, ▁L t . ▁Gen . ▁H ood , ▁was ▁left ▁with ▁the ▁" virt ually ▁impossible ▁situation " ▁of ▁def ending ▁Atlanta , ▁which ▁he ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁abandon ▁in ▁September . ▁Davis ' s ▁decision ▁to ▁remove ▁John ston ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁controvers ial ▁of ▁the ▁war . ▁ ▁North ▁Carolina ▁and ▁surrender ▁at ▁Ben nett ▁Place ▁ ▁John ston ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁Columbia , ▁South ▁Carolina , ▁to ▁begin ▁a ▁virtual ▁ret irement . ▁However , ▁as ▁the ▁Confeder acy ▁became ▁increasing ly ▁concerned ▁about ▁Sh erman ' s ▁March ▁to ▁the ▁Sea ▁across ▁Georgia ▁and ▁then ▁north ▁through ▁the ▁Carol inas , ▁the ▁public ▁cl am ored ▁for ▁John ston ' s ▁return . ▁The ▁general ▁in ▁charge ▁of ▁the ▁Western ▁Theater , ▁P . G . T . ▁Be a ure g ard , ▁was ▁making ▁little ▁progress ▁against ▁the ▁adv ancing ▁Union ▁force . ▁Political ▁oppon ents ▁of ▁Jefferson ▁Davis , ▁such ▁as ▁Sen . ▁Louis ▁W ig fall , ▁added ▁to ▁the ▁pressure ▁in ▁Congress . ▁D iar ist ▁Mary ▁Ch es nut ▁wrote , ▁" We ▁thought ▁this ▁was ▁a ▁struggle ▁for ▁independence . ▁Now ▁it ▁seems ▁it ▁is ▁only ▁a ▁fight ▁between ▁Joe ▁John ston ▁and ▁Jeff ▁Davis ." ▁In ▁January ▁ 1 8 6 5 , ▁the ▁Congress ▁passed ▁a ▁law ▁author izing ▁Robert ▁E . ▁Lee ▁the ▁powers ▁of ▁general ▁in ▁chief , ▁and ▁recomm ending ▁that ▁John ston ▁be ▁re inst ated ▁as ▁the ▁commander ▁of ▁the ▁Army