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
