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On the 25th the
Federal advance under
Hooker struck
Stewart's division at the New Hope Church, and a hot engagement of two hours ensued.
The next two days there was constant skirmishing and fighting.
Late in afternoon of the 27th,
Cleburne's division assaulted
McPherson at
Dallas and left six hundred of the enemy's dead on the field.
But these sharp encounters were of little significance; for it was evidently not
Sherman's intention to make a great battle, and risk dashing his army to pieces in trying to force the pass at
Allatoona.
He was merely developing his lines for a movement on
Johnston's flank; and when, on the 30th of May, his left had reached the railroad near
Marietta,
Johnston had no other choice than to abandon his position at New Hope Church, and retreat to the strong positions of
Kenesaw, Pine and Lost Mountains.
Battle of Kenesaw Mountain.
These natural battlements covered the railroad back to the Chattahoochie river.
On the 19th June the disposition of
Johnston's forces was:
Hood's corps with its right on the
Marietta and
Canton road,
Loring's on the
Kenesaw Mountain, and
Hardee's, with its left extending across the
Lost Mountain, and the
Marietta road.
Subsequently
Cheatham's and
Cleburne's divisions of
Hardee's corps were moved up to
Kenesaw Mountain, which was properly the apex of
Johnston's lines.
On the 27th June
Sherman attempted an assault by
McPherson and
Thomas on
Johnston's left centre on
Kenesaw Mountain.
The battle was but the slaughter of thousands of his men. They never came in contact with the
Confederate works; they were swept by a fiery torrent of shot and shell; and when the attack was withdrawn more than three thousand of the enemy were scattered over the rugged ground, dead or bleeding.
On the
Confederate side,
Cheatham's division lost one hundred and ninety-five men, while two thousand of the enemy were killed and wounded in his front.
In
Cleburne's division the loss was eleven; that in
Loring's whole corps two hundred and thirty-six; while on this part of the line the loss of the enemy was more than a thousand.
Of this ghastly experiment
Gen. Sherman was satisfied to write: “Failure as it was, and for which I assume the entire responsibility, I yet claim it produced great fruits, as it demonstrated to
Gen. Johnston that I would assault, and that boldly.”
After his repulse at
Kenesaw Mountain,
Sherman again resorted to maneuvering.
On the night of the 2d July, he commenced moving his army by the left flank, and on the morning of the 3d found that
Johnston, in consequence of this movement, had abandoned
Kenesaw, and retreated across the
Chattahoochie.
He remained on the
Chattahoochie to give his men rest and get up stores, until the 17th July, when he resumed operations, crossed the river, and established his lines within eight miles of
Atlanta.
Peach-Tree Creek and the river below its mouth was now taken
