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Vol 1.
Battle of Cassville, Ga.
May 24th, 1864.
One of the most notable of minor
encounters between the Confederate
and Federal troops, during the Atlan
ta Campaign, was the fight between
Wheeler’s cavalry and the convoy of
a Federal wagon train, at Cassville,
on May 24th, 1864.
Regarding this combat,
and the momentous occur
rences immediately proceed
ing it, we copy the follow
ing from “ lhe Mountain
Campaigns in Georgia, or
War Scenes on the W. & A.”:
“On the 19th of May,
Johnston took position near
Cassville for w T hat he in
tended should be the great
battle of the campaign.
Os this he says:
r The Confederate army
was drawn up in a position
that I remember as the best
that I saw occupied dur
ing the war —the ridge
immediately south of Cass
ville with a broad, open,
elevated valley in front of
it, completely commanded
by the fire of troops occupy
ing its crest. The eastern
end of this ridge is perhaps
a mile to the east of Cass
ville. Its southwest end is
near the railroad, a little to
the west ofCass Station. Its
length was just sufficient for
Hood’s and Polk’s corps, and
half of Hardee’s, formed,
as usual, in two lines, and
in that order from right to
left. The other half of Har
dee’s troops prolonging the
line. w r ere southwest of the
rail road on undulating
ground, on which they had
only such advantage as their
own labor, directed by en
gineering, could give them.
They worked with great
spirit, however, and were evidently
full us confidence. This gave me as
surance of success on the right and in
the center, where we had very decided
advantage of ground.’—(Johnston’s
Narrative, page 322.)
During the afternoon, the Federal
artillery commenced firing upon Hood’s
and Polk’s troops. This, with a heavy
skirmish fire, continued until dusk.
The beautiful village of Cassville
was between the two lines. The con
test about the village was very severe,
especially between the batteries, which
•A. humorous dare-devil---the very man to suit my purpose. Bulwer.
were posted on the ridges confronting
each other. Sharp skirmishing and
fighting occurred on the streets. Many
of the houses were riddled with balls,
and the fine college buildings, especi
ally, were pierced through with shot
and shell. Some of the dwellings were
also fired by these and consumed.
At a council of war, held that night,
Generals Hood and Polk expressed to
General Johnston their fears that they
7
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CAPTURE OF A FEDERAL WAGON TRAIN.
Near Cassville, Ga., May 24th, 18G4.
could not hold the positions assigned
them, because of a possible enfilading
fire from a Federal battery on the op
posite ridge. General Hardee stated
that he could hold his position, al
though it was a less favorable ’one, so
far as the nature of the ground was
concerned.
Johnston was very unwilling to
abandon the position without a battle;
but finally, in deference to the judg
ment of two of his three Lieutenant-
Generals, consented to do so; and ac
cordingly fell back to the Etowah
fettle of dhfWille jXunqbef.
River, and crossed it the next day.
On the 22d of the month, General
Wheeler was instructed to go north of
the river with his cavalry, and ascer
tain the movements of the Federal
army. He soon received information
that Sherman was moving westward,
as if to cross the Etowah near Stiles
boro and Euharlee, and on the 24th,
in the vicinity of Cassville, encoun
tered the troops guarding a large sup-
ply train. A sharp fight en
sued between Wheeler’s cav
alry and the Federals, which
resulted in the capture of
182 prisoners, about 200
w r agons, with army stores,
etc. The Confederates
brought across the Etow’ah
River seventy of these load
ed wagons, with their teams,
contents, etc., and burned
the rest.
The information secured
by Wheeler, showed that
Sherman had evidently de
termined not to move direct
ly against the very strong
position at Allatoona Pass,
on the Western & Atlantic
Railroad; but to proceed via Dallas
and Burnt Hickory, against Marietta.
This movement was a difficult one,
being through a rough, densely-wooded
country, with few roads and these very
indifferent, and, furthermore, away
from the railroad, his main channel
for supplies.”
Concerning the abandonment of the
very strong position which the Confed
erate army occupied on the heights
south of Cassville, and General John
ston’s judgment at the time and since,
that this was a great mistake and one
which he allowed made in deference
to the opinions of two out of three of
his corps commanders we shall have
more to say in a subsequent number of
the Kennesaw Gazette.
We merely here refer to the capture
of the wagon train by the Confederate
cavalry.
It has been said to us
by parties who w ere pres
ent that the scene at the
beginning of this fight was
to the Federate as start
ling as its results were im
portant to the Confeder
ates.
The long train of some
two hundred or more wag
ons was slowly making its
way dow T n the road lead
ing from Kingston into
Cassville, when, sudden
ly some of the advanced
guard of the convoy dis
covered, coming down
the lane on the opposite
side of the town, a body
of horsemen. Within a
minute or two another
body was seen approach
ing by another road. Hastily forming
to receive their enemy, they made such
preparation as was possible at the mo
ment; but the next instant the wild
and startling sound of the “rebel yell”
was heard, and then the sharp crack
of the carbines.
The Federate attempted resistance;
but the Confederate attack was so im
petuous that everything was thrown
into disorder, and then in a few min-„
utes the affair was over with, the result
shown in the extract from The Moun
tain Campaigns in Georgia, as seen
above.
Thearmv and medical stores which’
the Confederates captured with this
wagon train were of immense benefit
to Johnston’s army; but one of the
most important results of this move
ment was the securing of information
as to Sherman’s intended operations.
Almost a week had elapsed from the
time Johnston had retired from Cass
ville, and nothing definite was known
of Sherman’s plans as to the movement
south of the Etowah river. This in
formation was direct, to the effect that
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