

OUR REPULSE AT KENESAW MOUNTAIN.

and manoeuvered; finally attempting to force, by sharp fighting, a way between Kenesaw and Pine mountains. In the desultory conflict that ensued, Lt. Gen. Polk, Protestant Episcopal Bishop of Louisiana, was instantly killed" by a cannon-ball. He was engaged, with Johnston and Hardee, in making observations, when they were observed on our side, and two shots fired at them-it was said by Thomas's order-the first of which scattered the party to places of safety; but Polk soon tired of his, and, coming out to watch the firing, was struck in the side by a three-inch shot, which tore him to pieces. He neither spoke nor breathed thereaf

ter.

Pushing forward wherever the rugged nature of the ground would permit, with frequent assaults and constant battering and picket-firing, Sherman compelled the enemy to abandon Pine mountain," and then Lost mountain," with the long line of strong breast works connecting the latter with Kenesaw. Meantime, rain fell almost incessantly; the narrow mountain roads were rocky gullies; and the Rebel batteries on Kenesaw belched iron constantly at our lines-the balls generally passing harmlessly over the heads of our men, whom the enemy's guns could not be depressed sufficiently to reach.

It being evident that we were steadily though slowly gaining ground, especially on our right, a sally and attack were made" by the enemy, led by Hood, with intent to interpose between Thomas's right and Schofield's left, near what was known as the Kulp house.' The

629

Hooker's corps, and Hascall's of Schofield's army, but utterly failed— the enemy being repulsed from our lines with heavy loss, including some prisoners.

Sherman now determined to assault in turn, and did "so, after careful preparation, at two points, south of Kenesaw, and in front of Gens. Thomas and McPherson respectively; but the enemy's position was found, at fearful cost, absolutely impregnable-each attack being signally repulsed, with an aggregate loss of 3,000, including Gens. Harker and Dan. McCook, killed, and Col. Rice, with other valuable officers, badly wounded. The Rebels, thoroughly sheltered by their works, reported their loss at 442.

Gen. Sherman, in his report, defends this assault as follows:

"Upon studying the ground, I had no alternative but to assault or turn the enemy's position. Either course had its difficulties and dangers. And I perceived that the enemy and our own officers had settled down into a conviction that I would not assault fortified lines. All looked to me to outflank. An army, to be efficient, must not settle down to one single mode of offense, but must be prepared to execute any plan that promises success. I wished, therefore, for the moral effect, to make a successful assault on the enemy behind his breastwhich I assume the entire responsibility, I Failure as it was, and for yet claim that it produced good fruits; as it demonstrated to Gen. Johnston that I would

works. *

*

*

assault, and that boldly; and we also gained and held ground so close to the enemy's parapets that he could not show a head above them."

If these be sound reasons, they at least as fully justify Grant's order to assault at Cold Harbor: Kenesaw being a palpable Gibraltar, which Cold Harbor is not.

Sherman did not choose to rest on blow fell on Williams's division of this bloody repulse; but, waiting only

13 June 14.

14 June 15.

15 June 17.

16 June 22.

17 June 27.

to bury the dead and care for the wounded, he again threw " forward his right: McPherson, in front of Kenesaw, being relieved by Garrard's cavalry, and ordered to move rapidly by the right down to the Chattahoochee, threatening to cross with the railroad at or near Turner's ferry. The success of this manoeuver was instantaneous. Though its execution began at nightfall, Kenesaw was forthwith evacuated by Johnston; our skirmishers stood on the summit at dawn; and--our whole army pressing forward-General Sherman rode into Marietta on the heels of the Rebel rear-guard at 81⁄2 A. M.

er's ferry, surprising the guard, capturing a gun, and soon fortifying himself strongly on high ground, commanding good roads, tending east, while he had laid pontoon and a trestle bridge across the river. Howard soon had a similar bridge and position two miles below; and there was a general movement of our forces from right to left, which constrained Johnston to abandon his fort or bridge-head, burn his bridges and bring his last man across the Chattahoochee." His new line, covering Atlanta, had the river on its left front and Peach-tree creek on its right.

Sherman now gave his men a little much needed rest; and, before active operations recommenced, Johnston had been superseded in chief com

Sherman was thus eager in the pursuit, expecting to catch Johnston crossing the Chattahoochee and destroy half his army; but the wary Confederate had ere this strongly in-mand by Gen. J. B. Hood, of Texas. trenched a position on this side, covering the passage of the river, and stood here awaiting-in fact, inviting -an assault. Sherman paused, and cautiously approached; sending forward at length" a strong skirmish-merical strength of ours, and in noline, which carried the enemy's outer line of rifle-pits, taking some prison

ers.

Next morning, he was mainly over the river; and our army advanced in triumph to its bank at several points, with Atlanta just at hand.

Johnston's campaign, it appeared, had not answered the expectations of his superiors at Richmond. He had not demolished Sherman, with an army of little more than half the nu

thing superior thereto. He had not even been able to prevent Sherman's persistent, determined, and generally skillful advance. But he had made the most of the rare advantages to the defensive afforded by the chaotic region across which he had been steadily driven, and had missed no good opportunity to strike a damaging blow. Pollard says he had lost about 10,000 in killed and wounded, and 4,700 from "all other causes "that is, about one-fourth of his entire army-which, considering that he had fought no great battle, and could not afford to fight one, argues tolerably sharp work for a two months' purely July 4. July 10.

But the Chattahoochee is here a large stream; rapid as well as deep, and barely fordable at one or two points. The railroad and other bridges, of course, were covered by the enemy's strong work on our side, which they still held. But Gen. Schofield was now moved rapidly from our extreme right to our left, and there pushed across, above PowJuly 2.

18

19

20

FIRST ATTACK REPULSED.

defensive campaign. Nevertheless, | whom he was repulsed, after a galhe was set aside, and a believer in lant struggle; wherein our total loss more aggressive, less cautious strate--mainly in Howard's corps—was gy appointed in his stead. Johnston 1,500; while the enemy left on the turned over to Hood an effective field 500 dead, 1,000 severely woundforce of 41,000 infantry and artillery, ed, and many prisoners. Sherman and 10,000 cavalry"-in all, 51,000 estimates their total loss at not less -which is nearly as many as he had than 5,000. Among their killed were at Dalton. Nothing short of brilliant Brig.-Gen. Geo. M. Stevens, of Md., and successful generalship in his suc- W. S. Feathertson, of Miss., L. Armiscessor could justify his displacement. tead, of Ga., and John J. Pettus, of Miss.