General carried the works by storm, capturing the entire garri- 1865. son. Among the enemy's killed was General Chas. H. Death of Tyler, a graduate of West Point military academy. Tyler. Wilson reached Macon, Ga., on the 20th, when he was informed that Lee had surrendered, and the war was April 20. over. Macon, Ga. Tuscaloosa, April 6. Croxton, who had left Wilson at Elyton, had pro- April 4. ceeded to Tuscaloosa, where he surprised and captured ala. forty prisoners, destroying the military school and some bridges, moving through Talladega and Carrollton, Ga., to Pleasant Hill. Here the enemy attacked the 6th Pleasant Kentucky cavalry. The 2d Michigan gallantly coming to its assistance, the enemy was driven off with severe loss. Croxton joined Wilson on the 31st at Macon. Ridge. SHERMAN'S GREAT MARCH. ATLANTA, THE SEA, AND RICHMOND. 1864. Sherman's prepara tions for into Geor CHAPTER XVI. CHATTANOOGA TO ATLANTA. SHERMAN. ENERAL WILLIAM T. SHERMAN assumed command of the military division of the Mississippi, embracing the departments of Cumberland, Tenthe march nessee, Ohio, and Arkansas, March 18, 1864. The gia. latter, however, being too remote, was transferred to the Department of the Gulf on May 8. General Sherman at once addressed himself to the task of organizing and preparing for the proposed movement into Georgia, coincident with the advance of all the armies against the enemy. The army of the Cumberland was rendezvoused at Chattanooga, the Army of the Tennessee at Huntsville, Ala., the Army of the Ohio at Knoxville. The question. of furnishing supplies to Sherman's army as it moved forward, making its line of communication longer and longer, proved at first very troublesome. But the General was equal to the emergency, and before starting he had everything arranged so that it worked like a charm. It required 100 locomotives and 1,000 cars to keep his 100,000 men and 35,000 animals supplied. Each man carried rations for five days, each regiment was allowed one wagon and one ambulance, and the officers of each company one pack-horse or mule. Each brigade and division had its supply train limited to 186 4. carrying food, ammunition, and clothing. Tents were forbidden, except for the sick and wounded, and one tent for each headquarters,-only tent-flies for all others. General Sherman set the example, having only tent-flies for himself and staff, and no tent furniture of any kind. On May 6, General Sherman left the vicinity of Chattanooga with about 100,000 men. General Geo. H. Thomas was in command of the Army of the Cumberland, with about 60,000 men, in three corps: the 4th Corps, General O. O. Howard, in three divisions under Generals D. S. Stanley, John Newton, and Thomas J. Wood; the 14th Corps, General John M. Palmer, in three divisions. under Generals Richard W. Johnson, Jefferson C. Davis, and Absalom Baird; the 20th Corps, General Joseph Hooker, in three divisions under Generals A. S. Williams, John W. Geary, and Daniel Butterfield. The 11th and 12th Corps had been consolidated, and were designated the 20th Corps. Slocum, who had commanded the 12th Corps, was assigned to a command at Vicksburg. Howard, who had commanded the 11th, was given the 4th Corps, as General Gordon Granger, its old commander, was on leave of absence. General James B. McPherson, in command of the Army of the Tennessee, had about 24,500 men, in three corps the 15th Corps, General John A. Logan, in four divisions under Generals Peter J. Osterhaus, Morgan L. Smith, John E. Smith, and Wm. Harrow; the 16th Corps, General Grenville M. Dodge, in two divisions under General Thomas W. Sweeny and James C. Veatch: the 17th Corps, General Frank P. Blair, in two divisions under Generals Mortimer D. Leggett and Walter Q. Gresham. This was only a part of the 16th and 17th Corps, the rest being at Memphis and Vicksburg, under Hurlbut and Slocum, or absent with Banks on the Red River expedition. 1864. Buzzard General John M. Schofield, in command of the Army of the Ohio, had about 13,500 men of the 23d Corps, in three divisions, under Generals Alvin P. Hovey (early in June this division was consolidated with the other two), Henry M. Judah, and Jacob D. Cox. The remainder of the 23d Corps was left behind for duty in Kentucky and Tennessee. Leggett's and Gresham's divisions were absent on furlough; Blair was occupying a seat in the U. S. Congress at the time Sherman put his army in motion. He did not join McPherson until June 9, at Acworth. The cavalry force was in four divisions, under Generals George Stoneman, Kenner Garrard, Judson Kilpatrick, and Edward M. McCook. The divisions of Stoneman and Garrard were still recruiting in Kentucky and Tennessee when Sherman started, but soon afterward joined him with about 4,000 men each, which increased Sherman's total force to about 108,000. His artillery numbered 250 guns. The enemy under General Joseph E. Johnston, Sherman's objective point, numbering about 48,000 men, held Dalton, Ga., strongly fortified and covered at the north by Rocky Face Ridge, which at Buzzard Roost Gap is four miles north of Dalton. Dalton is thirty-nine miles southeast of Chattanooga, and ninety-nine north of Atlanta. Johnston's army was in two corps, under Hood and Hardee. On May 7, McPherson on the Federal right lay at Lee and Gordon's Mill, Thomas in the center at May 8. and near Ringgold, Schofield on Thomas's left at Red Roost Gap. Clay. Although there was severe fighting on the 8th and 9th at Buzzard Roost Gap, Rocky Face Ridge, and Dalton, Sherman did not intend to attack the enemy's May 8-12 naturally strong position, but to flank him out. Thomas Rocky Face and Schofield pressed him close in front and on his right, while McPherson, preceded by Kilpatrick's cav May 9. Dalton. Ridge. Tunnell alry, moved upon Resaca, which lies on the Oostanaula 1864. River, fifteen miles south of Dalton. Thomas drove the enemy's outposts from Tunnel Hill on the 7th, and May 7. skirmish and artillery firing continued at this point; but Hill. other operations awaited the result of McPherson's movement. The latter appeared before Resaca on the 9th, but believing the garrison there too strong, fell Snake back to Snake Creek Gap, and notified Sherman of these Creek Gap. facts. Kilpatrick had been wounded this day in a sharp engagement with a detachment of the enemy's cavalry at a cross road near Resaca. Sherman was greatly disappointed, for he had hoped McPherson could take Resaca, and thus cut off Johnston's escape to the South. On the 11th, leaving Howard's corps and Stoneman's cavalry in front of Buzzard Roost Gap, he moved the rest of his army in the tracks of McPherson, upon Resaca. When McPherson first appeared before Resaca, its works were garrisoned by only one brigade; but Johnston, being warned on the afternoon of the 9th of the danger, dispatched Hood with his troops to that place, where he was joined by a division under General Polk which had just arrived. This, with other reinforcements, increased Johnston's army to 65,000 men. May 8-10. On the night of the 12th, Johnston evacuated Dalton, concentrating his whole army around Resaca, where strong fortifications had been previously made, Howard and Stoneman following closely upon his rear. Sherman was now approaching, and McPherson moved forward, driving the enemy's pickets before him, and took position with his right on Oostanaula River. Thomas came in on McPherson's left, and Schofield on the left May 13-16. of the army, with Stoneman on the extreme left. By the 14th Sherman had his army well in position, enveloping the town at the north and west, his lines being Resaca. |