ossession　would　be　a　threat　to　Marietta　and　Atlanta；　but　I　could　not　then　venture　to　attempt　either；　till　I　had　regained　the　use　of　the　railroad；　at　least　as　far　down　as　its　debouche　from　the　Allatoona　range　of　mountains。　　Therefore；　the　movement　was　chiefly　designed　to　compel　Johnston　to　give　up　Allatoona。
  On　the　25th　all　the　columns　were　moving　steadily　on　Dallas　McPherson　and　Davis　away　off　to　the　right；　near　Van　Wert；　Thomas　on　the　main　road　in　the　centre；　with　Hooker's　Twentieth　Corps　ahead；　toward　Dallas；　and　Schofield　to　the　left　rear。　　For　the　convenience　of　march；　Hooker　had　his　three　divisions　on　separate　roads；　all　leading　toward　Dallas；　when；　in　the　afternoon；　as　he　approached　a　bridge　across　Pumpkin…Vine　Creek；　he　found　it　held　by　a　cavalry　force；　which　was　driven　off；　but　the　bridge　was　on　fire。　　This　fire　was　extinguished；　and　Hooker's　leading　division　（Geary's）　followed　the　retreating　cavalry　on　a　road　leading　due　east　toward　Marietta；　instead　of　Dallas。　　This　leading　division；　about　four　miles　out　from　the　bridge；　struck　a　heavy　infantry　force；　which　was　moving　down　from　Allatoona　toward　Dallas；　and　a　sharp　battle　ensued。　　I　came　up　in　person　soon　after；　and　as　my　map　showed　that　we　were　near　an　important　cross…road　called　〃New　Hope；〃　from　a　Methodist　meeting…house　there　of　that　name；　I　ordered　General　Hooker　to　secure　it　if　possible　that　night。　　He　asked　for　a　short　delay；　till　he　could　bring　up　his　other　two　divisions。　viz。；　of　Butterfield　and　Williams；　but　before　these　divisions　had　got　up　and　were　deployed；　the　enemy　had　also　gained　corresponding　strength。　　The　woods　were　so　dense；　and　the　resistance　so　spirited；　that　Hooker　could　not　carry　the　position；　though　the　battle　was　noisy；　and　prolonged　far　into　the　night。　　This　point；　〃New　Hope；〃　was　the　accidental　intersection　of　the　road　leading　from　Allatoona　to　Dallas　with　that　from　Van　Wert　to　Marietta；　was　four　miles　northeast　of　Dallas；　and　from　the　bloody　fighting　there　for　the　next　week　was　called　by　the　soldiers　〃Hell…Hole。〃
  The　night　was　pitch…dark；　it　rained　hard；　and　the　convergence　of　our　columns　toward　Dallas　produced　much　confusion。　　I　am　sure　similar　confusion　existed　in　the　army　opposed　to　us；　for　we　were　all　mixed　up。　　I　slept　on　the　ground；　without　cover；　alongside　of　a　log；　got　little　sleep；　resolved　at　daylight　to　renew　the　battle；　and　to　make　a　lodgment　on　the　Dallas　and　Allatoona　road　if　possible；　but　the　morning　revealed　a　strong　line　of　intrenchments　facing　us；　with　a　heavy　force　of　infantry　and　guns。　　The　battle　was　renewed；　and　without　success。　　McPherson　reached　Dallas　that　morning；　viz。；　the　26th；　and　deployed　his　troops　to　the　southeast　and　east　of　the　town；　placing　Davis's　division　of　the　Fourteenth　Corps；　which　had　joined　him　on　the　road　from　Rome；　on　his　left；　but　this　still　left　a　gap　of　at　least　three　miles　between　Davis　and　Hooker。　　Meantime；　also；　General　Schofield　was　closing　up　on　Thomas's　left。
  Satisfied　that　Johnston　in　person　was　at　New　Hope　with　all　his　army；　and　that　it　was　so　much　nearer　my　〃objective；'　the　railroad；　than　Dallas；　I　concluded　to　draw　McPherson　from　Dallas　to　Hooker's　right；　and　gave　orders　accordingly；　but　McPherson　also　was　confronted　with　a　heavy　force；　and；　as　he　began　to　withdraw　according　to　his　orders；　on　the　morning　of　the　28th　he　was　fiercely　assailed　on　his　right；　a　bloody　battle　ensued；　in　which　he　repulsed　the　attack；　inflicting　heavy　loss　on　his　assailants；　and　it　was　not　until　the　1st　of　June　that　he　was　enabled　to　withdraw　from　Dallas；　and　to　effect　a　close　junction　with　Hooker　in　front　of　New　Hope。　Meantime　Thomas　and　Schofield　were　completing　their　deployments；　gradually　overlapping　Johnston　on　his　right；　and　thus　extending　our　left　nearer　and　nearer　to　the　railroad；　the　nearest　point　of　which　was　Acworth；　about　eight　miles　distant。　　All　this　time　a　continual　battle　was　in　progress　by　strong　skirmish…lines；　taking　advantage　of　every　species　of　cover；　and　both　parties　fortifying　each　night　by　rifle…trenches；　with　head…logs；　many　of　which　grew　to　be　as　formidable　as　first…class　works　of　defense。　　Occasionally　one　party　or　the　other　would　make　a　dash　in　the　nature　of　a　sally；　but　usually　it　sustained　a　repulse　with　great　loss　of　life。　　I　visited　personally　all　parts　of　our　lines　nearly　every　day；　was　constantly　within　musket…range；　and　though　the　fire　of　musketry　and　cannon　resounded　day　and　night　along　the　whole　line；　varying　from　six　to　ten　miles；　I　rarely　saw　a　dozen　of　the　enemy　at　any　one　time；　and　these　were　always　skirmishers　dodging　from　tree　to　tree；　or　behind　logs　on　the　ground；　or　who　occasionally　showed　their　heads　above　the　hastily…constructed　but　remarkably　strong　rifle…trenches。　　On　the　occasion　of　my　visit　to　McPherson　on　the　30th　of　May；　while　standing　with　a　group　of　officers；　among　whom　were　Generals　McPherson；　Logan；　Barry；　and　Colonel　Taylor；　my　former　chief　of　artillery；　a　Minie…ball　passed　through　Logan's　coat…sleeve；　scratching　the　skin；　and　struck　Colonel　Taylor　square　in　the　breast；　luckily　he　had　in　his　pocket　a　famous　memorandum…book；　in　which　he　kept　a　sort　of　diary；　about　which　we　used　to　joke　him　a　good　deal；　its　thickness　and　size　saved　his　life；　breaking　the　force　of　the　ball；　so　that　after　traversing　the　book　it　only　penetrated　the　breast　to　the　ribs；　but　it　knocked　him　down　and　disabled　him　for　the　rest　of　the　campaign。　　He　was　a　most　competent　and　worthy　officer；　and　now　lives　in　poverty　in　Chicago；　sustained　in　part　by　his　own　labor；　and　in　part　by　a　pitiful　pension　recently　granted。
  On　the　1st　of　June　General　McPherson　closed　in　upon　the　right；　and；　without　attempting　further　to　carry　the　enemy's　strong　position　at　New　Hope　Church；　I　held　our　general　right　in　close　contact　with　it；　gradually；　carefully；　and　steadily　working　by　the　left；　until　our　strong　infantry…lines　had　reached　and　secured　possession　of　all　the　wagon…roads　between　New　Hope；　Allatoona；　and　Acworth；　when　I　dispatched　Generals　Garrard's　and　Stoneman's　divisions　of　cavalry　into　Allatoona；　the　first　around　by　the　west　end　of　the　pass；　and　the　latter　by　the　direct　road。　　Both　reached　their　destination　without　opposition；　and　orders　were　at　once　given　to　repair　the　railroad　forward　from　Kingston　to　Allatoona；　embracing　the　bridge　across　the　Etowah　River。　　Thus　the　real　object　of　my　move　on　Dallas　was　accomplished；　and　on　the　4th　of　June　I　was　preparing　to　draw　off　from　New　Hope　Church；　and　to　take　position　on　the　railroad　in　front　of　Allatoona；　when；　General　Johnston　himself　having　evacuated　his　position；　we　effected　the　change　without　further　battle；　and　moved　to　the　railroad；　occupying　it　from　Allatoona　and　Acworth　forward　to　Big　Shanty；　in　sight　of　the　famous　Kenesaw　Mountain。
  Thus；　substantially　in　the　month　of　May；　we　had　steadily　driven　our　antagonist　from　the　strong　positions　of　Dalton；　Resaea；　Cassville；　Allatoona；　and　Dallas；　had　advanced　our　lines　in　strong；　compact　order　from　Chattanooga　to　Big　Shanty；　nearly　a　hundred　miles　of　as　difficult　country　as　was　ever　fought　over　by　civilized　armies；　and　thus　stood　prepared　to　go　on；　anxious　to　fight；　and　confident　of　success　as　soon　as　the　railroad　communications　were　complete　to　bring　forward　the　necessary　supplies。　　It　is　now　impossible　to　state　accurately　our　loss　of　life　and　men　in　any　one　separate　battle；　for　the　fighting　was　continuous；　almost　daily；　among　trees　and　bushes；　on　ground　where　one　could　rarely　see　a　hundred　yards　ahead。
  The　aggregate　loss　in　the　several　corps　for　the　month　of　May　is　reported…as　follows　in　the　usual　monthly　returns　sent　to　the　Adjutant…General's　office；　which　are；　therefore；　official：
  Casualties　during　the　Month　of　May；　1864　（Major…General　SHERMAN　commanding）。
  Killed　and　Missing。　　　　　　Wounded。　　　　　　　Total。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1；863　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　7；436　　　　　　　　　9；299
  General　Joseph　E。　　Johnston；　in　his　〃Narrative　of　his　Military　Operations；〃　just　published　（March　27；　1874）；　gives　the　effective　strength　of　his　army　at　and　about　Dalton　on　the　1st　of　May；　1864　（page　302）；　as　follows：
  Infantry。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　37；652　Artillery。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　2；812　Cavalry。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　2；392
  Total　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　42；856
  During　May；　and　prior　to　reaching　Cassville；　he　was　further　reenforced　（page　352）
  Polk's　corps　of　three　divisions。。。。。。。　12；000　Martin's　division　of　cavalry。。。。。。。。。。　　3；500　Jackson's　division　of　cavalry。。。。。。。。。　　3；900
  And　at　New　Hope　Church；　May　26th
  Brigade　of　Quarles。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　2；200
  Grand…total。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　64；456
  His　losses　during　the　month　of　May　are　stated　by　him；　as　taken　from　the　report　of　Surgeon　Foard　（page　325）
  Killed　　　　　　　Wounded　　　　　　　Total　　　　　　　　　　　　　　721　　　　　　　　　　4；672　　　　　　　　5；393
  These　figures　include　only　the　killed　and　wounded；　whereas　my　statement　of　losses　embraces　the　〃missing；〃　which　are　usually　〃prisoners；〃　and　of　these　we　captured；　daring　the　whole　campaign　of　four　and　a　half　months；　exactly　12；983；　whose　names；　rank；　and　regiments；　were　officially　reported　to　the　Commissary…General　of　Prisoners；　and　assuming　a　due　proportion　for　the　month　of　May；　viz。；　one…fourth；　makes　3；245　to　be　added　to　the　killed　and　wounded　given　above；　making　an　aggregate　los