VISIT TO THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY. 373 fternoon, Colonel Russell, the post commander, kindly took us in his car- to the Opequan Ford, where Sheridan's army crossed,' and on the folag morning he sent us on our way up the valley, in an ambulance, as far iddletown. There we dined, and hiring a light carriage, went on to Strasstopping at Cedar Creek on the way. After making arrangements for g the stage for isonburg, that ing, we rode to er's Hill, along excellent road, ing the sketch he bridge seen age 371. That crosses a little am at Fisher's over a picture stone bridge, turning at a t angle, passes ga shelf in the Ost perpendicuacclivity, in a Hually rising se, to the sumThere we found lines thrown up STONE BRIDGE AT FISHER'S HILL? Early well preserved. And from that eminence we had a very extended v of the rolling valley in the direction of Winchester, overlooking Strasg at our feet, and Middletown a little beyond, with the lofty range of the e Ridge on our right, and the Massanutten Mountains nearer. We supat Strasburg that evening, and at nine o'clock took passage in a crowded ge-coach for Harrisonburg, fifty miles up the valley. Let us here leave, in winter quarters, the troops destined to capture chmond and Lee's army, and consider the events of the important camgn of General Sherman in Georgia. See page 364. At this bridge, where the road turns at an acute angle and is very narrow, a large number of prisoners - taken from Early. This bridge was choked by the fugitives, and there was no other way for them to reach shelter of the works on the summit of the hill. The sycamore tree seen at the left was an Anak of the primiforest, twenty feet in circumference. Sce page 400, volume II. 374 THE OPPOSING ARMIES. CHAPTER XIV. SHERMAN'S CAMPAIGN IN GEORGIA 1564. T the same time when the Army of the Potomac moved from the Rapid Anna toward Richmond, at the beginning of May, General William T. Sherman, who had succeeded General Grant in the command of the Military Division of the Mississippi, marched ▸ May 6. southward from the vicinity of Chattanooga, with nearly one hundred thousand men, having for his chief objectives, the destruction of the Confederate army under General Joseph E. Johnston, then at Dalton, in Northern Georgia, and the capture of the city of Atlanta. 3 General Sherman received his orders from Lieutenant-General Grant to advance, on the 30th of April, and he moved on the 6th of May. On that morning the Army of the Cumberland lay at and near Ringgold; that of the Tennessee at Lee and Gordon's Mill, on the Chickamauga, and that of the Ohio near Red Clay, on the Georgia line north of Dalton. The Confederate army then lay in and about Dalton. To strike that position in front was impracticable, for between the armies lay a rugged mountain barrier known as the Rocky Face Ridge. Through it, at an opening called Buzzard's Roost Gap, a WILLIAM T. SHERMAN. His forces were composed as follows: Army of the Cumberland, Major-General GEORGE II. TНОМАД, commanding; Infantry, 54,568; Artillery, 2,877; Cavalry, 8,828. Total, 60,778. Number of guns, 130. Army of the Tennessee, Major-General J. B. MCPHERSON, COmmanding; Infantry, 22,437; Artillery, 1.404; Cavalry 624. Total, 24,465. Number of guns, 96. Army of the Ohio, Major-General J. M. SCHOFIELD, commandir.g; Infantry, 11,153; Artillery, 679; Cavalry, 1,697. Total, 13,559. Number of guns, 25. Grand aggregate number of troops, 98,797, and of guns, 254. About this number of troops were kept up during the campaign, the number of men joining from furlongh and hospitals about compensating for the loss in battle and from sickness. "My aim and purpose was," says Sherman in his report, "to make the Army of the Cumberland 50,000 men, that of the Tennessee 35,000, and that of the Ohio 15,000." 2 Johnston's army was composed of about 55,000 men-45,000 (according to Sherman's estimate) heavy infantry and artillery, and 10,000 cavalry under Wheeler. It was arranged in three corps, commanded respect ively by Generals W. J. Hardee, J. B. Hood, and Leonidas Polk. See page 134. See page 242 • May 7, 1864. I stream flowed and the railway and wagon road passed; but it was horoughly fortified that no army could safely attempt the passage. man therefore determined to turn the Confederate position at Dalton, For that purpose he sought a passage of the great hills at Snake Creek Gap, er south. To mask that movement, General Thomas men* Johnston's front; but in so doing, he had quite a severe -gement with the Confederates at Buzzard's Roost Gap. Не med their cavalry well through the pass, and two divisions (Newton's of ward's [Fourth] corps, and Geary's, of Hooker's [Twentieth] corps) gained ions of the Ridge. But they were soon driven off with considerable Meanwhile, Schofield, with the Army of the Ohio, came down from morth and pressed heavily on Johnston's right; and McPherson, marchrapidly from the Chickamauga, by way of Ship's Gap and Villanow, sed through Snake Creek Gap, at the southern end of the Chattanooga antain, and appeared suddenly before the Confederate works at and near aca, on the railway south of Dalton. These works were too formidable varrant an attack with his force alone, and so McPherson fell back to a ng position in Snake Creek Gap, to await the arrival of the main army. Sherman was somewhat disappointed by the result of McPherson's moveat, but felt that an advantage was gained. On the 10th he May. ered Thomas to send Hooker's corps to the support of McPher and to follow with Palmer's (Fourteenth) corps. Schofield was ordered follow on the same day with his entire force; and on the 11th the whole ny, excepting Howard's corps and some cavalry left to menace Johnston's nt at Dalton, was marching in the grand turning movement, westward Rocky Face Ridge, for Snake Creek Gap and Resaca. This compelled inston to abandon Dalton, and fall back, closely pursued by Howard, to menaced position. That position, by good and direct roads, he reached, A took post behind a line of intrenchments, before Sherman could get to saca over the rough country from Snake Creek Gap. McPherson was shed forward from that gap, preceded by Kilpatrick's cavalry, which drove e Confederates from a cross-road near Resaca. Kilpatrick was wounded, d his command was turned over to Col. Murray. McPherson pressed on, ove the Confederate pickets within their intrenchments, and took post on ridge of bald hills, with his right on the Oostenaula River, and his left reast the village. Thomas came up on his left, facing Camp Creek, and hofield forced his way through the dense woods to the left of Thomas, ad confronted the Confederate intrenchments on a group of hills covered ith chestnut-trees, at the north of the village. Such was the position of the opposing forces at Resaca, on the 14th of Cay, when Sherman ordered a pontoon bridge to be laid across the Oosteaula at Lay's Ferry, and directed Sweeny's division, of the Sixteenth Corps, cross and threaten Calhoun, farther south. At the same time the cavalry ivision of General Garrard moved from Villanow in the direction of Rome, ith orders to destroy the railway between Calhoun and Kingston. Shernan, meanwhile, was severely pressing Johnston at Resaca, at all points, and a general engagement ensued in the afternoon and evening f 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 heavi est 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. • May 16, 1864. On the following morning," the Nationals took possession of Resaca, when Sherman's whole force started in pursuit. Thomas 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. 377 * May 25, 1864. ar to the right, and concentrating his troops at Dallas. Thomas ced along the road from Kingston, while McPherson moved farther to ght by way of Van Wert. Schofield went eastward of both, so as to in on Thomas's left. The Confederate leader quickly perceived his and prepared to avert it. As the latter was moving toward Dallas Burnt Hickory, Hooker's corps in the advance, Geary's division of corps was met" near Pumpkinvine Creek, by Confederate These he pushed over that stream, and saved a bridge ry. had fired. Following them eastward two miles, he came the foe in strong battle order. A sharp conflict ensued; and when, at o'clock, Hooker had his whole corps well in hand, he made a bold push, herman's order, to secure possession of a point at the New Hope Church, e the roads from Ackworth, Marietta, and Dallas meet. But a stormy coming on, Hooker, though he gained some ground, could not drive Confederates from that position. Meanwhile, Johnston's troops had been busy with their pickaxes and spades, and on the following ing Sherman found his antagonist strongly intrenched, lines extending from Dallas to Marietta. May 26. herman now found formidable difficulties in his way. The approach to ston's intrenchments must be made over a rough, broken, and wooded try, and he was engaged several days, constantly skirmishing, in makHisposition for pushing through them to the railway east of Allatoona -. For this purpose McPherson was moved up to Dallas, and Thomas's ps were deployed against New Hope Church, in the vicinity of which e were many severe encounters, while Schofield was directed to turn strike Johnston's right. Garrard's horsemen were operating with 'herson, and Stoneman's with Schofield. Just as General McPherson on the point of closing to the left on General Thomas, in front of New e Church, that Sherman might more easily and safely envelop aston's right, the Confederates struck him a severe blow at as. They were repulsed with heavy loss; and at about the same time ward, nearer the center, was repulsed. d • May 28 Sherman now moved his army to the left, seized the roads leading to toona Pass and Ackworth, and, enveloping the former stronghold, comed Johnston to evacuate it. The cavalry of Garrard and Stoneman were ned on to occupy it, and a garrison to hold it was placed there. The ge over the Etowah was rebuilt, the railway was repaired, and Allatoona made a secondary base of supplies for Sherman's army. On the 4th of June Johnston abandoned his works covering New Hope rch and Ackworth, when Sherman advanced to the latter e and took possession of the railway. There, on the 8th, he joined by General Frank Blair, with two divisions of the Seventeenth ps, and the cavalry brigade of Colonel Long, of Garrard's division. se re-enforcements raised the number of Sherman's effective force nearly what it was when he moved from the Chattanooga region. His commuations in his rear being now secure, he moved on to Big nty where before him arose the Twin Mountain of Kene June 6. • June 9. By losses in battle and in hospitals, and the detention of detachments at Resaca, Rome, Kingston, and oona, his ariny was considerably diminished when he reached Ackworth. |