Battle of Cassville

Battle of Cassville
Part of the American Civil War
After the clash at Cassville, the Confederate army retreated across the Etowah River, shown in the above photograph. The railroad and bridge are at right, looking south toward Allatoona Pass.
Date May 19, 1864 Location Cassville, Bartow County, Georgia Result Union strategic victory
Belligerents
United States	Confederate States
Commanders and leaders
William T. Sherman	Joseph E. Johnston
Units involved
Military Division of the Mississippi	Army of Tennessee
Strength
99,000 minus losses[note 1]	70,000–74,000[1]
Casualties and losses
light	light

The Battle of Cassville (May 19, 1864) was a clash between the Union Army under Major General William T. Sherman and the Confederate Army of Tennessee led by General Joseph E. Johnston during the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War. Johnston attempted to strike a fraction of Sherman's forces with two of his three infantry corps, but the plan miscarried when a Union force appeared from an unexpected direction. Later in the day, Johnston withdrew to a line of field works on a ridge to await attack. However, two of his corps commanders reported that their defenses were enfiladed by Federal artillery fire and that the position could not be held. That night, Johnston decided to withdraw his army south of the Etowah River to a new defense line.

After the Atlanta campaign began in early May, Sherman maneuvered Johnston out of the Dalton position in the Battle of Rocky Face Ridge. Johnston withdrew farther south after the Battle of Resaca and there was a clash at the Battle of Adairsville on May 17. Noting that Sherman allowed his forces to become spread out, Johnston concentrated the bulk of his army at Cassville. He successfully led Sherman to believe that the main Confederate forces were retreating to Kingston. May 19 found most of Johnston's army at Cassville, confronting only two of Sherman's six infantry corps. Johnston planned to hit the Federals from two sides, but two divisions of Union cavalry suddenly emerged in the rear of one Confederate corps, causing Johnston to fall back to a new position. When his new defenses proved untenable, Johnston abandoned the Cassville position.

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