The American Civil War: Military Campaigns--Atlanta (May-September 1864)

Figure 1.--Federal troops by 1864 had taken many important Southern cities. After the Wilderness it was clear that Richmond would not easily be taken. This left Atlanta as the most important Southern city. And Sherman finally took it after a prolonged fight (September)--just in time to make an impression in the November presidetial election. Sherman after occupying Atlanta decided to launch his "March to the Sea" accross the heartland of the Condederacy. Here is what the Federals did to any railroad travks they encountered. Given the limited infrastructure of the South, there was no way tains could be reouted. Communication was permanently severed. This Georgia boy surveys the damage to the railroad line. The stereo card caption read, "How Sherman's boys fixed the railroad.: On the 'march to the sea' Sherman's army burned the bridges [mostly wood construction] and destroyed the railroads as they went. This view gives a scene of the destruction of the W. & A.R.R. [Western & Atlantic] The rails are first torn up, than the wooden ties are pried out and piled into heaps and burned; the iron rails are laid across the burning ties, and soon get hot enough in the middle so that the eight of the ends bend the rail up as here shown. Of course when they get cold they are simply good as 'old iron'." The W. & A.R.R. was the railroad whose General engine was made famous when it was comanderd by Federal soldiers on a raid.

Gen. William T. Sherman prepared to drive south from Chatanoga toward Atlanta, one of the largest southern cities. By this point of the War, after Gettyburg, Vicksburg, and now the disaster Chatanoga, most Southerners had given up any hope of a military victory. This did not mean, however, that all hope was lost. The Confederacy had a real prospect of winning the war if it could avoid military collspse. And this meant reataining the two princupal cities still in southern hands--Richmond and Atlanta. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia was defending Richmond. Joseph E. Johnston commnding the Army of Tennessee in north Georgia was defending Atlanta, As long as Richmond and Atlanta held, the Condederacy survived. And there was the hopw with the upcoming November elections that the northern electorate would turn against the War and the terrible losses. Sherman began the Atlanta campaign with a small at Tunnel Hill (May 1964). Sherman had several reasons to be confident of victory. 1) He had a substantial numerical superiority (two to one). 2) He was well supplied. 3) Morale was high after the victory at Chatanooga, and 4) Johnston had the reputation as an unaggressive commander. Johnson proved, however, to be a resourceful commander that effectively used the terraine of north Georgia to his advantage. Sherman advanced, but only slowly and at heavy cost. The outnummered southern forces gradually fell back, but fought a dogged defensive campaign and although outnumbered managed to hold the the line. It is at this point that President Jefferson Davis intervened. He failed to appreciate the considerable ahievement of Johnston in holding a much larger Federal Army in check. Desiring a clear cut military victory, he dismissed Johnston and gave comand to the firey Texan, John Bell Hood. Hood launched attacks against the far superior Federal forces. The massive losses so depleted the Confederate forces that Atlnta coukd no longer be defended. Sherman after a gruelling campaign finally took Atlanta (September 1864). One historin writes in an account of one northern regiment, "The good news arrived at noontime on Friday, Septemjber 2, 1864, when an order reached the camp of the 154th New York Volunteer Infantry at Paves Ferry on the Chattahooche River; Pack up and prepare to march to Atlanta. During the night the Condederate army had abandoned the city. After four months of marching and fighing over the rugged terrain of northern Georgia, a grueling and bloody campaign--the toughest the regiment had endured in two years of service--was coming to an end, capped with success. The soldiers quickly struck tents, packed gear, formed behind an artillery battery as brigade rear guard, and wound their way toward Atlanta." [Dunkelman] Sherman after occupying Atlanta decided to launch his "March to the Sea" accross the heartland of the Condederacy.

Military Situation (Spring 1864)

Gen. William T. Sherman prepared to drive south from Chatanoga toward Atlanta, one of the largest southern cities. By this point of the War, after Gettyburg, Vicksburg, and now the disaster Chatanoga, most Southerners had given up any hope of a military victory. This did not mean, however, that all hope was lost. The Confederacy had a real prospect of winning the war if it could avoid military collspse. And this meant reataining the two princupal cities still in southern hands--Richmond and Atlanta. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia was defending Richmond. Joseph E. Johnston commnding the Army of Tennessee in north Georgia was defending Atlanta, As long as Richmond and Atlanta held, the Condederacy survived. And there was the hope with the upcoming November elections that the northern electorate would turn against the War and the terrible losses. The former Federal General was a very popular figur, bith with the amy and the northern electorate. And McClellan made it very clear that he would end the War through negotiation. This would have meant canceling the empancipation Rclamation nd restablisjing slavery.

Sherman's Army

Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman, after Grant's promtion to general in chief of the Federal arm, was given command of the Military Division of the Mississippi. He was ordered to advance from Chattanooga, Tennessee and seize Atlanta, Georgia. He had three armies under his command. Army of the Tennessee, Army of the Cumbeland, and Army of the Ohio. (Note these are like Meade;s army of the Poltoma, based on ,major river systems.) Sherman began the Atlanta campaign with a small action at Tunnel Hill (May 1964). And from here he planned the Atlanta campaign. It is location of a 1,497 feet long railroad tunnel through Chetoogeta Mountain. The Tunnel featured in the Great Locomotive Chase during 1862. Homes around the Tunnel Hill were part of a major hospital system where wounded Condederates were treated. Gen. John Bell Hood was brought to the Clisby Austin House after the Battle of Chickamauga. Sherman had several reasons to be confident of victory. 1) He had a substantial numerical superiority (two to one). 2) He was well supplied. 3) Morale was high after the victory at Chatanooga, and 4) Johnson had the reputation as an unaggressive commander.

Conederate Defense of Atlanta (May-June)

Johnson proved to be a resourceful commander that effectively used the rugged, moutainous terraine of north Georgia to his advantage. The outnummered southern forces gradually fell back, but fought a dogged defensive campaign and although outnumbered managed to hold the the line. Sherman's campaign was a series of flanking maneuvers against positions that Johnston manahed to fortify. This forced the Confederates to fall back. It was a slow process, bu there were minimal casualties suffered on both side. After two months of slow, but steady advances moving 70 miles toward Atlanta, Sherman reached the imposing entrenched Comfederate works at Kennesaw Mountain. Here Johnston gained a rare victory (June 1864). Kennesaw Mountain is a high-running ridge between Marietta and Kennesaw, Georgia which effectively blocked the Federal Advance and where manuever was difficult. Sherman attacked launched a bloody frontal attack on the Confederates. Gen. James B. McPherson launched feinting attacks on the northern end of Kennesaw Mountain. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan launched the primary assault at lower lying Pigeon Hill on the southwest corner. Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas launched attacks against Cheatham Hill at the center of the Confederate line to make sure that the Confederates could not shift units. The assulting Federal forces suffered heavy losses. Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield thretened to envelop the Confederate left flank. Johnston decided to withdraw into the strong defenses around Atlanta. At this point of the War, a stalemate was largely a Confederate victory. And Sherman did not want to have to directly assult the Atlanta dfenses which would have mean more costly frontal assults.

Hood Given Command (July)

It is at this point that Confederate President Jefferson Davis intervened. Johnston had fought a skillful defensive campaign against Sherman's superior forces. Davis failed to appreciate the considerable chievement of Johnston in holding a much larger Federal Army in check and the potential impact on the November elections in the North. Desiring a clear cut military victory, Davis dismissed Johnston (July 17). He gave gave comand to the firey Texan, John Bell Hood. Hood changed tactics. He launched a series of unsuccessful, but costly attacks against Sherman's far superior Federal forces. Hood was aggressive, but had little tactucal finese. His basic approach was fronatal assualts on entrenched Federal positions. The key to saving Atlanta became the Macon & Western Railroad the last Confederate supply line. And Sherman began to extend theencirclement of Atlanta. He attacked at Peachtree Creek only 3 days after taking command (July 20). The major battle was fought at Atlanta/Decatur (July 22), and Ezra Church (July 28). Hood commited Sephen D. Lee's corps of 11,000 men to halt the Federals near Ezra Church. Here he faced two Fedral corps with about 9,000 men of the Army of the Tennesee commanded by Major General Oliver O. Howard, but they were entrenched. Lee's men attacked again and again throughout the day. They came close to turning theFedral flank, but they held. Lee stopped theFedral advance, but lost 3,000 men dead and wounded--a fourth of his command. The Federals lost only 632 men. [Hess] These were losses the Conderderates could not sustain. Hood suffered enormous losses without achieving tactical advantage. Sherman bgan besieging Atlanta from the north. He sent much of his army in a wide swing south to cut the city's last rail links. Hood attempted to reopne the rail links in the virtuall suisidal Battle of Jonesboro (August 31 and September 1). The losses were catertophic with the already depleted Confederate forces. As a result of the mounting lossses, Hood could no longer man the very strong defenses around Atlanta. Hood attacked again to save his railroad. The desimated Army of Tennesse could no longer defend Atlanta and had to evacuate the city. Had President Davis kept Jphnston in command, there is little doubt that Atlanta with its strong defenses could have held out until after the all-imprtant November election.

Atlanta Falls (September)

Sherman after a gruelling campaign in north Georgia finally took Atlanta (September 1864). One historin writes in an account of one northern regiment, "The good news arrived at noontime on Friday, Septemjber 2, 1864, when an order reached the camp of the 154th New York Volunteer Infantry at Paves Ferry on the Chattahooche River; Pack up and prepare to march to Atlanta. During the night the Condederate army had abandoned the city. After four months of marching and fighing over the rugged terrain of northern Georgia, a grueling and bloody campaign--the toughest the regiment had endured in two years of service--was coming to an end, capped with success. The soldiers quickly struck tents, packed gear, formed behind an artillery battery as brigade rear guard, and wound their way toward Atlanta." [Dunkelman]

Presidential Election (November)

Military victory for the South was no longer possible. The South's only hope by 1864 was that the Northern public would tire of the continuing losses. Lincoln was challenged in the 1864 election by one of his fired General's--George McClellan. He was southern sypethizer who believed he could bring the south bck by ccepting slvery. Sentiment against the War and the guge cost in men and treasure was rising. There were draft riots in New York. Lincoln for a time was despondent. All indications were that he would lose the election. He met with Stephen Douglas discussing how to get as many blacks as possible north before McClellan became president. Then good news began to arrive. The most important wss from Sherman in the North Georgia campaign. After months of hard fighting Atlanta had finally fallen (September 1864). Lincoln won reelection, beating Mcclellan in a landslide (November 1864). Confederate armies continued to fight after the elction, but there was no possibility that Lincon and his generals would not fight the War to a bloody conclusion. There would be no negotiated peace.

March to the Sea (November-December)

Sherman after occupying Atlanta decided to launch a 'March to the Sea' accross the heartland of the still undefeated Condederacy. It would mean an offensive that would mean deoarting from existing supply lines. Sherman spent several weeks making preparations and supplying his army. They would have to exust on the supplies they could carry. They would have to make do with what they carried until they reached the coast and ports where the U.S. Navy could resupply them. Sherman had various options. One was to drive south through Alabama to Mobile. Sherman rejected this, arguing that after Rear Admiral David G. Farragut closed Mobile Bay (August 1864), the Alabama port had no military significance. He decided instead to march southeast toward Savannah and Charleston. A look at the map makes it obvious tghat Sherman could best support Grant from the Carolinas rather than southern Alabama. This was primarily Sherman;s dcision. He ordered his staff to study available census records to determine which route could provide food for his troops and needed forage for the mules and horses. President Lincoln was skeptical and concerned about move into Confederate territory before the November election. Sherman suceeded in persuading his close military colleage, and Fdral Commander in Chied, Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant, that his plan was the best option and could be conducted in winter. Grant's intervention persuaded President Lincoln, although Sherman's the camapign was delayed until after election day. Sherman after the War chronicled his wartime experiences in a memoir. The March to the Sea proved to be the most destructive campaign against the civilian economy during the Civil War (1861-65), Sherman's Army marched out of Atlanta (November 15). He abandoned his supply line and marched across Georgia toward Savana, Georgia on the Atlantic Ocean. He had several purposes in mind. He wanted to prove to the people of the South that the Confedrate government could not protect them. He is said to have practiced psychological warfare. He thought that by marching his army across the state he would demonstrate not only to the South, but to the world that the Federal Goivernment and its massive Grand Army of the Republic could not resist. "This may not be war, but rather statesmanship," he is reported as saying. This idea, however, van be overstated. A major impact of the March was to destroy war indstries and cut rail links between war indusries in Georgia and Aabama and the principal Confederate field armies (the Army of the Tennesee and the Army of Northern Virginia). [Ogden] Often underestimated is how even outnumbered defendrs could wreak terrible damage on attacking forces if adequately supplied. This is often forgotten by historians who criticize Sherman's march. Few Federal trooper who faced Confedeate works at Cold Harbor would have failed to understand this. Sherman's Army reached Savannah (December 21, 1864).

Sources

Dunkelman, Mark H. Marching with Sherman: Through Georgia and the Carolinas with the 154th New York (2002).

Hess, Earl J. The Battle of Ezra Church and the Struggle for Atlanta (2015), 304p.

Ogden, Jim. "Confederate weapons industries in Georgia," American History TV-C-Span 3 (March 22, 2014). Ogden is the Chief Historian at the Chickmagua and Chatanooga National Militry Park.

Sherman, William Techuseh. Memoirs of General William T. Sherman (1875).

Created: 11:57 PM 4/20/2014
Last updated: 8:57 AM 6/6/2015