paign, little was done by the Nationals immediately in front of Petersburg and Richmond, excepting an extension of their line to Hatcher's Run. Up to the first of November, from the fifth of May, the losses of the Army of the Potomac had been fearful—a little more than 88,000 men. Probably the entire loss among troops engaged in the campaign against Richmond during that time. was 100,000 men.

In the mean time there had been stirring events in the Shenandoah Valley. On the day after Wright and Early fought,' Averill, moving up from Martinsburg, had a contest with and worsted a Confederate force near Winchester [July 20], taking prisoners and guns. Two or three days afterward, Crook was driven back from that neighborhood by a strong attacking party, and it was evident that Early had not, as was expected, hastened to rejoin Lee, but was in full force in the Valley, and ready to fight. His own estimate of his power was evinced by his sending General McCausland and others on a raid into Maryland and Western Pennsylvania, at which time they burned about two-thirds of the city of Chambersburg. When the raiders turned again toward the Potomac, Averill, who was in the vicinity of Chambersburg, followed, but they went back to Virginia with plunder, without much molestation.

When information of this daring raid reached Washington, the Sixth and Ninth Corps were sent first in quest of the invaders, and then into the Shenan

doah Valley, where they were joined by Hunter's troops. The whole force. about 30,000 strong, was placed under the command of General Sheridan early in August. After a month's preparation, he assumed the offensive against Early, and by a series of brilliant movements and a sharp battle, he sent him

1 See page 695.

whirling up the Valley," as he expressed it. First there was a severe battle near Winchester [Sept. 19], when Early retreated to the strong position of Fisher's Hill, not far from Strasburg. He was driven from this vantage ground on the 21st, with heavy loss, and fled to the mountains with not more than half his army with which he had at first met Sheridan. The latter fell back to a position behind Cedar Creek, near Strasburg, where, on the 19th of October, Early, who had been re-enforced, and had come down to Fisher's Hill, fell suddenly and crushingly upon the Nationals, and came near overwhelming them with destruction. They fell back to Middletown and beyond, where, under the chief direction of General Wright, they turned upon their pursuers. Sheridan had just come up from Winchester. A sharp conflict ensued, when the tide was turned, and Early was again sent in swift retreat up the Shonandoah Valley, with heavy loss. Sheridan's short campaign in the Valley was a brilliant success, and ended hostilities in that region, for he nearly annihilated Early's army, and Lee could spare no more men for warfare away from Richmond.

LET us here turn from a consideration of the campaign against Richmond, and its defenders, for awhile, and observe the progress of that against Atlants and the army that stood in the way of the National advance. General William T. Sherman was chosen by Grant, to lead the troops in the campaign in

W. T. SHERMAN.

Georgia, and he set out from the vicinity of Chattanooga, at the be ginning of May, with nearly 100,000 men.' His antagonist, General Joseph E. Johnston, then at Dalton, had about 55,000 men.' Johnston was in a strong position at Dalton, the ap proaches to it, through gaps in a mountain range, being strongly forti fied. Sherman, when he moved forward, was satisfied that a direct attack on Johnston's front, through Buzzard's Roost Pass in Rocky Face Ridge, would be disastrous to his men, so he began that series of mas

1 Sherman was the commander of the Military Division of the Missisippi, which Grant held st the time of his promotion. His force for the campaign comprised three armies, namely: Army of the Cumberland, led by General George H. Thomas, 60,773; Army of the Tennessee, General McPherson, 24,465; and Army of the Ohio, General Schofield, 13,559; total, 98,797.

2 Johnston's army was divided into three corps, commanded respectively by Generals Hardee, Hood, and Polk.

terly flank movements by which he compelled his adversary (who was determined to save his army), to abandon one strong position after another.

Sherman menaced Johnston on front and flank, on the 7th of May, when the latter abandoned his position at Dalton, and fell back behind strong works at Resaca, which extended from the Oostenaula River, northward. When Sherman approached, Johnston sent out troops to attack a portion of his command. A sharp fight occurred [May 15], about two miles from Resaca Station, in which the Confederates were driven, and retreated, across the Oostenaula covered by the corps of Hardee. The Nationals closely pursued, Thomas following directly in the rear of the fugitives, while McPherson and Schofield took routes to their right and left. General J. C. Davis and his division pushed on to Rome, where they destroyed mills and founderies of great importance. Near Adairsville, Johnston made a brief stand against the central pursuing column, but on the near approach of the Nationals, he continued his retreat to a strong and fortified position at Cassville. There he evidently intended to give battle, but he thought it prudent to move on [May 19], when he crossed the Etowah River, burnt the bridges behind him, and took another good position covering the Allatoona Pass, in a mountainous region.

Sherman now rested his army a little. He perceived that Johnston's position was almost impregnable, so he determined to flank him out of it, by moving well to the right, and concentrating his army at Dallas. Johnston attempted to thwart the movement, and in that vicinity a severe but indecisive battle was fought [May 25]. Johnston's army, meanwhile, had been very busy in casting up intrenchments between Dallas and Marietta, over a broken wooded region, in which it was very difficult for troops to operate. In that region much skirmishing and fighting occurred, and finally, on the first of June, Johnston was compelled to evacuate the Allatoona Pass. He also, soon afterward, abandoned his intrenchments near New Hope Church and Ackworth. Sherman now garrisoned Allatoona Pass, and made it a secondary base of supplies, he having caused the railway and its bridges between there and Chattanooga to be put in order. He was now re-enforced by infantry, and cavalry, making his army nearly as strong as when it left Chattanooga; and he moved forward [June 9] to Big Shanty, not far from the great Kenesaw Mountain, around and upon which, as well as upon Lost Mountain and Pine Mountain, the Confederates had lines of intrenchments.

In this region there was much maneuvering and fighting, for a few days, in the midst of almost incessant rain, during which General (Bishop) Polk was killed. By persistent assaults, Sherman compelled Johnston to abandon, first, Pine Mountain [June 15], then Lost Mountain [June 17]; and finally, after some sanguinary engagements, in which both parties suffered terribly, he was compelled to evacuate the great Kenesaw Mountain [July 2], overlooking Marietta. At dawn on the 3d, the National banner was seen waving over that peak, and at eight o'clock in the morning Sherman rode into Marietta, close upon the rear guard of Johnston's army, then hastening to the Chattahoochee River, near Atlanta, closely pursued by the Nationals. Sherman hoped to strike Johnson a fatal blow while he was crossing that stream, but that skillful

leader so quickly covered the passage by strong intrenchments, that his army was all across, excepting troops holding the works, early on the morning of the 5th, without having been molested.

Sherman promptly advanced to the Chattahoochee, where quick and successful turning movements by Schofield and Howard, caused Johnston to abandon the line of the river, and retreat toward Atlanta [July 10, 1864]. He formed a new line, covering that town, with the Chattahoochee on his left, and Peachtree Creek on his right. Now the two armies rested a little; and at that time

J. B. HOOD.

men, of whom 10,000 were cavalry.

retreat.

Johnston was relieved of command, and General J. B. Hood, of Texas, was appointed to fill his place. The former had been careful to preserve his army. His force was every way inferior to that of his antagonist, and he knew that in pitched battles he would doubtless lose a large portion of his men and materials. The Conspirators at Richmond were dissatisfied with his wise caution, and committed his army to a dashing and brave soldier, who preferred the quick work of brute force to the slower achievements of military science. Hood received from Johnston full fifty thousand effective With these he resolved to fight, and not

This is from a sketch made by the author in May, 1866. The high peak in the distance is Lost Mountain. The eminence on the extreme right is Pine Mountain, on which General Polk was killed while watching the movements of troops.

and on the 19th such of the National forces as had not crossed the Chattahoochee, passed over it. Then the left, led by Schofield and McPherson, advanced with the intention of striking the railway east of Decatur, that connects Atlanta with Augusta. Thomas, at the same time, crossed Peach-tree Creek at several places, and heavy skirmishing occurred along the entire front of the advancing columns. McPherson struck and destroyed the railway for several miles, and Schofield reached Decatur. Hood had determined to give battle at an auspicious moment, and on the afternoon of the 20th he fell heavily upon the corps of Howard and Hooker, and a part of Palmer's, but was repulsed after a most gallant struggle, in which both sides suffered severely.1

On the morning of the 22d [July, 1864], Sherman discovered that the Confederates had abandoned the heights along Peach-tree Creek, and it was concluded that Hood, following the example of Johnston, was about to evacuate Atlanta. The army was at once moved rapidly toward that city, when, at an average of two miles from it, it encountered a very heavy line of intrenchments, which had been cast up the previous year, with Hood and his army behind them. General Blair, commanding the Seventeenth Corps, had carried an important point the night before, and was in full view of the city, and preparations were made for assailing the Confederate lines in heavy force, when they were compelled to perform less acceptable service. Hood had been holding the Nationals in check with a small part of his army, and had made a long night march around with his main body, and now he fell with crushing force upon Sherman's rear. The first assault was made by Hardee; and at about the same time, McPherson, who was riding about alone in the woods, and in fancied safety, making observations, was shot dead, when General Logan succeeded to the command of his troops. A terrible battle, that lasted for hours, succeeded Hardee's assault, when, toward evening, the Confederates, who had lost very heavily, unable to carry the coveted points, desisted. The assault was soon renewed, and after another desperate struggle, the Nationals were victorious, and the Confederates retired to their works.

Hood now seemed more disposed to be quiet, and Sherman dispatched cavalry to make raids on the railways in the rear of his antagonist. Generals A. D. McCook and Stoneman were sent on this business, on different routes, but with the intention of co-operating. Failing in this, their operations, though important, fell short of Sherman's expectations. Stoneman effected very little, and his force, divided and weakened, was captured or dispersed, and himself made prisoner. Meanwhile Sherman made dispositions for flanking Hood out of Atlanta, when the latter attacked the Nationals [July 28], and a sanguinary battle ensued. Hood was repulsed with heavy loss, and soon perceiving that Sherman was gradually getting possession of the railroads by

1 The Union loss, mostly of Howard's corps, was about 1,500 men. Sherman estimated the Confederate loss at 5,000. They left 500 dead, and 1,000 severely wounded, on the field, besides many prisoners.

The National loss in the struggles of that day was 3,722, of whom about 1,000 were prisoners. Sherman estimated Hood's total loss at not less than 8,000. He left 2,200 dead on the field, within the Union lines, and 1,000 prisoners.