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10
The Campaigns
ALONG THE LINE OF THE
Western & Atlantic
Railroad.
The Historic Battlefields
Route of America.
The army operations
along the line of the West
ern A Atlantic Railroad
during the great “ War
between the States” began
early in September, 1863,
after Rosecrans, by his
movements through the
mountain passes son th west
of Chattanooga, into the
Chickamauga Valley, had
forced the evacuation of
that point by the Confed
erate army under General
Bragg.
A fte rseveral days o f ma
neuvering, during which
there were occasionally se
vere skirmishes or minor
engagements between the
two armies, the great bat
tle of Chickamauga began
September 18, 1863. This
was along the line of the
West Chickamauga creek,
some seven miles west
from Ringgold and Grays
ville, which are stations
on the Western & Atlan
tic Railroad.
The Federal army, be
ing defeated in this san
guinary struggle, retreat
ed to Chattanooga. The
Confederates followed,and
occupied Missionary Ridge
and Lookout Mountain,
just south of Chattanooga.
They also secured pos
session of the Nashville &
Chattanooga Railroad at
Bridgeport and other
poin ts, th us breaking Rose
crans’ communications by
rail with Nashville, his
base of supplies, and forc
ing the Federal army to
receive its army stores,
provisions, etc., by wagon
roads sixty miles in length
across the mountains. Chattanooga
was therefore practically besieged by
the Confederates, and great suffering
ensued among the Union soldiers.
Thus matters continued until the
latter part of November, when Gen
eral Grant with large re-enforcements
arrived and took personal command of
the Federal army. Bragg strangely
weakened himself by detaching Long
street’s corps and other portions of his
army, and sending to Knoxville for the
purpose of reducing that point.
November 24, 1863, began the bat
tles around Chattanooga. “Fighting
Joe Hooker,” with 9,100 men, assault
ed Lookout Mountain, which was de
fended by General Walthall, with
1,489 men. The attack was made late
in the night, and a thick mist envel
oped the mountain, rendering it im
possible for the Confederates to accu
rately determine the Federal move
ments; hence Hooker, literally in the
midst of the clouds, succeeded in scal
ing the craggy mountain, and after a
short struggle, drove the Confederates
off at about 2 a. m., November 25.
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Grant’s army made a general attack
upon the Confederate position on Mis
sionary Ridge. The assault uponHar
dee’s corps on the Confederate right
was repulsed several times; but, late in
i hi afternoon, the Confederate left center
was broken, and soon the entire line ex
cept the right gave way, and a disas
trous defeat for the Confederates was
the result. The day following, there
was fighting at Chickamauga station
and Graysville, on the Western & At
lantic railroad ; and on November 27,
ensued the desperate contest between
Hooker’s corps of Grant’s army and Cle-
THE KENNESAW GAZETTE.
burne’s division of the Confederate
army at Ringgold Gap on the West
ern & Atlantic Railroad. The Federals
here met a severe repulse.
The next day there was fighting at
Tunnel Hill, to which point the Confed
erates had retired. The Union army
then tell back to Chattanooga, and
went into winter quarters.
General Grant shortly afterwards
went to Virginia to assume command
of the army of the Potomac, leaving
Thomas in temporary command of
the army at Chattanooga.
During February, 1864, the Federals
made a movement in heavy force
towards Dalton, with the intention of
capturing that point; but, after se
vere fighting at Tunnel Hill, and at
Mill Creek Gap and Dug Gap, which
cross Rocky Face Ridge, retired again
to Chattanooga.
In March, General Wm. T. Sher
man was appointed commander of the
consolidated Federal armies of the
Cumberland, Tennessee and Ohio, at
Chattanooga. General Jos. E. John
ston had previously been appointed to
the command of the Confederate army
at Dalton, succeeding General Har
dee, who had temporarily commanded
it after General Bragg was relieved.
Early in May, 1864, began the great
Atlanta campaign, with fighting at
Tunnel Hill, Mill Creek Oap, Dug
Gap, and at other points along Rocky
Face Ridge near Dalton.
“At the date of the opening of the
o-reat Atlanta campaign, Sherman had
a total force of 98,797 men and 254
cannon, divided as follows Army of
the Cumberland, under Major-General
Thomas, 60,773 men, and 130 field
guns; Army of the Tennessee, under
Major-General McPher
son, 24,465 men and 96
guns; Army of the Ohio,
under Major-General
Schofield, 13,559 men
and 28 guns. These
were further subdivid
ed into 88,188 infantry,
4,460 artillerymen, and
6,149 cavalry.
Johnston had 42,856
men and 120 cannon;
the men being divided
as follows: infantry 37,-
652, artillerists 2,812,
and cavalry 2,392. He
says of his cannon, how
ever, that only about
one-half of them were
effective for service, be
cause of the bad condit
ion of the horses, by
reason of the scarcity of
food during the winter.
Within a few days, Sher
man was re-enforced by
about 14,000 cavalry,
which swelled his total
effective force to 112,819
men. All of these fig
ures are official.
Added to these, were
the re - enforcements,
w’hich the two armies
received, during the
campaign, which were
as follows: By Sherman,
Blair’s corps, 9,000 men
at Acworth, June Bth,
besides ‘new regiments
and furlcughed men’ not
enumerated ; by John
ston, Canty’s division of
3,000 at Resaca, May
9th; Loring’s of 5,000,
at the same point. May
11th. and French’s of
4,000, at Cassville, on
May 18th —these three
comprising Polk’s corps
—also Martin’s division
of cavalry, 3,500, May
9th ; Jackson’s division
of cavalry, 3,900, at
Adairsville, May 17th,
and Quarles’ brigade of
2,200, at New Hope
Church, May 26th.
While fightingaround
Kennesaw Mountain,
General Johnston also re-
ceived re-enforcements of over 3,000
Georgia militia, which Governor Jo
seph E. Brown, the ‘war Governor’
of Georgia, placed at his disposal.
The highest number of men which
Johnston had at any time was 59,248
at Kennesaw Mountain.”— Mountain
Campaigns in Georgia, or War Scenes on
the W. &A.
Unable to dislodge Johnston by di
rect assault, Sherman sent McPherson
through Snake Creek Gap, opposite
Resaca, to capture that point and
break Johnston’s communications with
Atlanta. McPherson with 23,000 men
was repulsed by two small brigades
