Dawes in his account said the fighting at that point became "hot and heavy" receiving fire from a nearby Confederate battery, which was inflicting heavy losses on the 57th Ohio infantry. Senior Captain Wells Jones was now in command of the reassembled company, at which time Dawes informed him that Appler had run away and that he (Dawes) had ordered his regiment to close up the right to help the 57th infantry. Jones agreed and Dawes set out and informed the other company commanders what had transpired. In April, 1862, Colonel Jesse J. Appler was relieved from the command of the 53rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry. After the Battle of Shiloh, Confederate General P. G. T. Beauregard and his defeated army managed to escape back to Corinth. Major General Henry Halleck, who received much criticism for allowing Beauregard to escape, finally pursued the Confederates three weeks after the battle, on May 3, and conducted a month-long siege of the city that lasted until May 30, 1862. The siege resulted in the capture of the town by Federal forces. In January 1863, before the actual engagement Dawes was promoted to the rank of Major of his regiment in preference over other Captains. In this capacity he served under General Ulysses S. Grant. As Major he served in the Vicksburg campaign under General Grant and engaged the Confederates at Black river, which resulted in the capture of this strategic city on the Mississippi River. The Siege of Vicksburg, on May 18 – July 4, 1863, was the final major military action in the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War. After Dawes and the 53rd advanced on Jackson, Mississippi and participated in the capture of that city. Dawes and the 53rd then returned to the Black river and went into camp. Dawes and his regiment was transferred to eastern Tennessee and participated in the battle of Missionary ridge. Dawes next served under General Sherman during his advance against Jackson, Mississippi, and by early 1864 his regiment was again with Sherman's army during his march to the Sea to against Atlanta, engaging in the Battle of Resaca, May 13–15, 1864, and later at the Battle of Dallas. In 1864 Dawes's regiment under Sherman’s advanced against Confederate forces in Atlanta, engaging in the battles at Resaca and Dallas which occurred between May 26 and June 4, 1864, in and around Dallas, Georgia, between Lt. General William J. Hardee's Confederate corps and the Union defense line, held by the XV Corps under Maj. General John A. Logan of the Army of the Tennessee.