54 LIVES OF THE PRESIDENTS noon a heavy attack was made by the enemy, but was successfully resisted. That night the National forces were withdrawn to their former positions. Meade s loss was 143 killed, 653 wounded, and 488 missing ; the enemy s was greater, as he lost in pris oners alone about 1,300 men. Butler s loss on this day was 700 in killed and wounded, and 400 missing. Sherman destroyed the railroad in his rear, cut loose from his base, and set out from Atlanta, November 16, on his march to Savannah. Gen. John D. Hood, who had superseded Johnston, in stead of following Sherman, turned northward and moved his army against Thomas, who had been placed in command of the troops left for the de fence of Tennessee. Thomas concentrated his forces in the vicinity of Nashville. Schofield was at Franklin, twenty-five miles from Nashville, with about 26,000 men. Hood attacked him on Novem ber 30, but after a hotly contested battle was re pelled with heavy loss. Thomas, with his entire army, attacked Hood, and in the battle of Nash ville, December 15 and 16, completely defeated the enemy, capturing 53 guns and 4,462 prisoners, and drove him south of Tennessee river. Sherman reached the sea-coast near Savannah on December 14, after destroying about 200 miles of railroad and $100,000,000 worth of property. He invested
