umerical　superiority　was　at　the　greatest；　for　he　was　picking　up　his　detachments　as　he　fell　back；　whereas　I　was　compelled　to　make　similar　and　stronger　detachments　to　repair　the　railroads　as　we　advanced；　and　to　guard　them。　　I　found　at　Cassville　many　evidences　of　preparation　for　a　grand　battle；　among　them　a　long　line　of　fresh　intrenchments　on　the　hill　beyoud　the　town；　extending　nearly　three　miles　to　the　south；　embracing　the　railroad…crossing。　　I　was　also　convinced　that　the　whole　of　Polk's　corps　had　joined　Johnston　from　Mississippi；　and　that　he　had　in　hand　three　full　corps；　viz。；　Hood's；　Polk's；　and　Hardee's；　numbering　about　sixty　thousand　men；　and　could　not　then　imagine　why　he　had　declined　battle；　and　did　not　learn　the　real　reason　till　after　the　war　was　over；　and　then　from　General　Johnston　himself。
  In　the　autumn　of　1865；　when　in　command　of　the　Military　Division　of　the　Missouri；　I　went　from　St。　Louis　to　Little　Rock；　Arkansas；　and　afterward　to　Memphis。　　Taking　a　steamer　for　Cairo；　I　found　as　fellow…passengers　Generals　Johnston　and　Frank　Blair。　　We　were；　of　course；　on　the　most　friendly　terms；　and　on　our　way　up　we　talked　over　our　battles　again；　played　cards；　and　questioned　each　other　as　to　particular　parts　of　our　mutual　conduct　in　the　game　of　war。　　I　told　Johnston　that　I　had　seen　his　order　of　preparation；　in　the　nature　of　an　address　to　his　army；　announcing　his　purpose　to　retreat　no　more；　but　to　accept　battle　at　Cassville。　　He　answered　that　such　was　his　purpose；　that　he　had　left　Hardee's　corps　in　the　open　fields　to　check　Thomas；　and　gain　time　for　his　formation　on　the　ridge；　just　behind　Cassville；　and　it　was　this　corps　which　General　Thomas　had　seen　deployed；　and　whose　handsome　movement　in　retreat　he　had　reported　in　such　complimentary　terms。　　Johnston　described　how　he　had　placed　Hood's　corps　on　the　right；　Polk's　in　the　centre；　and　Hardee's　on　the　left。　　He　said　he　had　ridden　over　the　ground；　given　to　each　corps　commander　his　position；　and　orders　to　throw　up　parapets　during　the　night；　that　he　was　with　Hardee　on　his　extreme　left　as　the　night　closed　in；　and　as　Hardee's　troops　fell　back　to　the　position　assigned　them　for　the　intended　battle　of　the　next　day；　and　that；　after　giving　Hardee　some　general　instructions；　he　and　his　staff　rode　back　to　Cassville。　　As　he　entered　the　town；　or　village；　he　met　Generals　Hood　and　Polk。　　Hood　inquired　of　him　if　he　had　had　any　thing　to　eat；　and　he　said　no；　that　he　was　both　hungry　and　tired；　when　Hood　invited　him　to　go　and　share　a　supper　which　had　been　prepared　for　him　at　a　house　close　by。　　At　the　supper　they　discussed　the　chances　of　the　impending　battle；　when　Hood　spoke　of　the　ground　assigned　him　as　being　enfiladed　by　our　（Union）　artillery；　which　Johnston　disputed；　when　General　Polk　chimed　in　with　the　remark　that　General　Hood　was　right；　that　the　cannon…shots　fired　by　us　at　nightfall　had　enfiladed　their　general　line　of　battle；　and　that　for　this　reason　he　feared　they　could　not　hold　their　men。　　General　Johnston　was　surprised　at　this；　for　he　understood　General　Hood　to　be　one　of　those　who　professed　to　criticise　his　strategy；　contending　that；　instead　of　retreating；　he　should　have　risked　a　battle。　　General　Johnston　said　he　was　provoked；　accused　them　of　having　been　in　conference；　with　being　beaten　before　battle；　and　added　that　he　was　unwilling　to　engage　in　a　critical　battle　with　an　army　so　superior　to　his　own　in　numbers；　with　two　of　his　three　corps　commanders　dissatisfied　with　the　ground　and　positions　assigned　them。　　He　then　and　there　made　up　his　mind　to　retreat　still　farther　south；　to　put　the　Etowah　River　and　the　Allatoona　range　between　us；　and　he　at　once　gave　orders　to　resume　the　retrograde　movement。
  This　was　my　recollection　of　the　substance　of　the　conversation；　of　which　I　made　no　note　at　the　time；　but；　at　a　meeting　of　the　Society　of　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland　some　years　after；　at　Cleveland；　Ohio；　about　1868；　in　a　short　after…dinner　speech；　I　related　this　conversation；　and　it　got　into　print。　　Subsequently；　in　the　spring　of　1870；　when　I　was　at　New　Orleans；　on　route　for　Texas；　General　Hood　called　to　see　me　at　the　St。　Charles　Hotel；　explained　that　he　had　seen　my　speech　reprinted　in　the　newspapers　and　gave　me　his　version　of　the　same　event；　describing　the　halt　at　Cassville；　the　general　orders　for　battle　on　that　ground；　and　the　meeting　at　supper　with　Generals　Johnston　and　Polk；　when　the　chances　of　the　battle　to　be　fought　the　next　day　were　freely　and　fully　discussed；　and　he　stated　that　he　had　argued　against　fighting　the　battle　purely　on　the　defensive；　but　had　asked　General　Johnston　to　permit　him　with　his　own　corps　and　part　of　Polk's　to　quit　their　lines；　and　to　march　rapidly　to　attack　and　overwhelm　Schofield；　who　was　known　to　be　separated　from　Thomas　by　an　interval　of　nearly　five　miles；　claiming　that　he　could　have　defeated　Schofield；　and　got　back　to　his　position　in　time　to　meet　General　Thomas's　attack　in　front。　　He　also　stated　that　he　had　then　contended　with　Johnston　for　the　〃offensive…　defensive〃　game；　instead　of　the　〃pure　defensive；〃　as　proposed　by　General　Johnston；　and　he　said　that　it　was　at　this　time　that　General　Johnston　had　taken　offense；　and　that　it　was　for　this　reason　he　had　ordered　the　retreat　that　night。　　As　subsequent　events　estranged　these　two　officers；　it　is　very　natural　they　should　now　differ　on　this　point；　but　it　was　sufficient　for　us　that　the　rebel　army　did　retreat　that　night；　leaving　us　masters　of　all　the　country　above　the　Etowah　River。
  For　the　purposes　of　rest；　to　give　time　for　the　repair　of　the　railroads；　and　to　replenish　supplies；　we　lay　by　some　few　days　in　that　quarterSchofield　with　Stoneman's　cavalry　holding　the　ground　at　Cassville　Depot；　Cartersville；　and　the　Etowah　Bridge；　Thomas　holding　his　ground　near　Cassville；　and　McPherson　that　near　Kingston。　　The　officer　intrusted　with　the　repair　of　the　railroads　was　Colonel　W。　W。　Wright；　a　rairoad…engineer；　who；　with　about　two　thousand　men；　was　so　industrious　and　skillful　that　the　bridge　at　Resaca　was　rebuilt　in　three　days；　and　cars　loaded　with　stores　came　forward　to　Kingston　on　the　24th。　　The　telegraph　also　brought　us　the　news　of　the　bloody　and　desperate　battles　of　the　Wilderness；　in　Virginia；　and　that　General　Grant　was　pushing　his　operations　against　Lee　with　terrific　energy。　　I　was　therefore　resolved　to　give　my　enemy　no　rest。
  In　early　days　（1844）；　when　a　lieutenant　of　the　Third　Artillery；　I　had　been　sent　from　Charleston；　South　Carolina；　to　Marietta；　Georgia；　to　assist　Inspector…General　Churchill　to　take　testimony　concerning　certain　losses　of　horses　and　accoutrements　by　the　Georgia　Volunteers　during　the　Florida　War；　and　after　completing　the　work　at　Marietta　we　transferred　our　party　over　to　Bellefonte；　Alabama。　　I　had　ridden　the　distance　on　horseback；　and　had　noted　well　the　topography　of　the　country；　especially　that　about　Kenesaw；　Allatoona；　and　the　Etowah　River。　　On　that　occasion　I　had　stopped　some　days　with　a　Colonel　Tumlin；　to　see　some　remarkable　Indian　mounds　on　the　Etowah　River；　usually　called　the　〃Hightower：〃　I　therefore　knew　that　the　Allatoona　Pass　was　very　strong；　would　be　hard　to　force；　and　resolved　not　even　to　attempt　it；　but　to　turn　the　position；　by　moving　from　Kingston　to　Marietta　via。　Dallas；　accordingly　I　made　orders　on　the　20th　to　get　ready　for　the　march　to　begin　on　the　23d。　　The　Army　of　the　Cumberland　was　ordered　to　march　for　Dallas；　by　Euharlee　and　Stilesboro；　Davis's　division；　then　in　Rome；　by　Van　Wert；　the　Army　of　the　Ohio　to　keep　on　the　left　of　Thomas；　by　a　place　called　Burnt　Hickory；　and　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee　to　march　for　a　position　a　little　to　the　south；　so　as　to　be　on　the　right　of　the　general　army；　when　grouped　about　Dallas。
  The　movement　contemplated　leaving　our　railroad；　and　to　depend　for　twenty　days　on　the　contents　of　our　wagons；　and　as　the　country　was　very　obscure；　mostly　in　a　state　of　nature；　densely　wooded；　and　with　few　roads；　our　movements　were　necessarily　slow。　　We　crossed　the　Etowah　by　several　bridges　and　fords；　and　took　as　many　roads　as　possible；　keeping　up　communication　by　cross…roads；　or　by　couriers　through　the　woods。　　I　personally　joined　General　Thomas；　who　had　the　centre；　and　was　consequently　the　main　column；　or　〃column　of　direction。〃　　The　several　columns　followed　generally　the　valley　of　the　Euharlee；　a　tributary　coming　into　the　Etowah　from　the　south；　and　gradually　crossed　over　a　ridge　of　mountains；　parts　of　which　had　once　been　worked　over　for　gold；　and　were　consequently　full　of　paths　and　unused　wagon…roads　or　tracks。　　A　cavalry　picket　of　the　enemy　at　Burnt　Hickory　was　captured；　and　had　on　his　person　an　order　from　General　Johnston；　dated　at　Allatoona；　which　showed　that　he　had　detected　my　purpose　of　turning　his　position；　and　it　accordingly　became　necessary　to　use　great　caution；　lest　some　of　the　minor　columns　should　fall　into　ambush；　but；　luckily　the　enemy　was　not　much　more　familiar　with　that　part　of　the　country　than　we　were。　　On　the　other　side　of　the　Allatoona　range；　the　Pumpkin…Vine　Creek；　also　a　tributary　of　the　Etowah；　flowed　north　and　west；　Dallas；　the　point　aimed　at；　was　a　small　town　on　the　other　or　east　side　of　this　creek；　and　was　the　point　of　concentration　of　a　great　many　roads　that　led　in　every　direction。　　Its　possession　would　be　a　threat　to　Marietta　and　Atlanta；　but　I　could　not　then　venture　to　attempt　either；