a ure g ard , ▁but ▁sens ing ▁Davis ' s ▁dis com fort , ▁changed ▁his ▁recommendation ▁to ▁John ston . ▁After ▁much ▁ag on izing , ▁Davis ▁appointed ▁John ston ▁to ▁command ▁the ▁Army ▁of ▁Tennessee ▁in ▁Dal ton , ▁Georgia , ▁on ▁December ▁ 2 7 , ▁ 1 8 6 3 . ▁ ▁Atlanta ▁Camp aign ▁ ▁Fac ed ▁with ▁Maj . ▁Gen . ▁William ▁T . ▁Sh erman ' s ▁advance ▁from ▁Ch att ano oga ▁to ▁Atlanta ▁in ▁the ▁spring ▁of ▁ 1 8 6 4 , ▁John ston ▁conducted ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁withdraw als ▁that ▁appeared ▁similar ▁to ▁his ▁Pen ins ula ▁Camp aign ▁strategy . ▁He ▁repeatedly ▁prepared ▁strong ▁def ensive ▁positions , ▁only ▁to ▁see ▁Sh erman ▁man eu ver ▁around ▁them ▁in ▁expert ▁turning ▁movements , ▁causing ▁him ▁to ▁fall ▁back ▁in ▁the ▁general ▁direction ▁of ▁Atlanta . ▁John ston ▁saw ▁the ▁pres ervation ▁of ▁his ▁army ▁as ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁consideration , ▁and ▁hence ▁conducted ▁a ▁very ▁c aut ious ▁campaign . ▁He ▁handled ▁his ▁army ▁well , ▁slow ing ▁the ▁Union ▁advance ▁and ▁inf lic ting ▁heav ier ▁losses ▁than ▁he ▁sust ained . ▁ ▁Sh erman ▁began ▁his ▁Atlanta ▁Camp aign ▁on ▁May ▁ 4 . ▁John ston ' s ▁Army ▁of ▁Tennessee ▁fought ▁def ensive ▁batt les ▁against ▁the ▁Feder als ▁at ▁the ▁approaches ▁to ▁Dal ton , ▁which ▁was ▁ev acu ated ▁on ▁May ▁ 1 3 , ▁then ▁retre ated ▁ 1 2 ▁miles ▁south ▁to ▁Res