74 



AEMY OPERATIONS. 



anticipation of a general engagement, Gen. 

 Sherman directed Gen. Schofield to move down 

 toward this place from the north, while Gen. 

 Thomas closed up upon his right, and McPher- 

 son marched to Kingston to be in close support 

 of Thomas. Gen. Johnston, however, declined 

 the offer of battle, and during the night re- 

 treated across the Etowah, burning the road 

 and railroad bridges behind him. A few days' 

 halt for rest and refreshment was now allowed 

 the army, and as the country north of the 

 Etowah had been completely stripped by Gen. 

 Johnston, it was necessary to await the arrival 

 of supplies by railroad. The latter fortunately 

 had received little injury at the hands of the 

 enemy, and by the energetic labors of the re- 

 pairing parties, who followed close behind the 

 army, was put in running order to Kingston 

 on the 20th, on which day trains arrived laden 

 with supplies. By this means the army was 

 soon restored to a condition of complete effi- 

 ciency, and relieved of the necessity of looking 

 after the wounded, who were sent back to 

 Chattanooga. In like manner telegraphic com- 

 munication with the latter place was kept open 

 as the army advanced. 



While these operations were in progress, 

 Gen. Jeff. C. Davis, of Palmer's corps, on the 

 17th marched southwesterly from Resaca tow- 

 ard Rome, fifteen miles west of Kingston, 

 which place he occupied on the 19th after a 

 sharp fight, gaining possession of several forts, 

 eight or ten guns of heavy caliber, large quan- 

 tities of stores, and the valuable mills and 

 foundries employed in the service of the Con- 

 federate Government. 



Gen. Johnston had meanwhile taken a strong 

 position at Allatoona Pass, in the Etowah 

 Mountains, south of the EtoAvah River, which 

 formed an almost impregnable barrier to a di- 

 rect advance upon Atlanta by railroad. Gen. 

 Sherman accordingly resorted to the same tactics 

 which had proved so successful at Dalton ; and 

 having supplied his wagons with twenty days' 

 provisions, and left garrisons at Rome and 

 Kingston, he put his army in motion on May 

 23d for Dallas, a town lying about fifteen miles 

 southwest of Allatoona Pass, and eighteen 

 miles directly west of Marietta, a station on 

 the railroad forty miles below Kingston, and 

 twenty-four south of the Etowah River. He 

 expected thus, by threatening Marietta, to 

 compel the evacuation of Allatoona. The 

 country between Dallas and the railroad is of 

 the same impracticable character as that in 

 which previous operations of the campaign 

 had been conducted, being for the most part 

 densely wooded, traversed by ranges of rugged 

 hills, and cut up by frequent ravines. The 

 roads were few and poor. Through this re- 

 gion, admirably adapted for defence, and of 

 which the topography was scarcely known to 

 the Federal general, the advance in the pres- 

 ence of a vigilant enemy had necessarily to be 

 made with much caution, and it will be seen 

 that several days were occupied with manoeu- 



vring for position and other movements, befor* 

 any practical results were obtained. 



In marching upon Dallas, Gen. McPherson, 

 still holding the Federal right, made a some- 

 what wide detour to the southwest through 

 Van Wert, while Gen. Thomas took a course 

 nearly due south, having Gen. Schofield on his 

 left flank. The movement had scarcely com- 

 menced before it was detected by Gen. Johnston, 

 who having the shorter line to Dallas, marched 

 in the direction of that place to cover the ap- 

 proaches to Marietta. On the 25th Hooker's 

 corps, approaching Pumpkin Vine Creek on 

 the main Dallas road, came into collision with 

 parties of Hood's and Hardee's corps, and a 

 severe engagement took place for the posses- 

 sion of a point knoAvn as the New Hope Church, 

 where three roads meet from Ackworth [four 

 miles south of Allatoona by rail], Marietta, and 

 Dallas. By means of earthworks the enemy 

 successfully resisted the advance of Gen. Hooker, 

 and the night closing with a heavy rain storm, 

 no further attempt was made to force the posi- 

 tion. In this affair Hooker sustained a loss of 

 about six hundred killed and Avounded. Gen. 

 Sherman then ordered McPherson to move up 

 to Dallas, and Gen. Thomas to make a bold dem- 

 onstration against New Hope Church, while 

 Schofield overlapped the enemy's right wing. 

 Owing to the difficult nature of the country, 

 the 26th and 27th were occupied in perfecting 

 these dispositions, and on the evening of the 

 latter day his line extended in a semicircular 

 direction northeast from Dallas, the enemy 

 having his right resting on the road from Ack- 

 worth to Dallas, at a point three miles north- 

 east of New Hope Church, and his left at a 

 point nearly due east of Dallas. Heavy skir- 

 mishing attended these manoeuvres, but as the 

 density of the surrounding woods rendered the 

 use of artillery impracticable, the casualties 

 were not numerous. On the 28th, just as Gen. 

 McPherson was on the point of closing up to 

 Gen. Thomas in front of New Hope Church, 

 in order to enable a further development of 

 the Federal left wing, he was attacked by a 

 heavy rebel force, whose repeated and desper- 

 ate, though fruitless assaults had the effect of 

 checking temporarily the contemplated move- 

 ment. The Federal troops, protected by their 

 breastworks, finally drove the enemy back with 

 a loss of upward of two thousand killed and 

 wounded. 



After a brief pause, interrupted only by the 

 customary skirmishing, renewed orders were 

 given for the shifting of the Federal line to the 

 left. The movement was now effected with 

 comparative ease, and on June 1st, the roads to 

 Aiiatoona and Ackworth being occupied, the 

 cavalry divisions of Stoneman and Garrard were 

 pushed forward to Allatoona Pass, which waa 

 carried with slight loss. Orders were imme- 

 diately given to rebuild the railroad bridge 

 over the Etowah, at Etowah Station, and on 

 June 4th Gen. Sherman moved directly apon 

 Ackworth. This manoeuvre compelled Gen, 



