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MMHBi l\\l 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 iioh. ■gliffgiaW ®w? '■■•■• ? wgs'Sl p w ., v 4 -v r ‘ ts ‘ 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 No- 9-