Category: General Hood

150 Years Ago Today: Sept. 2nd, 1864 Atlanta Has Fallen

Sept. 2nd, 1864:
     With the Confederate army gone and ensuing occupation of the Federal Army, Mayor Calhoun and a group of prominent citizens rode out of the city under a white flag of truce.  Prior to leaving they debated as to whether or not they should arm themselves, the decide wisely to go unarmed.  They ride out the Mason-Turner Ferry Road, now called Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway, where they pass through the defensive perimeter and go by the Ponder house.  They encounter a mounted patrol of Federals whom they engage in conversation.  Calhoun informs the Colonel that he would like to surrender the city to General Sherman, the Colonel states that Sherman is at Jonesboro and has Calhoun write a note to his commanding officer General Ward, surrendering the city.  Calhoun wrote the note and the Colonel and two other officers sign it affirming its validity.  The not reads as follows:
     Brigadier General Ward,
          Comdg. Third Division, Twentieth Corps

     Sir:  The fortune of war has placed Atlanta in your hands.  As mayor of the city I ask protection to non-combatants and private property.
           
                                                                   James M. Calhoun,
                                                                   Mayor of Atlanta

By noon Federal units have reached City Hall and hoisted their colors over the city.  Around 2:00pm, General Slocum enters the city and establishes his headquarters at the Trout House.  He sends a telegram to the Secretary of War in Washington.  The first line is “General Sherman has taken Atlanta”. 
     Demoralized, Hood’s troops continue their march to Love Joy’s Station to link up with Hardee.  The loss of Atlanta is a crushing blow to the Confederacy.  For Lincoln, it is a great political achievement that helps secure his spot for another term as President. 


    

150 Years Ago Today: August 31st, 1864 The Battle of Jonesboro, Day 1

August 31st, 1864:
     After learning of the impending attack on Jonesboro and the railroad by the Federals, Hood dispatched Hardee’s Corps and S.D. Lee’s Corps to Jonesboro to protect the railroad.
     By mid afternoon, both Hardee’s Corps and S.D. Lee’s Corps were in place at Jonesboro.  Hardee deployed with his corps to the left and as he was in overall command of the operations, Cleburne was commanding the corps. Cleburne deployed with Lowery’s Division to the left and Brown’s Division to the Right.  He held Maney’s Division in reserve.  S.D. Lee’s Corps was deployed to the right of the Confederate line.  Stevenson’s Division was on his left adjacent to Hardee’s right and Clayton was on the far right of the Confederate line.  Stovall’s and Higley’s Brigades were held in reserve and were later moved forward to the left of S.D. Lee’s lines. 
     Hardee’s plan was to have Cleburne advance and wheel to their right(north) and attack the Federal right flank.  Once they were engaged and the Federals shifted troops to protect the flank, their center would be weakened and then S.D. Lee’s Corp’s would initiate a full frontal assault on the Federal Lines. 
     Howard deployed his Federals on high ground between the Flint River and Jonesboro.  He placed Logan’s XV Corps on the Federal left where they were facing the railroad and the town of Jonesboro.  Ransom’s XVI Corps was deployed to the Federal right in a “refuse” in the line connected with Logan’s right and turned back west toward the Flint River and across it.  Blair’s XVII Corps was held in reserve. 
     At 3:00pm Hardee ordered the attack to begin.  As the advance began, Lowery’s Division made contact with Kilpatricks Federal Cavalry and was able to push them back rapidly across the Flint River.  Lowery’s Division was moving so fast that they were not able to maintain contact with Brown’s Division.  Brown’s Division struggled to advance through swampy terrain and a deep ravine.  As they were unsupported on their left, Brown’s Division suffered heavy losses from the entrenched Federals on the high ground above the ravine.
     S.D. Lee, who had only been in command of a Corps for about a month, ordered an all out assault at the first sounds of rifle fire from Cleburne.  His inexperience caused him to attack too quickly and before the Federals could shift troops to flank that was under attack.  So, when Lee’s Corp attacked, it attacked the fully fortified and full strength lines of Logan’s Corps.  Lee’s Corps over ran the Federal skirmishers, but were repeatedly repulsed by the Federal main line.  Lee suffered heavy losses.
     While the Battle of Jonesboro ensued.  Schofield’s XVII Corps and Stanley’s IV Corps reached the Western and Atlantic railroad south of Rough and Ready.  After a short skirmish with some Confederate Cavalry, they began destroying the railroad.
     Hood, still not convinced that this was the main attack and thinking it was only a diversion, was anticipating an attack on Atlanta.  Without knowing the status of the battle in Jonesboro.  Hood orders S.D. Lee’s Corps back to Atlanta thinking he is going to be attacked.  Around midnight, Lee’s Corps, beaten, crippled, and worn out begins the long march back to Atlanta. 

150 Years Ago Today: August 28th, 1864

 August 28th, 1864:
     Around midday on the 28th, the Federal XV and XVII Corps reach the Westpoint railroad in  Fairburn and the later in the afternoon the Federal IV and XIV Corps reach the Westpoint railroad in Red Oak.  Sherman orders his troops to destroy as much of the railroad as possible so as to make it unusable and to burn the cross ties and bend the tracks so that no piece can be reused.  They are to begin immediately and continue to work all through the next day. 
     Hood is starting to realize the threat is on the Western and Atlantic railroad near Jonesboro.  Hood has sent Reynold’s Brigade to Jonesboro by train and they will be followed by Lewis’s Kentuckians.  Brown moves to Rough and Ready with part of Bate’s Division to protect it from possible raids coming from Red Oak or Fairburn. 

150 Years Ago Today: August 27th, 1864

August 27th, 1864:
     The first of Sherman’s troops reach Camp Creek on the morning of the 27th.  The Federal IV Corps is moving toward Camp Creek from the area around Utoy Creek.  Hood, is increasingly concerned about the possibility of Sherman attempting a flanking movement to attack the railroad at Rough and Read (now called Mountain View, which is directly east of the Atlanta airport between I-75 and I-285) or possibly at Jonesboro.  Hood has received word from some Cavalry scouts that the Federals are massing at Camp Creek.  Hood has dispatched French on a reconnaissance to the north and west of Atlanta and he has found the Federal XX corp entrenched in the are of the railroad bridge across the Chattahoochee River.  Stewart’s and Lee’s Corps move into the empty Federal trenches and begin to reap the rewards of all the items an army leaves behind.  They find everything from food to blankets.  Hood send’s Sthal’s Brigade to reinforce Hardee at East Point and instructs Jackson to have Armstrong’s Brigade of Cavalry to block and delay the Federals if they attempt to cross Camp Creek and move on Rough and Ready.

150 Years Ago Today: August 26th, 1864

August 26th, 1864: 
     Sherman’s siege guns around Atlanta have fallen silent.  On the North and East side of the city, the Southern Soldiers find the Federal siege line empty of troops, but full of various items and food left behind by the Federals.  Even though he has no hard proof, Hood suspects that Wheeler’s Cavalry raid against Sherman’s supply line in northern Georgia, may have been successful and that Sherman is starting to pull back from Atlanta.  Hood also is weary of another flanking attempt by Sherman, and with the bulk of his cavalry in northern Georgia and Tennessee, he lacks critical intelligence on what is actually happening.  Hood orders his units on the south west side of the city to be prepared to move quickly if Sherman is attempting to extend his lines south. 
     During the night of the 26th, Sherman begins moving the remainder of his army.  The XIV Corps and the Army of the Tennessee begin moving south of Utoy Creek towards Camp Creek.  The XXIII Corps remains in place at East Point opposing Hardee’s Corps.  The XXIII staying in place, helps screen the movement of the other Federal Corps. 

150 Years Ago Today: August 18th, 1864

August 18th, 1864:  Several days earlier, General Hood dispatched General Wheeler and his Confederate Cavalry to the north in an effort to disrupt Sherman’s supply lines coming from Chattanooga.  Sherman, who has quickly become restless during the siege, has started planning a movement of his entire army to the the south of Atlanta to disrupt the Confederate supply line coming up from Macon. 
     Sherman has sen Kilpatrick’s Cavalry to the south of Atlanta on a reconnaissance mission.  On the morning of the 16th, Kilpatrick reaches Fairburn, where he destroys three miles of railroad track and the depot.  He has been operating without any real opposition from Jackson’s Cavalry.  Sherman begins to think that Kilpatrick, along with a couple Brigades of Garrad’s Cavalry, could swing far south of Atlanta and destroy the railroad without needing to move the entire army.  Sherman ask Kilpatrick if he thinks it is possible, to which he replies that it would be possible to damage the tracks bad enough to be out of service and not put his command in any danger. 
     Sherman has also learned the Wheelers Cavalry has made it to Tennessee and is therefore to far to offer any support to Hood or oppose Kilpatrick.  Sherman decides to delay is movement of his army around Atlanta and instead he orders Kilpatrick to move on the railroad in Jonesboro with his three Brigades and two more attached to him from Garrard’s Cavalry. 
     On the night of the 18th, Kilpatrick and five Brigades of Federal Cavalry, begin their move towards Jonesboro.  They leave from Sandtown and head towards Fairburn.  They are opposed by only one Confederate Brigade.  Ross’s Texas Brigade spends the night of the 18th harassing and slowing down the Federal Cavalry.  These actions slow down the Federal Cavalry considerably and delay the raids time table.

150 Years Ago Today: Siege of Atlanta

August 1st – August 27th, 1864:
     After the Battle of Atlanta on July 22nd, the Federal Artillery began to shell the city of Atlanta, sometimes it was light and random and at other times there were “duels” with the Confederate Artillery in the inner defensive perimeter. 
     On the first of August, Sherman learned of the failure of the Cavalry raid to destroy the railroads south of the city.  He then sent the following order to General Schofield “You may fire ten to fifteen shots from every gun you have in position into Atlanta that will reach any of its houses.  Fire slowly and with deliberation between 4:00pm and dark.  Thomas and Howard will do the same.” (O.R. 38, V, 324, Sherman to Schofield).
     On the 7th of August, after the failure of the Federal forces to take the railroad junction at East Point.  Sherman request two more large siege guns to be sent from Chattanooga by rail.  These guns shoot a 4.5 inch diameter round weighing 30 pounds.
     As the shelling of the city became more intense, more and more damage was done.  The Federal artillery was using the church spires of town as land marks for sighting their guns.  Homes and businesses alike were damaged or destroyed.  Sherman was targeting the city itself and wanting nothing more than to break Hood’s resolve and force the Confederate army from their stronghold.  At one point, Hood sent a message to Sherman requesting that he stop shelling the noncombatants in the city and pointed out that the cities defensive line was a full mile outside the city.  Sherman replied that Atlanta was a military target and an arsenal.  Sherman continued the siege unchanged.  The first civilian casualty of the siege was small girl in the area of Peachtree St. and Ellis Street.  Solomon Luckie, a free black man who owned a barber shop in town, was killed by a shell near what is now the Five Points Marta Station.  There is an original gas lamp on the corner at the marta station and local legend says that the hole in the base was caused by the same shell that killed Solomon Luckie. 

150 Years Ago Today: August 5, 1864 The Battle of Utoy Creek

August 5th, 1864:
     The conflict between General’s Sherman, Palmer and Schofield continued throughout the day.  Palmer sent multiple letters arguing back and forth with Sherman.  Palmer’s final letter said “I will call upon you tomorrow morning and present a formal application to be relieved.”  While they bickered back and forth, Federal units were still trying to get in line for the move toward East Point.  For the remainder of the day Palmer agrees to relay orders from Schofield to his XIV Corps.  Baird’s Division advances south toward Utoy Creek and encounter the Confederate skirmishers.  They take about 140 prisoners.  They then turn towards the east and encounter an artillery barrage.  They decide not to advance and assault the Confederate works as they assume they will be repulsed.  Davis brings his division up along side Baird’s and comes to halt as well.  Schofield is not happy about the assault coming to a halt.  He orders Johnson’s Division of Palmer’s Corps to swing around the right and attack the Confederate left flank.  Johnson waits until early evening to begin his movement, which he calls a “reconnaissance”.  He move a very little distance and then calls it off since it is too late in the day to do much good.  He falls back to the rear of Davis.  Schofield and Sherman are both displeased with the performance of Palmer’s XIV Corps.  Palmer will resign in the morning and for a time Johnson will command the XIV Corps. 
     During the night of the 5th, Hood orders the defensive lines extended further south and west to protect the railroad in East Point.  The line extended about 1.25 miles from the existing defensive lines, down a ridge line the paralleled the Sandtown Road (Cascade Road), and overlooked the North Fork of Utoy Creek.  The far left of the line ended in the area of the current Cascade Springs Nature Preserve. 

150 Years Ago Today: July 27th, 1864

July 27th, 1864:
     After the death of General McPherson during the Battle of Atlanta, General Logan assumed command during the battle and retained it for several days while General Sherman decided who should replace McPherson.  Sherman, being a graduate of Westpoint, had a certain disdain for political Generals like Logan, and did not trust them to follow orders properly and promptly as they were on the field of battle for political gain.  With these thoughts in mind and after consulting with General Thomas of the Army of the Cumberland, Sherman chose General O.O. Howard to command the Army of the Tennessee as McPherson’s successor.  General Hooker is so offended and outraged that he was not given command of the Army of the Tennessee, the he resigns his commission and leaves the Army.  Howard assumed command on the 27th of July and his order of the day was to shift the Army of the Tennessee from the east side of Atlanta near Decatur, to the west side of Atlanta by moving to the north and around the top of the city.  His ultimate objective is to move on Eastpoint and destroy the railroad.
     Sherman has Cavalry units dismount and fill the lines of Howard’s army as they began to pull out.  He also ordered infantry units along the line to skirmish heavily with the Confederates in the cities defensive lines in hopes of screening Howard’s move.  Sherman was attempting to flank Hood out of the city and draw him into a fight or cut off Hood’s supply line from the railroad to Macon and the railroad to Westpoint.
     Stoneman’s and McCook’s Cavalry were sent on a raid to destroy the railroads while the Army of the Tennessee was moving into place.  Stoneman went south out of Decatur and McCook moved southwest  from Turner’s Ferry.  McCook and Stoneman were scheduled to meet at Love Joy’s Station on the 28th to destroy the railroad.  McCook went southwest along the west bank of the Chattahoochee and crossing on pontoon bridges at Smiths Ferry, about 6 miles south of Campbellton.  He moves on toward the east and in Palmetto he destroys several miles of track, burns the depot and then moves towards the east again in the direction of Fayetteville.  Along the Fayetteville road the come across a Confederate wagon train.  They take about 300 prisoners and burn nearly 500 wagons.  They also kill almost 1000 mules with their sabers to keep the sound of gunfire from giving away their location.  
     By mid to late morning, Hood is aware of the Federals movements.  He sends Wheelers Cavalry to intercept and destroy the Union Cavalry.  Wheeler surrounds Garrard’s Cavalry at Flat Rock where they skirmish and Garrard falls back towards Lithonia.  Hood then learns of McCook’s raid and Wheeler is sent to intercept him.  Having detected the movements of Howard’s Army of the Tennesse, Hood sends General Stephen D. Lee’s Corps and A.P. Stewart’s Corps to extend the Confederate left flank out of Atlanta in an attempt to block the Federal move toward East Point.  S.D. Lee is now the commander of Hood’s former Corps.

150 Years Ago Today: July 22, 1864 The Battle of Atlanta

July 22, 1864
     After an arduous night march of 16 miles, Hardee’s Corps was getting into position on the Federal left flank.  The attack that was supposed to begin at dawn, but was delayed due to the distance of the night march and then further delayed when Walker’s and Bate’s Divisions had to work around the swampy terrain at Terry’s Mill Pond.  Just after 12:00pm, Hardee ordered Walker and Bate to attack the Federal left flank.  Bate’s Division was on the Confederate right, east of Sugar Creek and Walker’s Division was on the west side of Sugar Creek.  As Walker’s Division made their way past the mill pond, Walker moved to the front of his lines to see what lay ahead of his column.  As he raised his field glasses, a round from a Federal sharpshooter killed him instantly.  After the disarray and confusion that followed, Brig. Gen. H. W. Mercer assumed command of the Division and carried out the attack.  Walker fell near the intersection of Glenwood Ave. and Wilkinson Dr.  A monument dedicated to his memory stands there today.
     The Federals that Walker and Bate were attacking were elements of the 2nd and 4th Divisions of Dodge’s XVI Corps.  They were entrenched in the area of Memorial Drive and Clay Street.  With part of the line extending into what is now Alonzo Crim High School.  This was a tactically advantageous position on high ground overlooking Sugar Creek valley.  They were also supported by several artillery batteries.
     Cleburne’s and Maney’s Divisions had moved up Flat Shoals Road and were heading toward the left flank of the Federals that were entrenched along Flat Shoals in the area between Glenwood and the intersection of I-20 and Moreland (Bald Hill, aka Leggett’s Hill).  They attacked the left flank of Blair’s XVII Corps that was held by Smith’s 4th Division.  Cleburne’s attack was fast and furious.  His troops drove the Federals back to the north to Bald Hill and in the process they captured eight cannons and the entire 16th Iowa Infantry Regiment.
     During this time, General McPherson was riding toward Dodge’s Corps to asses the situation and was traveling on a ridge line (McPherson Ave.) trying to find a way to close the gap between Logan and Blair.  The Confederates were flooding into the area and while moving through the middle of the gap in his lines, McPherson was shot and killed by the attacking Confederates.  One of McPherson’s aides was with him, and when the shots rang out, his horse took of and slammed into a tree, thus breaking his watch at 2:02pm, the time of McPherson’s death.
     Late in the afternoon, Hood, who was observing the battle from a house adjacent to what is now Oakland Cemetery, ordered his former Corps, now commanded by Cheatham, to attack the Federal front.  Cheatham’s Corps left their works and moved east toward the Federal line.  The right of Cheatham’s Corps was attacking Bald Hill from the west and Maney’s Division of Hardee’s Corps was attacking from the south west.  Even with their combined effort, they were unable to push the Federals off of Bald Hill.  On Cheatham’s left, Clayton and Brown’s divisions were more successful.  Manigault’s Brigade of Brown’s Division, used the cover of a deep railroad cut in the area of the current Inman Park Marta Station and the CSX railroad.  They came under artillery fire, but were able to out flank the battery and capture the guns.  This action broke the Federal line and Manigault wheeled to the left and began to “roll up” the Federal line.  He captured 8 cannons in the process, four of which were 20 pounder Parrott rifles.  Stovall’s Brigade, which was aligned to the left of Manigault, was attacking the Degress Battery (located off of Battery Place) from the front when Manigault hit the flank.  As the line broke, soldiers from both Brigades stormed the works and captured the battery.  The 42nd Ga. Volunteers were part of this assault and at one time or another, contained four of my ancestors.
     General Sherman, who was observing the battle from the Augustus Hurt house at the present day Carter Library, witnessed the Confederate assault that broke part of the lines of Logan’s XV Corps.  He personally directed artillery fire from five concentrated batteries, toward the attacking Confederates.  He had the artillery rounds falling to their front to prevent them from moving forward and attacking, as well as toward their rear to prevent reinforcements from supporting the assault.  This artillery fire and a Federal counter attack of eight Brigades, pushed the Confederates back to their works and restored the Federal line. 
     Hood had also dispatched General Wheeler and his Cavalry to Decatur to attack McPherson’s wagon train.  Wheeler found several regiments of Federal infantry posted south of Decatur.  At 1:00pm, Wheeler dismounted two of his divisions and assaulted the Federals.  He pushed them north across what is now Agnes Scott and then across the railroad tracks to the Decatur Square.  The wagon train was detoured from Decatur after Wheeler started his assault.  Wheeler pushed the Federals through the square and through the old city cemetery.  The Federals then formed a new line along what is now North Decatur Road.  Before Wheeler could attack the new Federal line, he was recalled back to Atlanta to support the attack on Bald Hill.
     The battle was over by the time darkness had fallen, the Confederates had returned to their works and had suffered nearly twice the number of casualties as the Federals.  The Federals reformed their lines and will shortly begin the “Siege of Atlanta”.