Petersburg against an army numbering more than twice his own. Food for men and horses grew scarcer, clothing more thin and worn, and men in the Confederate service and their families at home suffered intensely. In an attack on June 22d, General William Mahone struck the Federal left by surprise, carried the entrenchments and returned with 2,000 prisoners, four cannons, four flags, and a number of small guns. The same day, General J. H. Wilson and General A. V. Kautz went with 6,000 cavalry to destroy Confederate railroad communications. General Lee's son, General W. H. F. Lee, harassed them with a small band of cavalry, the local militia kept them back, and Hampton's cavalry chased them an entire day. Wilson, bewildered, tried to make his way back but was met by Mahone with Confederate infantry and Pegram's artillery; he was also attacked in the rear by Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry and routed, losing 1,000 men, twelve guns, and many wagons. In recognition of these defeats, President Lincoln named July 7th as a day of prayer and humiliation.

The entrenchments of the two armies were very close together at Petersburg, but despite their constant bombardment of the city the Federals made no break in the Confederate defence. An immense mine was dug under the Confederate lines where the Federals believed it would make a breach. The location of the mine was known to General Lee, who kept a strong defence line in its rear, and covered the position with his heavy artillery. Its explosion occurred on July 30th, when timber, stones, gun carriages, and corpses were scattered in horrible confusion. In the ruins were buried 278 Confederate soldiers, mostly South Carolinians. The break in the lines was 135 feet long, 90 feet wide, and 30 feet deep, and toward this breach swarmed Burnside's corps, who paused on the edge. The guns and mortars opened upon them, and for safety they plunged into the yawning hole. It was impossible to climb up the farther side under the hot fire. The crater was packed with soldiers and the Confederate

fire grew hotter every minute. After two hours of this, Burnside sent the negro troops forward. They passed around the crater, but under the deadly fire broke in disorder and fled. Then the white troops advanced once, twice, thrice more, and a few got into possession of parts of the Confederate lines. By this time Lee's men were ready; they charged, driving the Federal troops back from the entrenchments they had seized, while shot and shell poured into the masses packed into the crater. Then from the crater came up a white flag. The few still living had surrendered. The Federals lost 4,000 men, the Confederates about 400. The scene in the crater, piled with the dead and mangled, was horrible beyond description. But 13,000 Confederates had turned the assault of 50,000 into disaster.

Grant then continued to extend his lines north and south of the James, to capture new positions, to destroy railroads. In his encounters with the Confederates his losses were double, even treble, those of Lee's army, but he filled the ranks and kept on.

CHAPTER XVII

CAMPAIGNS OF 1864—IN THE SOUTH AND WEST

IN obedience to his orders received from President Davis December 18, 1863, General Joseph E. Johnston transferred to Lieutenant-general Polk command of the Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana and proceeded to Dalton, Georgia. He arrived on the evening of the 26th, assumed command of the Army of Tennessee on the 27th and at once gave attention to improving that army in efficiency and morale. The active campaign of six months, the latter half in the rugged section of northern Georgia, had so reduced the condition of men and horses that even the rest at Dalton had not materially bettered it. The improvement of the railroad facilities in January brought about some change for the better, but conditions were far from satisfactory. Food and forage were very scarce, clothing and blankets deficient, and sufficient guns were not on hand to arm the troops. It was many weeks before the horses were fed regularly and brought into condition to draw the guns up even a trifling hill. The cavalry horses were in poor condition and totally insufficient in number. The winter months were given to remedying these conditions as far as they could be remedied, and before the end of April over 5,000 men who had been absent on furlough returned to the army. Military operations were limited to skirmishes between scouting parties and pickets. The outposts were driven in on the 28th of January by a strong

body of Federal infantry from Ringgold, which returned after finding that Tunnel Hill was still occupied. After trying to retain all the troops in his command, Johnston was obliged to send Lieutenant-general Hardee and three divisions of his corps to General Polk in Mississippi, but before they had arrived, Sherman's column against which they were to operate had returned to Vicksburg. The troops then returned to Johnston's army.

Under orders to gain possession of Dalton and the country as far south of that as possible, Major-general Thomas had sent three heavy columns against Johnston. The advance was begun on the 24th of April. During the 25th there was desultory fighting and one sharp attack against Hindman's division, which was repulsed. Another body of Federals was driven back from Mill Creek Gap in confusion. A regiment of Federals drove in the guard in Dug Gap, but the position was recovered the following morning before sunrise. Thomas then withdrew his troops. The Richmond authorities desired junction of the forces of Longstreet with those of Johnston near Kingston; cavalry diversions to West Tennessee and thence to Middle Tennessee, and the precipitation of the main force on Nashville, all as a means of regaining to the Confederacy the States of Kentucky and Tennessee, from which supplies were obtainable in abundance by those holding them, and of recruiting his army. General Johnston opposed this programme, but before any decision was reached daily arrivals of Federal troops on Johnston's front indicated an early resumption of offensive operations. General Johnston urged that his army be strengthened and better provided for, and was afterward charged with disobeying orders in not assuming the offensive. The full correspondence does not indicate that this was true. Reports of the 1st, 2d, and 4th days of May indicated the beginning of an active campaign. General Grant had determined on simultaneous movements against Lee and Johnston and the time was at hand. Both Grant and Sherman advanced on May 4th. The Federal army

under Sherman was composed of troops that fought at Missionary Ridge with Grant, the Sixteenth and Twenty-third Corps and Hovey's division and other troops were moving toward Chattanooga from every direction.

General Sherman reports that he advanced with an army of 98,797 men and 254 guns; by June 1st the army had grown to 112,819. This great army was splendidly equipped for the work before it. The instructions were to destroy Johnston's army and go on to Atlanta, and this did not seem an impossible thing to do. Johnston had an effective force on April 30, 1864, of 42,856, according to his official reports. Additions to this swelled the total, as reported on the 10th of June, to 70,878. The maximum number in Johnston's army on the New Hope Church line the latter part of May was probably about 75,000. Under such circumstances it was impossible to advance; he could not even retain his position.

Sherman's campaign was planned with consummate skill. Though not familiar with the country, he knew its rugged mountainous character, and that it afforded innumerable positions for effective defence. He therefore determined to attack as rarely as possible, and to advance by a series of flank movements that must compel retreat if the Confederate general wished to save his army from being cut off from every base. While one large force threatened the front, another was to be sent to attempt to get in Johnston's rear. Johnston had to retreat from Dalton to Resaca, where General Polk joined him with 19,000 men. Here, after severe fighting from May 13th to 16th, in which Johnston lost 2,800 men, and the enemy 2,747, Sherman moved around the left and Johnston fell back. Day by day, the Southern army was thus forced from place to place-from Calhoun, Adairville, Cassville, as one position after another was flanked by the army of invasion. The Confederates were forced across the Oostanaula, and then the Etowah, and every movement was accompanied by skirmishing and fighting. While this main line of advance and retreat was