e　converged　to　the　single　narrow　track　through　Snake…Creek　Gap；　but　during　the　12th　and　13th　the　bulk　of　Thomas's　and　Schofield's　armies　were　got　through；　and　deployed　against　Resaca；　McPherson　on　the　right；　Thomas　in　the　centre；　and　Schofield　on　the　left。　　Johnston；　as　I　anticipated；　had　abandoned　all　his　well…prepared　defenses　at　Dalton；　and　was　found　inside　of　Resaca　with　the　bulk　of　his　army；　holding　his　divisions　well　in　hand；　acting　purely　on　the　defensive；　and　fighting　well　at　all　points　of　conflict。　　A　complete　line　of　intrenchments　was　found　covering　the　place；　and　this　was　strongly　manned　at　all　points。　　On　the　14th　we　closed　in；　enveloping　the　town　on　its　north　and　west；　and　during　the　15th　we　had　a　day　of　continual　battle　and　skirmish。　At　the　same　time　I　caused　two　pontoon…bridges　to　be　laid　across　the　Oostenaula　River　at　Lay's　Ferry；　about　three　miles　below　the　town；　by　which　we　could　threaten　Calhoun；　a　station　on　the　railroad　seven　miles　below　Resaca。　　At　the　same　time；　May　14th；　I　dispatched　General　Garrard；　with　his　cavalry　division；　down　the　Oostenaula　by　the　Rome　road；　with　orders　to　cross　over；　if　possible；　and　to　attack　or　threaten　the　railroad　at　any　point　below　Calhoun　and　above　Kingston。
  During　the　15th；　without　attempting　to　assault　the　fortified　works；　we　pressed　at　all　points；　and　the　sound　of　cannon　and　musketry　rose　all　day　to　the　dignity　of　a　battle。　　Toward　evening　McPherson　moved　his　whole　line　of　battle　forward；　till　he　had　gained　a　ridge　overlooking　the　town；　from　which　his　field…artillery　could　reach　the　railroad…bridge　across　the　Oostenaula。　　The　enemy　made　several　attempts　to　drive　him　away；　repeating　the　sallies　several　times；　and　extending　them　into　the　night；　but　in　every　instance　he　was　repulsed　with　bloody　loss。
  Hooker's　corps　had　also　some　heavy　and　handsome　fighting　that　afternoon　and　night　on　the　left；　where　the　Dalton　roan　entered　the　intrenchments；　capturing　a　four…gun　intrenched　battery；　with　its　men　and　guns；　and　generally　all　our　men　showed　the　finest　fighting　qualities。
  Howard's　corps　had　followed　Johnston　down　from　Dalton；　and　was　in　line；　Stoneman'a　division　of　cavalry　had　also　got　up；　and　was　on　the　extreme　left；　beyond　the　Oostenaula。
  On　the　night　of　May　15th　Johnston　got　his　army　across　the　bridges；　set　them　on　fire；　and　we　entered　Resaca　at　daylight。　　Our　loss　up　to　that　time　was　about　six　hundred　dead　and　thirty…three　hundred　and　seventy…five　woundedmostly　light　wounds　that　did　not　necessitate　sending　the　men　to　the　rear　for　treatment。　　That　Johnston　had　deliberately　designed　in　advance　to　give　up　such　strong　positions　as　Dalton　and　Resaca；　for　the　purpose　of　drawing　us　farther　south；　is　simply　absurd。　　Had　he　remained　in　Dalton　another　hour；　it　would　have　been　his　total　defeat；　and　he　only　evacuated　Resaca　because　his　safety　demanded　it。　　The　movement　by　us　through　Snake…Creek　Gap　was　a　total　surprise　to　him。　　My　army　about　doubled　his　in　size；　but　he　had　all　the　advantages　of　natural　positions；　of　artificial　forts　and　roads；　and　of　concentrated　action。　　We　were　compelled　to　grope　our　way　through　forests；　across　mountains；　with　a　large　army；　necessarily　more　or　less　dispersed。　Of　course；　I　was　disappointed　not　to　have　crippled　his；　army　more　at　that　particular　stage　of　the　game；　but；　as　it　resulted；　these　rapid　successes　gave　us　the　initiative；　and　the　usual　impulse　of　a　conquering　army。
  Johnston　having　retreated　in　the　night　of　May　15th；　immediate　pursuit　was　begun。　　A　division　of　infantry　（Jeff。　C。　Davis's）　was　at　once　dispatched　down　the　valley　toward　Rome；　to　support　Garrard's　cavalry；　and　the　whole　army　was　ordered　to　pursue；　McPherson　by　Lay's　Ferry；　on　the　right；　Thomas　directly　by　the　railroad；　and　Schofield　by　the　left；　by　the　old　road　that　crossed　the　Oostenaula　above　Echota　or　Newtown。
  We　hastily　repaired　the　railroad　bridge　at　Resaca；　which　had　been　partially　burned；　and　built　a　temporary　floating　bridge　out　of　timber　and　materials　found　on　the　spot；　so　that　Thomas　got　his　advance　corps　over　during　the　16th；　and　marched　as　far　as　Calhoun；　where　he　came　into　communication　with　MePherson's　troops；　which　had　crossed　the　Oostenaula　at　Lay's　Ferry　by　our　pontoon…bridges；　previously　laid。　　Inasmuch　as　the　bridge　at　Resaca　was　overtaxed；　Hooker's　Twentieth　Corps　was　also　diverted　to　cross　by　the　fords　and　ferries　above　Resaca；　in　the　neighborhood　of　Echota。
  On　the　17th；　toward　evening；　the　head　of　Thomas's　column；　Newton's　division；　encountered　the　rear…guard　of　Johnston's　army　near　Adairsville。　　I　was　near　the　head　of　column　at　the　time；　trying　to　get　a　view　of　the　position　of　the　enemy　from　an　elevation　in　an　open　field。　　My　party　attracted　the　fire　of　a　battery；　a　shell　passed　through　the　group　of　staff…officers　and　burst　just　beyond；　which　scattered　us　promptly。　　The　next　morning　the　enemy　had　disappeared；　and　our　pursuit　was　continued　to　Kingston；　which　we　reached　during　Sunday　forenoon；　the　19th。
  》From　Resaca　the　railroad　runs　nearly　due　south；　but　at　Kingston　it　makes　junction　with　another　railroad　from　Rome；　and　changes　direction　due　eaSt。　At　that　time　McPherson's　head　of　column　was　about　four　miles　to　the　west　of　Kingston；　at　a　country　place　called　〃Woodlawn；〃　Schofield　and　Hooker　were　on　the　direct　roads　leading　from　Newtown　to　Casaville；　diagonal　to　the　route　followed　by　Thomas。　　Thomas's　head　of　column；　which　had　followed　the　country　roads　alongside　of　the　railroad；　was　about　four　miles　east　of　Kingston；　toward　Cassville；　when　about　noon　I　got　a　message　from　him　that　he　had　found　the　enemy；　drawn　up　in　line　of　battle；　on　some　extensive；　open　ground；　about　half…way　between　Kingston　and　Cassville；　and　that　appearances　indicated　a　willingness　and　preparation　for　battle。
  Hurriedly　sending　orders　to　McPherson　to　resume　the　march；　to　hasten　forward　by　roads　leading　to　the　south　of　Kingston；　so　as　to　leave　for　Thomas's　troops　and　trains　the　use　of　the　main　road；　and　to　come　up　on　his　right；　I　rode　forward　rapidly；　over　some　rough　gravel　hills；　and　about　six　miles　from　Kingston　found　General　Thomas；　with　his　troops　deployed；　but　he　reported　that　the　enemy　had　fallen　back　in　echelon　of　divisions；　steadily　and　in　superb　order；　into　Cassville。　　I　knew　that　the　roads　by　which　Generals　Hooker　and　Schofield　were　approaching　would　lead　them　to　a　seminary　near　Cassville；　and　that　it　was　all…important　to　secure　the　point　of　junction　of　these　roads　with　the　main　road　along　which　we　were　marching。　　Therefore　I　ordered　General　Thomas　to　push　forward　his　deployed　lines　as　rapidly　as　possible；　and；　as　night　was　approaching；　I　ordered　two　field…batteries　to　close　up　at　a　gallop　on　some　woods　which　lay　between　us　and　the　town　of　Cassville。　　We　could　not　see　the　town　by　reason　of　these　woods；　but　a　high　range　of　hills　just　back　of　the　town　was　visible　over　the　tree…tops。　　On　these　hills　could　be　seen　fresh…made　parapets；　and　the　movements　of　men；　against　whom　I　directed　the　artillery　to　fire　at　long　range。　The　stout　resistance　made　by　the　enemy　along　our　whole　front　of　a　couple　of　miles　indicated　a　purpose　to　fight　at　Cassville；　and；　as　the　night　was　closing　in；　General　Thomas　and　I　were　together；　along　with　our　skirmish…lines　near　the　seminary；　on　the　edge　of　the　town；　where　musket…bullets　from　the　enemy　were　cutting　the　leaves　of　the　trees　pretty　thickly　about　us。　　Either　Thomas　or　I　remarked　that　that　was　not　the　place　for　the　two　senior　officers　of　a　great　army；　and　we　personally　went　back　to　the　battery；　where　we　passed　the　night　on　the　ground。　　During　the　night　I　had　reports　from　McPherson；　Hooker；　and　Schofield。　　The　former　was　about　five　miles　to　my　right　rear；　near　the　〃nitre…caves；　〃Schofield　was　about　six　miles　north；　and　Hooker　between　us；　within　two　miles。　　All　were　ordered　to　close　down　on　Cassville　at　daylight；　and　to　attack　the　enemy　wherever　found。　　Skirmishing　was　kept　up　all　night；　but　when　day　broke　the　next　morning；　May　20th；　the　enemy　was　gone；　and　our　cavalry　was　sent　in　pursuit。　　These　reported　him　beyoud　the　Etowah　River。　　We　were　then　well　in　advance　of　our　railroad…trains；　on　which　we　depended　for　supplies；　so　I　determined　to　pause　a　few　days　to　repair　the　railroad；　which　had　been　damaged　but　little；　except　at　the　bridge　at　Resaca；　and　then　to　go　on。
  Nearly　all　the　people　of　the　country　seemed　to　have　fled　with　Johnston's　army；　yet　some　few　families　remained；　and　from　one　of　them　I　procured　the　copy　of　an　order　which　Johnston　had　made　at　Adairsville；　in　which　he　recited　that　he　had　retreated　as　far　as　strategy　required；　and　that　his　army　must　be　prepared　for　battle　at　Cassville。　　The　newspapers　of　the　South；　many　of　which　we　found；　were　also　loud　in　denunciation　of　Johnston's　falling　back　before　us　without　a　serious　battle；　simply　resisting　by　his　skirmish…lines　and　by　his　rear…guard。　　But　his　friends　proclaimed　that　it　was　all　strategic；　that　he　was　deliberately　drawing　us　farther　and　farther　into　the　meshes；　farther　and　farther　away　from　our　base　of　supplies；　and　that　in　due　season　he　would　not　only　halt　for　battle；　but　assume　the　bold　offensive。　　Of　course　it　was　to　my　interest　to　bring　him　to　battle　as　soon　as　possible；　when　our　numerical　superiority　was　at　the　greatest；　for　he　was　picking　up　his　detachments　as　he　fell　back；　whe