Four Months in Libby and the Campaign Against Atlanta

by I. N. Johnston

ON TO ATLANTA!

Confidence in our leader—Tunnel Hill and Rocky Face Mountain—Pursuit of the enemy—Johnston's strategy—In command of my regiment—Battle near Dallas—Night on the battle-field—Loss of an officer—Reflections.

With some slight reverses our march up to this time was that of a victorious army, and the temporary checks we had met with only served to make us more vigilant for the future. We had the utmost confidence in our leader, which was justified by almost daily successes; while that of the rebels in their chief was daily becoming weaker, in consequence of his failing to make good his promises by a successful stand. And, indeed, when we gained the works which he time after time abandoned, we could not but wonder at the policy which led to the abandonment of works and positions which we felt we could have held against any army that could have been brought against us. In our southward march we were able to understand how it was that the first Napoleon was able to lead an army across the hitherto impassable Alps—it was by infusing into every soldier his own inflexible purpose; the same power is possessed in a high degree by Gen. Sherman; his soldiers think themselves able to execute whatever he commands.

We began our march with the cry, "On to Atlanta! Tunnel Hill and Rocky Face Mountain, deemed impregnable, are already ours! Resaca has fallen into our hands; and there are no difficulties to be surmounted greater than those we have already overcome. Cheer up, cheer up, boys! Atlanta shall soon be ours!"

With such feelings as those just expressed, on the morning of the 17th our army moved on in its conquering march, the men all in fine spirits, and confident of victory whenever the enemy would hazard a general engagement. We passed through Calhoun at eleven, A. M.—skirmishing began about three in the afternoon. We drove the enemy steadily as far as Adairsville, where they had a strong line of works. We began to throw up intrenchments to protect us during the night; the rebels began to shell us furiously while thus engaged; but failing to get the proper range, they did us no harm—our boys laughing gleefully and working zealously as the missiles went shrieking over their heads. We expected hot work in the morning; but when we awoke all was quiet, and we soon made the discovery that the enemy had departed during the night. Our lines were advanced; we entered Adairsville without opposition, and halted there for a few hours—moved forward again five or six miles, and went into camp for the night.

At seven o'clock the next morning we resumed our march, and reached Kingston at ten, A. M., where we rested an hour or two—the enemy still retreating, hotly pursued, however, by our advance, which had constant skirmishing with their rear-guard.

About one o'clock the enemy made a stand, and our artillery opened upon their line of battle, which was drawn up, apparently in force, in an open field. Our own lines being completed, we advanced upon them and took some prisoners, and drove them till night brought an end to our operations, having during the day driven them past Cassville, and compelled them to take refuge within a strong line of works, where it was reported that they intended to make a final stand. This intelligence was received with great satisfaction by our boys, who began to think that the enemy's strategy was to tire them to death by running after them, and many of them preferred fighting to marching. The Sixth Kentucky was thrown forward into the advance line, where they erected temporary works and spent the night on picket, expecting a battle with the coming light. Day came, but no battle; for, somewhat to our astonishment, after the reports we had heard, Mr. Johnston, as our boys termed the rebel chief, had again executed a night movement, for which he had already become famous—and will you believe it, reader, many were greatly disappointed because there was to be no fighting that day? We remained here two days to rest and replenish our haversacks, as rations had been brought up for a further advance. Our boys enjoyed the rest greatly—especially as they had begun to regard the campaign as a race rather than a conflict, and many were the jests at the expense of our fleet-footed foe, and a general, whose drummer-boys could not say, like the Scotch bagpiper, when asked to play a retreat, "that he had never learned to play that."

Up to this time my company had been acting as Provost Guard at head-quarters, in accordance with the expressed wish of Gen. Hazen; but in consequence of some changes in the regiment, I was sent back to it, with my company, and placed in command; and as this was by order of my brigade commander, Gen. Hazen, under whose eye I had been so long, I could not but esteem it as a great honor; and if I had any ambition to gain the praise of the good and the brave, it most certainly was gratified by an official paper, from which the following is an extract: "Capt. Johnston has always performed duty efficiently; has been in all the battles of the army till captured at Chickamauga; he was shot through and left for dead at Shiloh. He was, with one exception, the most active officer in preparing for, and effecting the escape of a large number of officers recently from Libby Prison." These, and other words still more complimentary, were signed, "W. B. Hazen, Brig.-Gen.;" and it would be affectation in me to say that I was not gratified by the approval of this noble gentleman and good soldier.

Previous to the commencement of the campaign Gen. Hazen had consolidated his brigade into four battalions, each composed of two regiments—each of which, when on the march and in battle, was commanded by the senior officer of the two regiments. The Twenty-Third Kentucky and the Sixth Kentucky were together, and commanded by Lieut.-Col. Foy. Being now in command of the regiment, I shall not attempt the task of giving a full history of the operations of the army during the remainder of the campaign; but content myself with those matters which came under my own eye, in which my own command was concerned.