Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 06.djvu/142

 JOHNSTON

JOHNSTON

tain the command of the army in Tennessee. Alarmed by the manoeuvres of Grant after the battle of Fort Gibson, and receiving repeated calls for reinforcements from Pemberton, the Confederate government ordered Johnston on May 9 to proceed at once to Mississippi and as- sume the chief command of the armies. Al- though unfit for field service, he arrived at Jackson, Miss., May 13, and found that the Federals had gained a position between the city and Femberton's army at Edward's Depot, twenty miles from Vicksburg. He at once ordered Pemberton to advance toward Jackson without delay. Pemberton, however, had to disregard these instructions in order to meet a threatened attack by Grant, who confronted him, and this led to the battle of Cliampion's Hill or Baker's Creek, May 16, 1803. In the meantime Grant had decided to attack John- ston's force, and on May 14, 1863, he advanced, and Johnston retreated with his two brigades along the Canton road. Grant thereupon re- tired from Johnston's front and attacked Pem- berton, which resulted in the battle of May 16, 1863, and caused the utter rout of the Confed- erate forces. In this emergency Johnston ordered Pemberton to evacuate Vicksburg and march to the northeast, but Pemberton, through the advice of a council of war, again disregarded these orders and attempted to withstand the siege of Vicksburg. After a siege of six weeks, in spite of Johnston's efforts to gather an army to relieve Pemberton, Vicksburg fell. A court of inqviiry was formed to investigate the Missis- sippi campaign leading to the surrender of Vicks- burg, which was practically an investigation of Johnston's action, and in accordance with his own request he was retired from the command of the Department of Tennessee, July 23, 1863, and continued in command of the Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana, but after Bragg's overwhelming disaster at Missionary Eidge, Nov. 25, 1863, he was reinstated, Dec. 18, 1863, and proceeded to Dalton, Ga., where he relieved Bragg of the command of the Army of Tennessee. Under Generals Hardee, Polk and Hood, 43,856 effective men were con- centrated for the defence of Atlanta, Dec. 27, 1863. Sherman, who was in command of the Armies of the Cumberland, the Ohio, and the Tennessee, a force of 98,797 effective men, was ordered to move against Johnston's army, break it up, and get into the interior of the coun- try. Sherman's advance began May 5, 1864. Subordinate to him were Thomas, McPherson and Schofleld, and his policy was to force a battle as soon as possible On May 8 the Con- federates were attacked at Dug Gap and at Snake Creek Gap. The strength of the Confede-

rate position enabled them to repulse the enemy and inflict a much larger loss than their own. To prevent Sherman from gaining a position be- tween his army and Atlanta, Johnston withdrew his forces from Dalton to Resaca. On May 13 the two armies faced each other at this lioint, the Confederates assuming the offensive. The cross- ing of the Oostenaula river by the Federals neces- sitated the abandonment of Resaca, May 15, and a slow pursuit began, the Confederates throwing up entrenchments as they retreated. Johnston's plan was to attack the Federal army when it was separated by the i^arting of the road at Adairsville, Ga., and he placed Hood on a road parallel to the Adairsville road, from whence he was to attack the left flank of the force engaged with Polk. Hood abandoned his position without reporting, and the opportunity was lost. The Confederate army withdrew to Cassville with the intention of making a stand. Being urged by Hood and Polk to aban- don the position, Johnston reluctantly yielded, and the army withdrew to New Hope Church, where an attack was made by Hooker's corps. May 25, and the Federal advance was checked with great loss. Cleburne was attacked. May 27, near Pickett's Mill by Howard's corps, but the attack was repulsed. On May 27 Bate's division attacked the Federal right, but was driven back with a loss of several hundred men. Sherman's army was being constantly strengthened by reinforcements, and on June 22 the Federal army, augmented to 112,819 men, again attacked Hood's division at Gulp's Farm. After repulsing the attack Hood assumed the offensive, which manoeuvre I'esulted in a disastrous repulse. Sher- man then decided on a direct assault. The Con- federates were still in the Kenesaw Pines and had dragged a few guns to the summit of Kene- saw mountain. The attack took jjlace, June 27, in three distinct assaults, and resulted in the repulse of the Federal army. The action was very spirited. At onetime the woods caught fire and a truce was called for the purpose of remov- ing the Federal wounded, who were unable to get away from the flames. The Federal loss was five times as great as the Confederate. Sherman again resorted to flanking movements, and on July 3 Kenesaw mountain was abandoned for a position farther south, and subsequently for a position along Peach Tree creek. Sherman moved his whole army across the Chattahoochee and ap- proached the Confederate lines, intending to cross Peach Tree creek. While making preparations to fall upon the Federal army while they were engaged in the passage of the creek, Johnston received on July 17, 1864, a telegram from the secretary of war to the effect that as he had failed to arrest the advance of the enemy to the vicinity of Atlanta and "with no confidence that