July 18, 1864:
General Joseph E. Johnston is officially relieved of command of the Confederate Army of Tennessee. President Davis promote Lt. General John. B. Hood to be the new commander of the Army of Tennessee. Davis advised Johnston the he was relieved of command due to his inability to stop the Federals from reaching Atlanta and that he did not have confidence in him preventing the Federals from capturing Atlanta and destroying the Army of Tennessee. Johnston was very well liked amongst his troops and many were in disbelief.
This change in command has come at a crucial time as the Federals have just crossed the Chattahoochee River. The Army of the Cumberland crosses at Pace’s Ferry and Power’s Ferry and are advancing toward Peachtree Creek. General McPherson’s Army of the Ohio, has crossed the river at Roswell and has been moving south through Dunwoody toward the August Railroad line between Decatur. They reach it on the 18th and destroy about four miles of it in between Stone Mountain and Decatur, in an attempt to disrupt the supplies, and possibly reinforcements, coming from the east. McPherson then turns west and moves towards Decatur.
Wheelers Cavalry had been skirmishing with the Federals approaching Peachtree Creek for several days, but today they burn the bridges over Peachtree Creek at Moore’s Mill, Howell’s Mill, and on Ridgewood Road. They then move south east to intercept McPherson’s Army of the Ohio near Decatur.
The pieces are nearly in place for the first of two major battles to happen on the outskirts of Atlanta. Soon the two armies will clash in the Battle of Peachtree Creek and then two days later at the Battle of Atlanta.
Category: Battle of Atlanta
Photography Day 25 is Done!
Yesterday was day 25 of photography for the War Was Here project. I spent the day at Barrington Hall in Roswell, where they had a reenactment of the Federal occupation of Roswell and the arrest of the Roswell Women mill workers. I mainly focused on the portrait project of reenactors and I made some fantastic portraits of Federal soldiers and civilians. They were all great models and a few of them “hammed it up” as well. It was great fun and a great group of people to be around. Everyone is very much into their role and during the “arrest” on the town square, the mill workers were mingling with the spectators and asking if they knew what was going on and then the Federal Cavalry and some infantry arrived and read Sherman’s orders to arrest those that were aiding the rebellion and march them to Marietta, where the would be taken up north by train. The interaction with the spectators was really great. The Federals were trying to “arrest” some of the spectators too. They all were so into their roles, that it really gave you the feeling that the event was real. I have to wonder what the people driving down Mimosa Blvd. thought when the Federal Cavalry came into the street on their horses with their weapons drawn, to stop traffic, as the infantry marched the mill workers down Bulloch Ave.
I hope to have some preliminary images posted tomorrow. I have a lot of images to edit. I am looking forward to the events that are happening in East Atlanta this coming weekend. If you are looking for something to do, check out the events listed on this page: B*ATL. I will be out at Gilliam Park making more reenactor images. Should be a fun event with artillery demonstrations and lots of other goodies. If it is not raining, Wendell Decker, will be there making Collodion images in the tradition manner. He is a master of his craft and a true artist. If I get some period clothing I am going to get him to make my portrait. I think it would be great for the picture of me on the book jacket. That is assuming my book gets printed.
War Was Here 