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Sherman knew that it would not do for his troops to rest long under the influence of a mistake or failure, so he at once began a vigorous turning movement, after he had buried his dead and cared for his wounded.
Schofield was working strongly on the
Confederate left, and
McPherson, having been relieved by
Garrard's cavalry in front of
Kenesaw, was ordered to rapidly throw his whole force by his right down to and threaten
Nickajack Creek and Turner's Ferry, across the
Chattahoochee River.
Stoneman was directed to push on, at the same time, with his cavalry, to the river below
Turner's, and thus seriously threaten
Johnston's rear.
The movement was begun at near the evening of the 2d of July, and the intended effect was instantaneous.
Johnston abandoned
Kenesaw and all his works that night, and when, at dawn,
Sherman's skirmishers stood on the top of that mountain, they saw the
Confederate hosts flying through and beyond
Marietta, in hot haste, toward the
Chattahoochee, in the direction of
Atlanta.
Thomas's corps pressed closely upon the heels of the fugitives; and between eight and nine o'clock in the morning,
Sherman rode into
Marietta just as the cavalry of
Johnston's rear guard left it, and made his Headquarters at the pleasant embowered mansion known as the “Morris House.”
Sherman expected to strike
Johnston a destructive if not fatal blow, while the latter should be crossing the
Chattahoochee.
For that purpose he directed
McPherson and
Schofield to press on, cross the
Nickajack, and attack the
Confederates on flank and rear.
But the skillful and vigilant
Johnston had too quickly ba provided for the safety of his army to
invite such attack.
He had made a forced march to the right bank of the Chattahootchee where the railway crossed it, and there, in the course of a few hours, he caused to be constructed earth-works of sufficient strength to enable a detachment to keep the pursuers at bay until a greater portion of his army should make the passage of the river.
He had also an intrenched line at
Smyrna camp-meeting ground, five miles from
Marietta.
There the pursuing
Thomas halted, and there
Sherman overtook that army, paused, and considered.
On the following day
he pushed a heavy skirmish line forward, captured the entire line of Confederate rifle-pits, with some prisoners, and made strong demonstrations toward Turner's Ferry.
That night
Johnston abandoned his advanced works, and the next morning his whole army was across the
Chattahoochee, excepting heavy garrisons for the works covering the bridges.
Sherman promptly advanced to the river at several uncovered points, but did not deem it prudent to attack the works of his adversary.
Before the patriot army now flowed a deep and rapid stream, and on its
