and be ready to attack the enemy's flank when he retreated. During this movement Thomas was to make a strong feint in front, while Schofield pressed down from the north. The plan, therefore, was to compel Johnston to recede from his strong-hold at Dalton, and, while he was moving, to bring on a general battle. i On the 7th Thomas marched from Ringgold, occupied Tunnel Hill, and pushed the enemy's cavalry through Buzzard Roost Gap; on the 8th McPherson reached Snake Creek Gap; and on the 9th Schofield pushed down nearly to Dalton from the north, Thomas renewing his demonstra tions against the Gap and Rocky-Face Ridge nearly to a battle. The weather was very unpropitious; heavy showers were falling, but the troops were in the highest spirits; they made the valley ring with their huzzas, for news had come that Grant was compelling Lee to retreat to Richmond, and Rocky Face, remembering that she was an American mountain, joined with her glad echoes in the shouts of the men. McPherson fails to of the plan. McPherson was now enabled to march to within a mile of Resaca almost unopposed. He found that carry out his part Johnston had prepared for this event, and made the place too strong to be carried by assault, and, there being no road by which he could rapidly reach the railroad, he fell back and took position near the east end of Snake Creek Gap. With his failure the general intention of the movement was frustrated. Strong re-enforcements were now sent him, and Howard, with the 4th Corps, being left to threaten Dalton in front, the rest of the army moved rapidly through Snake Creek Gap. The movement against Resaca was resumed, McPherson on the direct road, Thomas on his left, and Schofield on Thomas's left. McPherson drove the enemy's infantry pickets near Resaca within their fortified lines, and occupied a ridge of bald hills, his right on the Oostanaula, about two miles below the railroad bridge, his left abreast the town. Thomas came up on his left, and Schofield broke his way through the dense forest at Thomas's left. The country was very hilly, rough, and covered with pine jungles and brush, through which it was almost impossible to penetrate on Johnston is forced horseback. These movements compelled Johnout of Dalton. ston to abandon Dalton on the night of the 12th. Howard entered it, and pressed his rear. Nothing saved Johnston's army at Resaca but the impracticable nature of the country, which made the passage of troops across the valley extremely difficult. On the other hand, he had with foresight constructed good roads in his rear from Dalton to Resaca: upon these he retreated, and on the 14th of May was found posted in a strong position behind Camp Creek, occupying the forts at Resaca, his right on some high chestnut hills to the north of the town. On the 13th, just as the sun was going down, Sherman and Thomas came to the summit of the opposite heights, and through their glasses reconnoitred Johnston's strong works. (2.) The turning of Resaca. To force Johnston out of Resaca, Sherman determined Operations for the to send light columns to threaten his comturning of Resaca. munications in the rear, and to press upon him in front with his whole force. Polk was on Johnston's left, resting on the Oostanaula, Hardee in the centre, Hood on the right, extending northeastwardly round Resaça toward the Connasauga. Sherman therefore ordered a pontoon bridge to be laid across the Oostanaula at Lay's Ferry, and a division of the 16th Corps to cross and threaten Calhoun; also the cavalry division of Garrard to move from its position at Villanow down toward Rome, cross the Oostanaula, and break the railroad below Calhoun and above Kingston, while with the main army he pressed against Resaca at all points. At 1 P.M. of the 14th an attempt was made from Sherman's left centre to break the enemy's line and force him The battle of from an elevated position in the immediate front. To effect this, it was necessary to descend a hill in range of the enemy's artillery, ford a stream bordered with interlacing vines, and mount the opposite eminence. The attempt was bravely made, but the assailants were compelled to fall back with the loss of 1000 men. Farther to the left, Judah's and Newton's divisions, after a severe struggle, forced a point on the enemy's outer line, but were unable to retain it. At 3 P.M. Johnston attempted to turn Sherman's left flank, making an impetuous attack, which was at first successful; but, Hooker's corps coming up, the Confeder ates, about dusk, were driven back with very great loss. McPherson, taking the opportunity while Johnston was occupied in this movement, gained a position which would enable him to pour an enfilading fire on Johnston's works. As it also commanded the bridges across the Oostanaula, a determined effort was made to retake it. Heavy columns, with fixed bayonets, advanced up to the very crest of the hill, but were forced back. The fighting did not end till 10 P.M. out of Resaca. The night was spent in strengthening positions. On Johnston is forced the morning of the 15th there was heavy skir mishing along the national centre. About 1 P.M., after several unsuccessful attacks, the Confederates were driven from a portion of their lines, and a lodgment was secured under the projecting works of a lunette; but so severe was the fire from the rifle-pits that farther advance was checked. Hood's corps made a resolute but unsuccessful attempt to dislodge the assailants. Subsequently, under cover of the darkness, the national soldiers dug out the ends of the works, and hauled the guns away, by means of ropes, under a very destructive fire. As soon as a breach was made the men rushed in, and, after a desperate struggle, captured the lunette. Sherman's losses, during these two days, were between 4000 and 5000; those of Johnston-his men fighting, for the most part, behind earthworks-were about 2500. During the night Johnston was again compelled to retreat. He moved southward across the Oostanaula, pursued so closely that, though the railway bridge was burnt, the road bridge was saved. Thomas followed the retreating columns directly, McPherson by Lay's Ferry, and Schofield by obscure roads to the left. (3.) The passage of the Etowah. Approach to the Etowah. On the 17th all the national armies moved by as many different roads as they could find. The impalpable dust, which lay a foot deep, whirled and eddied about in suffocating clouds, overtopping the men, and floating upward in the air, forming long gray lines. As day advanced the heat became overpowering. The troops threw aside every thing that might weary or impede them. One division-that of Jefferson C. Davis -was sent along the western bank of the Oostanaula to Rome. About sunset of that day, Newton, whose division was in advance, had a sharp encounter with the retreating rear-guard-Polk's cavalry at Adairsville. The enemy disappeared during the night, Polk and Hood taking the road from Adairsville to Cassville-a strong intrenched position Hardee that to Kingston, where, however, they did not remain, and Sherman therefore pushed on through Kingston, and four miles beyond, when he found Johnston in force on ground comparatively open and well adapted for a battle. The proper dispo sitions were made. That evening, Johnston, weary and hungry, happened to go to Hood's head-quarters, and, while at supper, that general and Polk remarked that they thought their position untenable, and that the Etowah ought to be crossed. Hood said that the enemy could enfilade his lines. "What does this mean?" insist on abandon- said Johnston. "I am not going to give ing that line. battle here unless you all have your hearts in it." The Etowah was crossed that night "a step," Johnston's generals said Johnston," which I have regretted ever since." The road and railroad bridges near Cartersville were burnt, and a most valuable country abandoned to Sherman. (4.) The turning of the Allatoona Pass. Operations for the toona Pass. Holding Thomas's army about Cassville, McPherson's about Kingston, and Schofield's at Cassville turning of the Alla- Station and toward the Etowah Bridge, Sherman gave his army a few days' rest, using the time to bring forward supplies for the next stage of the campaign. Meantime Jeff. C. Davis had obtained possession of Rome and its forts, several heavy guns, and valua ble mills and founderies. Possession had also been secured of two bridges over the Etowah, near Kingston. Satisfied that the enemy could and would hold him in check at the Allatoona Pass, Sherman resolved, without even attempting it in front, to turn it by a circuit to the right; and, having supplied his wagons for 20 days from the railroad, and left garrisons for Rome and Kingston, he marched, on the 23d, toward Dallas. Thomas's head of column, skirmishing with the enemy's cavalry near Burnt Hickory, captured a courier with a let ter of Johnston's showing that he had detected the movement, and was preparing to meet it at Dallas. The country was very rugged, mountainous, and densely wooded. It had few and obscure roads. On the 25th of May Thomas was moving from Burnt Hickory toward Dallas, Hooker having the advance. When he approached Pumpkin Vine Creek he found a force of the enemy's cavalry at a bridge on his left. He pushed them across the creek and saved the bridge, though it was on fire. About two miles to the eastward he encountered infantry. It was near 4 P.M. before he could get his whole corps well in hand, when he deployed two divisions, and, by Sherman's order, made a bold push to secure posses sion of the point New Hope Church; for Johnston did not stop at Allatoona on his retreat, but made for the hills |