May 24, marched, via Van Wert, toward Dallas, a distance of twelve miles, campaing near a branch of Raccoon Creek. May 25, marched to a position west of Dallas, on Pumpkin Vine Creek. Heavy skirmishing was heard some five miles distant toward the northeast. May 26, the command was advanced in two columns, the Fifteenth Corps on the right and Sixteenth Corps on the left, through the town. The enemy's outposts on the wsest side of the town having been dislodged and driven back by the cavalry of General Garrard, the skirmishers came upon the enemy some two miles beyond the town. Before night it was ascertained that the enemy's general line ran north- northeast and crossed the Powder Springs road. The command was placed in position, Fifteenth Corps on the right and Sixteenth Corps on the left, extending across the Villa Rica road. The cavalrty of the of General Garrard prolonged the line still farther to the right. A line of works was constructed during the night. On the 27th a great deal of artillery firing and skirmishing occurrred in front of the Fifteenth Corps, and a demonstration was made by the enemy during the afternoon. His advance was quickly repelled. The Sixteenth Corps was engaged in a similar manner. It took up and fortified an advacned position.

It appears, in accordance with General Sherman's Special Field Ordres, Numbers 12, May 26, that General McPheron was directed on the following morning (27th) to form a junction with General Davis at or near Dallas, and then move stright toward the enemy at New Hope Church, until he made connection with General Hooker's right. General Hooker had approached New Hope Church from a directon at right angles to General McPherson's line of march, and after General McPherson, in ovedience to the above instructions, had moved orward and encountered the enemy's works, there was still an iterval of some threee or four miles between General McPherson's left and General Hooker's right. In General McPherson's letter of May 27 he says:

I cannot well work toward the left; certainly not until I have the trains and everything out of the way, for as soon as we uncover this flank (right) the enemy will by on it.

Subsequent to this letter General Shrman writes that the army must be united, and directs that prepartations be made for gaining ground to the left. General Davis, with his division of the Fourteenth Corps, occupied the interval with not much more strength than a picket- line, owing to the extensio. According to General Sheman's instructions all preliminary preparations were mde for the movement, which was to be completeed by the troops on the night of the 28th. The 28th opened with considerable skirmishing along the entire front, which was kept up till afternoon. At 6.25 p. m. General McPherson wrote to General Sherman:

The enemy attacked us in force at 4.45 p. m. along the whole extent of the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Corps, alnd was handsomely repulsed, with heavy loss on his side and considerable on ours. We are now bringing in prisoners a dwounded. Unless an imperative necessity demands it, I do not see how I can mve to- night; besides, the effect on our own men will be bad.

The movement for that night was postponed. The assault on some parts of the line General Logan reports to have been with-

The utmost dash and confidence.* * * May aggregate loss was 379. We captured 97 prisoners. We buried of the enemy's dead in my front over 300 bodies.