About the 5th of July he was besieged again, Sherman getting easy possession of the Chattahoochee River both above and below him.  The enemy was again flanked out of his position, or so frightened by flanking movements that on the night of the 9th he fell back across the river.

Here Johnston made a stand until the 17th, when Sherman’s old tactics prevailed again and the final movement toward Atlanta began.  Johnston was now relieved of the command, and Hood superseded him.

Johnston’s tactics in this campaign do not seem to have met with much favor, either in the eyes of the administration at Richmond, or of the people of that section of the South in which he was commanding.  The very fact of a change of commanders being ordered under such circumstances was an indication of a change of policy, and that now they would become the aggressors—­the very thing our troops wanted.

For my own part, I think that Johnston’s tactics were right.  Anything that could have prolonged the war a year beyond the time that it did finally close, would probably have exhausted the North to such an extent that they might then have abandoned the contest and agreed to a separation.

Atlanta was very strongly intrenched all the way around in a circle about a mile and a half outside of the city.  In addition to this, there were advanced intrenchments which had to be taken before a close siege could be commenced.

Sure enough, as indicated by the change of commanders, the enemy was about to assume the offensive.  On the 20th he came out and attacked the Army of the Cumberland most furiously.  Hooker’s corps, and Newton’s and Johnson’s divisions were the principal ones engaged in this contest, which lasted more than an hour; but the Confederates were then forced to fall back inside their main lines.  The losses were quite heavy on both sides.  On this day General Gresham, since our Postmaster-General, was very badly wounded.  During the night Hood abandoned his outer lines, and our troops were advanced.  The investment had not been relinquished for a moment during the day.

During the night of the 21st Hood moved out again, passing by our left flank, which was then in motion to get a position farther in rear of him, and a desperate battle ensued, which lasted most of the day of the 22d.  At first the battle went very much in favor of the Confederates, our troops being somewhat surprised.  While our troops were advancing they were struck in flank, and their flank was enveloped.  But they had become too thorough veterans to be thrown into irreparable confusion by an unexpected attack when off their guard, and soon they were in order and engaging the enemy, with the advantage now of knowing where their antagonist was.  The field of battle continued to expand until it embraced about seven miles of ground.  Finally, however, and before night, the enemy was driven back into the city (26).