CAMPAIGNING IN GEORGIA.
After the Army of Tennessee had become settled in their winter
quarters at Dalton, Ga., in December, 1863, criticism of General
Bragg became hot and severe both on the part of the soldiers and the
citizens, and a change of commander was demanded of the government;
so much so that General Bragg tendered his resignation, and General
Joseph E. Johnston was appointed in his stead.
General Braxton Bragg was seemingly a cold, austere officer and a
thorough disciplinarian, but no one ever doubted his bravery and
patriotism. The greatest battles fought by the Army of Tennessee
were fought while he was commander in chief. His plans and orders
for battle could not be excelled in their clocklike accuracy. Every
soldier knew that when Bragg got ready to fight it was to be a real
fight, and some one was sure to be hurt before it was over. He was
particularly unfortunate in the failure of his officers in obeying
important orders. He died without giving to the public a history of
his campaigns, as other generals have done. But we must add that
Bragg seemed to lose his head at the supreme moment after gaining a
battle and let its fruits slip out of his grasp when he could have
accomplished decisive results, as was the case at Murfreesboro and
Chickamauga. He was a great favorite with President Davis, and was
given a position in the War Department at Richmond. Just before the
war closed he was placed in the field again. He fought a battle at
Kingston, N. C., defeating General Cox and capturing fifteen hundred
prisoners and some field artillery. Let us forget his faults and
remember with pride his valor as a soldier and his patriotism to his
native Southland.
Gen. Joseph E. Johnston’s appointment to the chief command of
the Army of Tennessee was received with much satisfaction by the
soldiers. The morale of the army had depreciated after the battle of
Chickamauga, and especially after the disastrous rout at Missionary
Ridge. The transportation facilities of the army--horses, mules,
wagons, etc.--were in bad condition. The ranks had greatly diminished
in numbers, and there was no expectation of their being recruited
except from conscript camps and the return of absentees. The
Confederate armies at Gettysburg and Chickamauga on the two occasions
had reached the zenith of their strength and enthusiasm. General
Johnston, upon assuming command, soon exhibited his great ability
as an organizer, in which he had no superior; and it was but a
little while till all of his departments put on a cheery appearance,
and, what is better, the morale of his soldiers showed confidence
and enthusiasm again. Men and horses were well supplied with good,
substantial rations--not dainty food, for it could not be had. Drills
of men and officers were held daily, and dress parades were the order
of the day. He showed, too, that he was in every sense a thorough
disciplinarian. We thought General Bragg was well up in the service
in this regard, but General Johnston far excelled him. In the maximum
punishment meted out to deserters judge advocates were kept busy.
We remember on one occasion to have met Col. Andrew Ewing in the
road near Tunnel Hill. While we were talking a volley of musketry
was heard from the direction of the infantry encampment at Dalton,
when he remarked that the volley had killed twelve deserters. Colonel
Ewing was a distinguished lawyer, whose home was at Nashville, and
was then Judge-Advocate-General of the army. Notwithstanding this,
General Johnston was popular with the soldiers and had their fullest
confidence.
General Wheeler’s headquarters were at Tunnel Hill, some seven
miles from Dalton. His cavalry were kept busy all winter in scouting
and fighting back the enemy. Some of his encounters approached the
dignity of a battle, in which he lost in killed and wounded a good
many men and inflicted a like loss upon the enemy. The country
surrounding Tunnel Hill and Dalton was thin, mountainous land and
very poor in production and sparse in population. The subsistence
of the army had to be brought there by railway. The soldiers always
say that they went hungry longer there than at any other encampment
during the war. However, I don’t think any one really suffered.
General Sherman did not begin his march on Atlanta till the 1st of
May, 1864. (See Appendix, C.) His army was more than double in number
that of General Johnston, and he had all the reserves he could ask
for, which he received time and time again before reaching Atlanta.
General Johnston had no accessions but, as has been stated, from
conscript camps and absentees, except the brigade of General Quarles,
from Mobile, and probably some few small detachments of infantry and
cavalry from other points in the South that joined during the march
to Atlanta.
The Fourth Tennessee Cavalry happened to be holding the advance
station in front of Tunnel Hill and on a direct line to Chattanooga
when Sherman commenced his march, giving and receiving the first
shots that were fired. The cavalry contested every foot of ground
to the vicinity of Dalton, having quite a battle on the outskirts
of the town. It was ascertained from scouts that Sherman, about
the time he began his advance on Tunnel Hill, had sent a large
column of his army to the right to flank Dalton. General Johnston
had anticipated this movement, and had a strong line of works at
Resaca, about fourteen miles below, to which he hastened with his
little army. Thus Sherman began what his large force enabled him
to do: while he would attack in front with a formidable force, he
would use as large a one for flanking purposes against his enemy’s
rear. When Sherman came up, a heavy battle took place at Resaca,
lasting two days, and in which both sides lost a large number in
killed and wounded. It was here that Col. S. S. Stanton, of the
Tennessee infantry, was killed. It is not designed in this brief
narrative to undertake to describe specifically these battles, and
the reader can consult the battle reports. Among others, see the
history that General Johnston has contributed of his campaigns to
the Southern war lore. We know, however, that Sherman’s losses at
Resaca were heavier than the Confederates’; for we fought behind
breastworks most of the time, which protected us to some extent.
About the second or third day at Resaca, Johnston was forced to
fall back to Kingston (or Calhoun), where the Federals were crossing
the river. In fact, the Atlanta campaign of Sherman was a series of
flank movements upon General Johnston’s army. He would approach his
front with a large army and send a like column to the rear to break
his communications. The Federal army was driven off at Kingston. The
next halt of Johnston’s was near Cassville, Ga., where he issued his
well-remembered battle order to the effect that “we would now turn
upon the enemy and give battle.” This order, as it was read to the
different commands, was received with the wildest enthusiasm. The
bright reflection from the long lines of the enemy’s guns across
the open space was an inspiration for the troops to move upon them
at once. Some delay ensued, when General Johnston was informed by
a staff officer from General Hood that the enemy could enfilade his
lines, and that he would not be able to hold it. This from one of his
highest ranking officers caused him to countermand the order, to the
great dissatisfaction of the troops. That night Johnston retired, and
it was not surprising that some soldiers dropped out of line, to be
picked up by the enemy.
About Allatoona we had some fighting, participated in by detachments
of the army. From here General Wheeler was sent back across the
river to protect and drive off a force that was destroying some
large manufacturing establishments. In the fight that ensued he
killed and wounded quite a number of the enemy and destroyed some
two hundred wagons. We had some more heavy skirmishing with the enemy
at Allatoona; then we were hastened to New Hope, some distance to
the right rear, to meet the enemy. On arriving there, the Fourth
Tennessee, in conjunction with a brigade of A. P. Stewart’s infantry,
had a hard fight, but finally drove the enemy back. The regiment had
quite a number of killed and wounded. That evening General Stewart
built some temporary breastworks. At night (about ten o’clock, I
suppose) a large force of the enemy attacked Stewart’s works, but
were repulsed with heavy loss. It is stated that seven hundred and
fifty soldiers were found dead in front of General Granberry’s line,
and that many of the Federal attacking column were in an intoxicated
condition and actually staggered over the works when they were
captured. At another time General Bate’s division made an attack
upon the enemy protected by breastworks, but was repulsed with heavy
loss. There was hard fighting on other portions of the line during
our three or four days of battle at New Hope Church, but no general
engagement of the army took place.
We left there on a dark, rainy night, going to Marietta. The infantry
had preceded us, leaving the cavalry in the ditches; later we
followed, leaving about ten o’clock at night. It had been raining,
and the road which the infantry had passed over was left much torn
up. I remember that a cavalryman just ahead of us went down in a
mudhole, horse and rider; and as he scrambled to his feet again,
he cried out to the amusement of the boys: “Be aisy, men; old Joe
will get them yet.” This was the most comforting expression we
heard during the long, dark ride through the slush and mud.
General Johnston fell back to Kennesaw Mountain, and the enemy,
coming up, assaulted the position with a large force. “Fighting
Joe” Hooker again led the attacking force of the enemy. Gen. Frank
Cheatham’s division held the center of the Confederate line, where
the most desperate part of the fighting took place, though other
portions were hotly engaged. It was a brave attack made by the enemy.
Some of them came up to the works, and many of them were killed near
our line. The battle lasted several hours before the enemy were
repulsed. The next day Sherman asked an armistice to bury his dead,
which was granted. General Johnston in his report of the battle says
that “the Federal loss was 4,000 or 5,000. More of Sherman’s best
soldiers lay dead and wounded than the number of British veterans
that fell in General Jackson’s celebrated battle at New Orleans.”
In the vicinity of Kennesaw stands Lone, or Pine, Mountain, somewhat
isolated and standing to itself. Lieutenant General Polk had occupied
its base with a force in temporary breastworks--to wit, with General
Bate’s division. He had gone over with his staff to make observations
of the enemy, as it afforded a fine view of the surrounding country.
The position of his infantry was a constant target for the enemy’s
largest guns. On reaching the summit, Polk and his staff dismounted
and, walking out to the front, were plainly seen by the gunners,
who immediately commenced a furious cannonade, and about the first
shot killed General Polk. His death was greatly lamented by the
whole army. He was educated at West Point, but had retired from
the army to become a minister of the gospel; and when he enlisted
in the Confederate army he was a bishop in the Episcopal Church.
Since the beginning of the war he had served most gallantly in the
Confederate army as a general in the Army of Tennessee. He had taken
a conspicuous part in all of its campaigns and battles. Gen. A. P.
Stewart was made lieutenant general in his place, Lieutenant General
Hardee having before this been transferred to another department.
John B. Hood and A. P. Stewart became lieutenant generals of the Army
of Tennessee.
Several hot contests were had with the enemy in the neighborhood of
Marietta, amounting frequently to the dignity of a battle. In some of
these we remember that Col. Ed Cook, of the Thirty-Second Tennessee,
Colonel Walker, of the Third Tennessee, and his adjutant, John
Douglas, were among the number killed.
Marietta, Ga., is a distance of some twenty miles from Atlanta, the
Chattahoochee River intervening eight or ten miles from the latter
city. Its banks are low and approachable, and the river is fordable
in many places. Further than the usual cannonading and skirmishing of
the two armies, nothing of interest occurred until General Johnston
reached Atlanta. General Johnston fought battles out at Peachtree
Creek and perhaps at other places. In one of these Colonel Walker,
of the Nineteenth Tennessee Infantry, was killed. He was the father
of Laps Walker, the well-known and able editor of the Chattanooga
_Times_. Colonel Walker was in command of the brigade when killed.
It was well known in the army at this time that General Johnston was
making ready to attack Sherman by placing the militia under command
of General Smith in the forts and fortifications around Atlanta,
and then moving with his entire army to the flank of Sherman, to
defeat him and destroy his army before they could reach their base
at Chattanooga. The army was in high spirits in anticipation of
this movement. Instead of being dispirited by the long retrograde
movements, their confidence had increased, and they were ready to
obey his every order with supreme confidence in its success.
At this time President Davis visited the army at Atlanta, and in a
few days General Johnston was relieved of the command of the Army
of Tennessee and Lieut. Gen. J. B. Hood named as his successor.
It is said that another had been asked to take the command, but
had declined, saying that the army had the supremest confidence in
General Johnston. I repeat what was reported and generally believed.
Nothing could have overwhelmed both soldiers and citizens with more
surprise than this order. Soldiers were speechless, shaking their
heads in answer to questions, as much as to say that a great mistake
had been made, predicting the most direful results, which were
proved in so brief a time afterwards. I remember having heard an
able address since the war from that highly intellectual Christian
gentleman and splendid soldier, Lieut. Gen. A. P. Stewart, upon this
subject. His position in the army and in its councils enabled him to
speak advisedly and in stronger and more convincing words than I have
used.
The distance from Dalton to Atlanta is about seventy-five miles.
The contending armies were seventy days in covering the distance--a
little more than a mile a day. It was a great battle scene from its
beginning to its close. At night the camp fires of the two armies
were visible one from the other. A number of large battles were
fought, and many were killed and wounded on both sides. The daytime
was an incessant crash of musketry from the skirmishers and heavy
cannonading from batteries. In fact, from the number of killed and
wounded in many of these skirmishes, they would be called battles at
the present time. There was no evidence of rout or hasty retreat on
the part of the Confederates along the way, not even the waste of a
peck of corn meal.
I notice the statement made in a magazine recently that in looking
over the private papers of Mr. Davis there was found a correspondence
between him and his Secretary of War, Mr. Benjamin, when the
following reasons were assigned for the dismissal of General
Johnston: “That he had failed to give battle to the enemy at the many
available positions passed from Dalton to Atlanta, and that he now
proposed to move upon the enemy with his entire army, leaving the
State militia to hold the works at Atlanta.” It has been said, and
General Johnston repeats it in his book styled “Johnston’s Narrative
of His Campaigns,” that “his loss from Dalton to Atlanta was ten
thousand, while that of the enemy was equal to the number of the
soldiers then in his army.” I take this to mean at least thirty-five
thousand. Sherman was enabled to keep his army up to its original
strength by troops sent him from time to time during the campaign.
The Confederates had none except those I have mentioned before.
General Hood in taking command issued a battle order, and in ten
days’ time is said to have lost as many men as Johnston had during
the campaign.