Battle of Atlanta: Difference between revisions
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[[File:PottersHouseAtlanta1864.jpg|thumb|250px|Potter's House in Atlanta housed Confederate sharpshooters until Union artillery made a special target of it.]] |
[[File:PottersHouseAtlanta1864.jpg|thumb|250px|Potter's House in Atlanta housed Confederate sharpshooters until Union artillery made a special target of it.]] |
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The Union had suffered 3,641 casualties, including Major General McPherson,{{sfn|Ecelbarger|2010|p=233}} the Confederates 8,499.<ref name=NPSAtlanta/> This was a devastating loss for the already reduced Confederate Army, but they still held the city. Sherman settled into a siege of Atlanta, shelling the city and sending raids west and south of the city to cut off the supply lines from [[Macon, Georgia]] |
The Union had suffered 3,641 casualties, including Major General McPherson,{{sfn|Ecelbarger|2010|p=233}} the Confederates 8,499.<ref name=NPSAtlanta/> This was a devastating loss for the already reduced Confederate Army, but they still held the city. Sherman settled into a siege of Atlanta, shelling the city and sending raids west and south of the city to cut off the supply lines from [[Macon, Georgia]], resulting in the Finally, on August 31 at [[Battle of Jonesborough|Jonesborough, Georgia]], Sherman's army captured the railroad track from Macon, pushing the Confederates to [[Lovejoy, Georgia|Lovejoy's Station]]. With his supply lines fully severed, Hood pulled his troops out of Atlanta the next day, September 1,<ref name="Garrett"/> destroying supply depots as he left to prevent them from falling into Union hands. He also set fire to eighty-one loaded ammunition cars, which led to a conflagration watched by hundreds of residents from afar.<ref name="Garrett">{{cite book|last=Garrett|first=Franklin|title=Atlanta and Environs: A Chronicle of Its People and Events: Vol. 1: 1820s-1870s|pages=633–638|url=http://www.artery.org/08_history/UpperArtery/CivilWar/FMGarrettsSurrender.html|accessdate=18 January 2011}}</ref> |
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On September 2, {{sfn|Boyer et al.|2007|p=457}}, Mayor [[James Calhoun]],<ref name="MSAA">{{cite web|title=Surrender of Atlanta, September 2, 1864|url=http://www.artery.org/08_history/UpperArtery/CivilWar/CWM-Surrender.html|publisher=Marietta Street Artery Association|accessdate=18 January 2011}}</ref> along with a committee comprised of Union-leaning citizens including [[William Markham (mayor)|William Markham]],<ref name="Garrett"/> [[Jonathan Norcross]], and [[Edward Rawson (businessman)|Edward Rawson]], met a captain on the staff of Maj. Gen. [[Henry Warner Slocum|Henry W. Slocum]] and surrendered the city. Sherman sent a telegram to Washington reading, "Atlanta is ours, and fairly won".{{sfn|Cox|1994|p=xv}} He then established his headquarters there on September 7, where he stayed for two months. |
On September 2, {{sfn|Boyer et al.|2007|p=457}}, Mayor [[James Calhoun]],<ref name="MSAA">{{cite web|title=Surrender of Atlanta, September 2, 1864|url=http://www.artery.org/08_history/UpperArtery/CivilWar/CWM-Surrender.html|publisher=Marietta Street Artery Association|accessdate=18 January 2011}}</ref> along with a committee comprised of Union-leaning citizens including [[William Markham (mayor)|William Markham]],<ref name="Garrett"/> [[Jonathan Norcross]], and [[Edward Rawson (businessman)|Edward Rawson]], met a captain on the staff of Maj. Gen. [[Henry Warner Slocum|Henry W. Slocum]] and surrendered the city, asking for "protection to non-combatants and private property".<ref name="Garrett"/> Sherman, who was in Jonesborogh at the time of surrender,<ref name="Garrett"/> sent a telegram to Washington on September 3 reading, "Atlanta is ours, and fairly won".{{sfn|Cox|1994|p=xv}}<ref name=LoC1>{{cite web|title=Today in History: September 1|url=http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/sep01.html|publisher=Library of Congress|accessdate=21 January 2011}}</ref> He then established his headquarters there on September 7, where he stayed for two months. In November, Sherman's army burned all but about 400 buildings; estimates of the number of buildings destroyed range from 3,200 to 5,000.{{sfn|Bonds|2009|p=363}} The army then departed east toward [[Savannah, Georgia|Savannah]] on what would become known as [[Sherman's March to the Sea]].{{sfn|Boyer et al.|2007|p=457}} |
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==Aftermath== |
==Aftermath== |
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Revision as of 16:26, 21 January 2011
33°22′N 84°33′W / 33.37°N 84.55°W
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The Battle of Atlanta was a battle of the Atlanta Campaign fought during the American Civil War on July 22, 1864, just southeast of Atlanta, Georgia.[5] Continuing their summer campaign to seize the important rail and supply center of Atlanta, Union forces overwhelmed and defeated Confederate forces defending the city. Despite the implication of finality in its name, the battle occurred midway through the campaign and the city would not fall until September 2, 1864, after a Union siege.
The fall of Atlanta was especially noteworthy for its political ramifications. In the 1864 election, former Union General George B. McClellan, a Democrat, ran against President Lincoln on a peace platform calling for truce with the Confederacy. The capture of Atlanta and Hood's burning of military facilities as he evacuated were extensively covered by Northern newspapers, and significantly boosted Northern morale. Lincoln was reelected by a comfortable margin.
Background
In the Atlanta Campaign, Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman commanded the Union forces of the Western Theater. The main Union force in this battle was the Army of the Tennessee, under Maj. Gen. James B. McPherson. He was one of Sherman's and Grant's favorite commanders, as he was very quick and aggressive. Within Sherman's army, the XV Corps was commanded by Maj. Gen. John A. Logan,[6] the XVI Corps was commanded by Maj. Gen. Grenville M. Dodge, and Maj. Gen. Frank P. Blair Jr. commanded the XVII Corps.[7]
During the months leading up to the battle, Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston had repeatedly retreated from Sherman's superior force. All along the railroad line from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Marietta, Georgia, a pattern was played and replayed: Johnston would take up a defensive position, Sherman would march to outflank the Confederate defenses, and Johnston would retreat again. After Johnston's withdrawal following the Battle of Resaca, the two armies clashed again at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, but the Confederate senior leadership in Richmond was unhappy with Johnston's perceived reluctance to fight the Union army, even though he had little chance of winning. Thus, on July 17, 1864, as he was preparing for the Battle of Peachtree Creek, Johnston was relieved of his command and replaced by Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood.[8] The dismissal and replacement of Johnston was one of the most controvertial decisions of the Civil War.[9] Hood commanded approximately 51,000 men[3] against Sherman commanding almost 100,000 men.[2] Hood, who was fond of taking risks,[8] lashed out at Sherman's army at Peachtree Creek, but the attack failed with almost five thousand Confederate casualties.[10]
Hood, with his vastly outnumbered army, was faced with two problems. First, he needed to defend the city of Atlanta, which was a very important rail hub and industrial center for the Confederacy. Second, his army was small in comparison to the enormous armies that Sherman commanded. He decided to withdraw inwards, enticing the Union troops to come forward. McPherson's army closed in from Decatur, Georgia, to the east side of Atlanta.[1]
Battle
Meanwhile, Hood ordered Lt. Gen. William J. Hardee's corps on a march around the Union left flank, had Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler's cavalry march near Sherman's supply line, and had Maj. Gen. Benjamin Cheatham's corps attack the Union front. However, it took longer than expected for Hardee to get his men in position, and during that time, McPherson had correctly deduced a possible threat to his left flank, and sent XVI Corps, his reserve, to help strengthen it.[1] Hardee's force met this other force, and the battle began. Although the initial Confederate attack was repulsed, the Union left flank began to retreat. About this time, McPherson, who had ridden to the front to observe the battle, was mortally injured by Confederate infantry.[11]
Near Decatur, Brig. Gen. John W. Sprague, in command of the 2nd Brigade, 4th Division of the XVI Corps,[12] masterfully conducted a delaying action under heavy enemy fire. With only a small command, he defeated an overwhelming Confederate force and saved the ordnance and supply trains of the XV, XVI, XVII, and XX Corps. Sprague would later be awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions.[13]
The main lines of battle now formed an "L" shape, with Hardee's attack forming the lower part of the "L" and Cheatham's attack on the Union front as the vertical member of the "L". If successful, Hood could later on surround the Union troops and win the battle. However, Hardee's attack stalled as the Union XVI Corps regrouped and held the line. Meanwhile, Cheatham's troops had broken through the Union lines, but Sherman massed twenty artillery pieces near his headquarters, and had them shell the Confederates, while Logan's XV Corps regrouped and repulsed the Southern troops.[1]
Siege and closure
The Union had suffered 3,641 casualties, including Major General McPherson,[6] the Confederates 8,499.[1] This was a devastating loss for the already reduced Confederate Army, but they still held the city. Sherman settled into a siege of Atlanta, shelling the city and sending raids west and south of the city to cut off the supply lines from Macon, Georgia, resulting in the Finally, on August 31 at Jonesborough, Georgia, Sherman's army captured the railroad track from Macon, pushing the Confederates to Lovejoy's Station. With his supply lines fully severed, Hood pulled his troops out of Atlanta the next day, September 1,[14] destroying supply depots as he left to prevent them from falling into Union hands. He also set fire to eighty-one loaded ammunition cars, which led to a conflagration watched by hundreds of residents from afar.[14]
On September 2, [8], Mayor James Calhoun,[15] along with a committee comprised of Union-leaning citizens including William Markham,[14] Jonathan Norcross, and Edward Rawson, met a captain on the staff of Maj. Gen. Henry W. Slocum and surrendered the city, asking for "protection to non-combatants and private property".[14] Sherman, who was in Jonesborogh at the time of surrender,[14] sent a telegram to Washington on September 3 reading, "Atlanta is ours, and fairly won".[16][17] He then established his headquarters there on September 7, where he stayed for two months. In November, Sherman's army burned all but about 400 buildings; estimates of the number of buildings destroyed range from 3,200 to 5,000.[18] The army then departed east toward Savannah on what would become known as Sherman's March to the Sea.[8]
Aftermath
The fall of Atlanta was especially noteworthy for its political ramifications. In the 1864 election, former Union General George B. McClellan, a Democrat, ran against President Lincoln on a peace platform calling for truce with the Confederacy, although McCellan himself advocated continuing the war until the defeat of the Confederacy. Had this truce been achieved, it is highly unlikely that the war could ever have been restarted. However, the capture of Atlanta and Hood's burning of military facilities as he evacuated were extensively covered by Northern newspapers, and significantly boosted Northern morale. Lincoln was reelected by a comfortable margin, with 212 out of 233 electoral votes. His reelection allowed for the passage and ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865.[8]
The battlefield is now urban residential and commercial land, with only a few markers memorializing the history of the battle. To commemorate the 140th anniversary of the battle in 2004, two new markers were erected in the Inman Park neighborhood. The "L"-shaped line of battle roughly corresponds to what is now Moreland Avenue between Little Five Points and I-20 as the north-south line and Interstate 20 as the east-west line where Hardee made his attack. The Atlanta Cyclorama building, built in 1921, contains a painting and museum of the battle.[19]
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Battle Summary: Atlanta, GA". National Park Service. Retrieved 27 December 2010.
- ^ a b Golden, Randy. "The Battle of Peachtree Creek". About North Georgia. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
- ^ a b Cox 1994, p. 243.
- ^ a b Kennedy 1998, p. 340.
- ^ Cozzens 2002, p. 546.
- ^ a b Ecelbarger 2010, p. 233.
- ^ Ecelbarger 2010, p. 237.
- ^ a b c d e Boyer et al. 2007, p. 457.
- ^ Symonds 1994, p. 326.
- ^ "Battle Summary: Peachtree Creek, GA". National Park Service. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
- ^ Ecelbarger 2010, p. 115.
- ^ Ecelbarger 2010, p. 236.
- ^ "Civil War Medal of Honor Recipients - (M-Z)". U.S. Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 27 December 2010.
- ^ a b c d e Garrett, Franklin. Atlanta and Environs: A Chronicle of Its People and Events: Vol. 1: 1820s-1870s. pp. 633–638. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
- ^ "Surrender of Atlanta, September 2, 1864". Marietta Street Artery Association. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
- ^ Cox 1994, p. xv.
- ^ "Today in History: September 1". Library of Congress. Retrieved 21 January 2011.
- ^ Bonds 2009, p. 363.
- ^ "Grant Park Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
References
- Bonds, Russell S. (2009). War Like the Thunderbolt: The Battle and Burning of Atlanta. Westholme Publishing. ISBN 978-1-59416-100-1.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Boyer, Paul; Clark, Jr., Clifford; Kett, Joseph; Salisbury, Neal; Sitkoff, Harvard; Woloch, Nancy (2007). The Enduring Vision (6th AP ed.). Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 978-0618801633.
- Cox, Jacob D. (1994). Sherman's Battle for Atlanta. Da Capo Press. ISBN 9780306805882.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Cozzens, Peter (2002). Battles and Leaders of the Civil War. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 9780252024047.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Ecelbarger, Gary (2010). The Day Dixie Died: The Battle of Atlanta. Macmillan. ISBN 9780312563998.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Foote, Shelby (1974). The Civil War, A Narrative: Red River to Appomattox. Random House. ISBN 0-394-74913-8.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Golden, Randy. "The Battle of Atlanta". About North Georgia. Retrieved 27 December 2010.
- Kennedy, Frances H. (1998). The Civil War Battlefield Guide (2nd ed.). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 0-395-74012-6.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Symonds, Craig (1994). Joseph E. Johnston: A Civil War Biography. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 9780393311303.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help)
Further reading
- Dodge, Grenville Mellen (1910). The Battle of Atlanta and Other Campaigns, Addresses, Etc. The Monarch Printing Company.
- Secrist, Philip L. (2006). Sherman's 1864 Trail of Battle to Atlanta. Mercer University Press. ISBN 9780865547452.
