Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-14
BATTLES and leaders o Tie CYL WARlMA
81 81 1861 CIINCEING THE WEST FOR THE UNION 1912 ~41-

Alll
these facts to offset the common asser-
ton that we Of the north won by brute
force and not by courage and skill.
With the month Of May came the sea-
son for action. and by the 18th all Of
Grants armies were in motion. The
army Of Butler at Fort Monroe was his
LETT, Meade's army the center. and mine
at Chattanooga, his right. Butler was to
move against Richmond on the south Of
James river, Meade straight against Lee,
intrenched behind the Rapidan. and 1 to
attack Joseph ID. Johnston. and push him
to and beyond Atlanta. This was as far
as human foresight could penetrate.
4
On the historic 4th day OF May, 1884,
the Confederate army, at my front, lay
at Dalton, Ga, composed. according to
the best authority, Of about $4,000 men,
and it's commander, who was equal in
all the elements of generalshtp to Lee,
was under instructions from the war
powers in Richmond to assume the Of
fensive northward as far as Nashville
But Johnston soon discovered that he
would have to conduct a defensive cam
paign. Coincident with the movement of
the Army Of the Potomac, as announced
by telegraph, l advanced from our base
at Chattanooga with the Army Of the
Ohio, commanded by Gen. John M. Scho-
field. 1859 men: the Army Of the Cum
berland, commanded by Gen. George H
Thomas, COTS, and the Army of the
Tennessee. commanded by Gen. James B.
Mcpherson, "a, 465-grand total, 49, 797 men
and 254 guns.
l had no purpose to attack Johnston's
position at Dalton in front, but marched
from Chattanooga to feign at his front
eighteen miles to his rear on "his line
Of communication and supply the
Western and Atlantic running out OF At
lanta. The movement was partly not
wholly, successful. but it compelled john
ston to let go Dalton and fight US at
Resaca, where. May 1916. our loss was
2.747 and his $500. 1 fought Extensively
and he defensively. aided by earth para
pets. He then fell back to Calhoun.
Adairsville and Cassville. where he
halted for the battle Of the campaign.
but ultimately he continued his retreat
behind the next spur uf mountains to
Allatoona, thirty miles from Atlanta.
Pausing for a few days to repair the
railroad without attempting Allatoona, of
which l had personal knowledge acquired
in 1874, I resolved to push on toward
Atlanta by way Of Dallas, fifteen miles
southwest Of Allatoona. Johnston quick
ly detected this, and forced me to fight
him, May 1928. at New Hope Church,
four miles north Of Dallas, with losses Of
5000 to the Confederates and 2, 400 to us.
The country was almost in a state of
nature-with few or no roads, nothing
that a European could understand; yet
the bullet killed its victim there as surely
as at Sevastopol.
Johnston had meantime picked up his
forcements from his rear which raised his
aggregate strength to 62OOO men. and
warranted him In claiming that he was
purposely drawing US far from our base.
and that when the right moment should
come he would turn ON US and destroy u.s.
We were equally confident. and not the
least alarmed. He then fell back to his
position at Marietta, about half way be-
tween Allatoona and Atlanta. with Brush
mountain on his right. Kenesaw his CEN
ter and Lost mountain his left. His line
of ten miles was too long for his num-
bers. and he soon let go his TANKS and
concentrated on Kenesaw.
We closed down in battle array repaired
the railroad up to our very camps and
then prepared for the contest. Not day,
not an hour, not minute was there
cessation Of fire. Our skirmishers were
in absolute contact the lines of battle
and the batteries but little in rear of the
skirmishers: and thus matters continued
until June q, when l ordered general
assault. with the full cooperation of my
great lieutenants. Thomas Mcpherson and
Schofield, as good and true men as ever
lived or died for their country's cause:
but we failed. losing 5000 men to the
Confederate loss of $780,
4
STILL the result was that within three =.
days Johnston abandoned the strongest
possible position and was In full retreat
for the Chattahoochee river. six miles
north of Atlanta. We were on his heels;
skirmished with his rear at Smyrna
Church, the 4th day of July. and saw him
fairly across the Chattahoochee the 10th,
covered and protected by the best line
of field intrenchments I have ever seen,
prepared long in advance. No officer or
soldier who ever served under me will
question the generalship Of Joseph E.
johnston His retreats were timely, in
GOOD order. and he left nothing behind.
We had advanced into the enemy's coun-
try 10 miles. with single-track railroad,
which had to bring clothing, food, ammu-
nltion. everything requisite for 10000 men
and 1900 animals. The city Of Atlanta,
the gate city opening the interior of the
important state of Georgia. was in sight:
us protecting army was shaken, but not
de1eated, and onward we had to go
illustrating the principle that IAN army
once on the offensive must maintain the
offensive"
We feigned to the right, but crossed the
Chattahoochee by the left. and soon con-
1ronted our enemy behind the first line
or intrenchments at Peach Tree creek. a
tributary of the Chattahoochees prepared
in advance for this very occasion. At
this critical moment the Confederate gov
eminent rendered us most valuable serv-
ice. Being dissatisfied with the Fabian
poiicy or Gen. Johnston, ii relieved him,
ana Gen John B. Hood was substituted
TO command the Confederate army.
HOOD was known to us to be fighter"
= graduate of West Point or
tne class OF 1858, No. A. Of which class