ile the enemy had thrown up works, at some points nearer
even than those at Petersburg.

At dawn on the 27th, Sherman attacked along the whole line, directing
his main strength to Kenesaw Mountain. He was repulsed decisively on
both flanks and with especial slaughter in the center; losing over
3,500 men. Next day Cleburne's division defeated McPherson's corps in a
severe fight, inflicting even heavier loss than it had sustained at
Kenesaw Mountain. But these fights--while retarding the enemy's advance
and causing him a loss three times our own--were all nullified by
Sherman's effective use of that flanking process, so strangely misused
by his rival in Virginia. Those movements were but those of pawns upon
the board; while the serious check to Johnston at Dalton--the flank
movement upon his right--was repeated here. On the 4th of July he was
flanked out of his mountain fastnesses and was falling back upon
Atlanta.

There is no stronger proof of the hold General Johnston had upon the
masses of the people and of their respectful confidence in his great
ability, than their reception of this news. They had watched his long
retreat almost without a fight; had seen the enemy penetrate almost to
the heart of Georgia, occupying rich tracts of our most productive
land, just ready for the harvest; and finally had heard him thundering
at the very gates of Atlanta--to enter which they felt were death to
us. And yet the people never murmured at their general, nor at the army
he commanded. There was an unshaken conviction that he was doing his
best; that his best was _the_ best. But the Government had not
forgotten nor forgiven General Johnston; and for wholly inexplicable
reasons, he was summarily transferred from his command and replaced by
General Hood, on the 18th of July.

People could not see the ground for Johnston's removal; for he had
followed the very same line that had earned General Lee the wildest
enthusiasm of the people, even while it gave him almost supreme control
of the military power of the Confederacy. Lee had fallen back to his
proper base--so had Johnston. The former had faced far greater odds and
had inflicted far heavier punishment upon the enemy; but the latter had
contended against strategic ability rather than blind force--against
human sagacity rather than brute courage. And if Johnston had inflicted
less damage, his wise abstinence from battle had saved many lives,
invaluable now; and in the end he had