With the City of Atlanta a still smoldering ruin, General Sherman and his staff, along with the 14th Corps, moved east out of the city towards Decatur. The right wing’s rear guard moved out towards Jonesboro to catchup with the rest of their wing. General Sherman and his staff left their headquarters at the Lyon’s house around 7:00am. The Lyon’s house was located where the current Atlanta City Hall now sits. As they moved east the day was bright, clear and crisp. The roads to the east were crowded with the soldiers and wagons of the 14th Corps. Sherman and his staff made their way to Lithonia, near the Yellow River, where they camped for the night. Along the way, Sherman’s Soldiers, destroyed the railroad by burning the cross ties and bending the rails around trees and telegraph poles.
The right wing of the army continues to make their way south. They pass through Jonesboro where they had fought a serious engagement in September, and then passed through Love Joy’s Station and Stockbridge. They Stop near McDonough for the night.
Atlanta City Hall now stands where the Lyon’s House once stood. General Sherman had made the Lyon’s House his headquarters while in town and on the morning of the 16th, Sherman and his staff departed for Savannah.The historic High House in Decatur was built around 1830 and was the first two story home in Decatur. Local legend holds that General Sherman stopped here with his staff to water their horses after leaving Atlanta with the remaining elements of the Left Wing on the morning of the 16th.The Right Wing of Sherman’s Army continued to move south through Jonesboro while their rear guard was leaving Atlanta.After moving through Jonesboro, the Right Wing moved through Love Joy’s Station and made camp near present day McDonough.
General Sherman, having followed Hardee from Jonesboro on the previous day, has formed his troops in a line of battle across from what is left of Hardee’s Corps. Skirmishing continues throughout the day, buy Sherman does not order an assault. Just before breakfast, Sherman receives a dispatch from a courier sent by Slocum in Atlanta advising him that they have entered and secured the City of Atlanta and that the remainder of Hood’s forces have evacuated toward Love Joy’s Station via the McDonough Rd. Sherman, fearing that all of Hood’s forces have reunited, holds off on attacking the Confederates and with his objective “fairly won”, he decides to hold his position a day or two longer and destroy more railroad track, before returning to Atlanta. Slocum’s entire XX Corps has entered the city and is attempting to restore some semblance of order.
After his defeat at Jonesboro, General Hardee (CS) retreated with his Corps south to Love Joy’s Station. The remainder of General Hoods Army of Tennessee (CS), having evacuated Atlanta, meets them here. They entrench in the area and establish camps at Nash Farm and other sites within Love Joy.Nash Farm, once the site of a Cavalry Battle from Kilpatrick’s Raid (CS), will be site where the Confederates plan to make another stand, but General Sherman, receiving word that Atlanta has been captured and occupied by Federal forces, decides not to press his advantage and attack the Confederates. He positions his armies facing the Confederates and small skirmishes continue.After learning that Atlanta has fallen, General Sherman does not attempt to attack the Confederates again at Love Joy Station. Instead he forms entrenched lines and begins to destroy more of the railroad between Love Joy and Jonesboro.Hwy. 41 at McDonough Rd. Looking south at where the Confederate lines crossed the road at Love Joy Station after their retreat from Jonesboro and Atlanta.Looking north on Hwy. 41 from McDonough Rd. in the direction of the Federal lines the were established after they chased the Confederates from Jonesboro to Love Joy. The spent several days here preventing the Confederates from moving back north as well as destroying more railroad.
With S.D. Lee’s Corps having been sent back to Atlanta, Hardee was left to defend Jonesboro and the railroad with only his single Corps. to defend against the entire Federal Army of the Tennessee. Grossly outnumbered, Hardee deployed is Corps across the line that he had previously occupied with two Corps. Carter’s Division formed the Confederate left, Brown’s Division was placed in the center and Cleburne’s Division placed on the right and formed a salient angle with a refuse at the Warren house to the railroad. The brigade at the very extreme end of the right flank was commanded by States R. Gist. He ordered his men to go out ahead of the line and cut, bend over, and entangle as many trees as possible to try and even the odds with as much “abatis” as possible. This would later prove to be a very wise decision that prevented the Federal IV Corps under Stanley’s command from being able to reach the Confederate flank and turn it.
The attack by the Federals began at 4:00pm. Logan’s XV Corps attacked the Confederates from the west and Davis’s XIV Corps attacked the Salient in the Confederate line from the north west. Stanley’s IV Corps attempted to attack from the north by moving south along the railroad, but was unable to penetrate the abatis of Gist Brigade. Davis’s XIV Corps assaulted and overran the Salient in the Confederate line. This portion of the line was held by Govan’s Arkansas Brigade and Lewis’ Kentucky Orphan Brigade. They were overrun so rapidly that General Govan himself was captured along with 600 men and 8 cannons. Cleburne ordered Magevney’s Brigade to fill the gap and reform the line. They were able to do so and held off the remainder of the Federal assault.
After darkness fell, Hardee ordered a retreat of all his forces. They fell back six miles south to Love Joy’s Station where they entrenched. He sent a dispatch to Hood detailing that Jonesboro had fallen and that the railroad was in Sherman’s hands.
Having lost his supply lines, Hood has no choice but to evacuate Atlanta and attempt to reunite the remainder of his army at Love Joy’s Station. He orders A.P. Stewart’s Corps and the Georgia Militia in the defenses of Atlanta to evacuate the city. S.D. Lee’s Corps, which has marched all night toward Atlanta, after having fought a battle the previous day, is turned around only a mile or so from the city and has to march southward toward Love Joy’s Station. With the railroad destroyed, Hood orders the Cavalry to act as a rearguard and when the Army is out of the city, they are to set fire to and blow up the munitions train at the rolling mill. The rolling mill was at the present day location of Decatur and Boulevard. The explosions last for hours and can be heard all they way to Jonesboro.
After having marched all night and having fought a hard battle the previous day, S.D. Lee’s Corps(CS) met General Stewart’s Corps and the Georgia Militia just on the outskirts of Atlanta. Stewart’s Corps continued theirs towards Love Joy Station and Lee’s Corps stopped and then followed behind them. Both Corps and the militia traveling down the McDonough Rd. then turning south to cross the South River.Stewart’s and Lee’s Corps along with the Georgia Militia marched south towards Love Joy Station and crossed the South River here along what is now Moreland Ave.Looking north along Jonesboro Rd. at Adamson. Cleburne’s Division was deployed across Jonesboro road with the right of his line just across the railroad. The extreme right of the Confederate line was in the distance of this image and crossed the railroad tracks. States R. Gist Brigade held the right and at his orders, his men bent and felled trees in their front to create as many entanglements as possible to help slow the Federal assault. His method worked and the Federal 4th Corps marching south along the railroad from Rough and Ready were not able to break his line.The Warren house, Jonesboro Rd. between Adamson and Mimosa. General Cleburne’s Division held the Confederate line in this area. The half of his Division on his left was facing the Federal assault coming from the west and the remainder of his line formed a salient angle just north west of the Warren House, which allowed him to make a refused line back to the railroad. It was here that the Federal assault broke the line and General Govan was captured. Cleburne was able to rush reinforcements forward to hold the line. The Warren House, built in 1859, was used as a Confederate Hospital during the battle and after the Confederate lines were overrun, it became a Federal headquarters and a hospital.The Carnes House built in the 1850’s, was the home of Stephen Carnes who manufactured wagons and caskets for the Confederacy. The Johnson – Blalock House was built in 184o and was used as a commissary by the Confederates and during the Battle of Jonesboro, it functioned as a hospital.The Gayden House, built in the 1850’s, was home to Confederate Captain and Dr. Frances Gayden. He served as the chief medical officer during the two days of battle at Jonesboro.The Allen – Carnes Plantation, located a few miles from town, was built in 1820 and is known to be the oldest home in Clayton County. During the two days of combat around Jonesboro, many of the residents fled town and came here and to the Camp Plantation seeking refuge. Stately Oaks was built in 1839 and was originally located about four miles from town. It was moved to current spot in Jonesboro and restored to be used as a museum. The original detached kitchen is on site as well as many other exhibits the demonstrate what life was like in the 1800’s. The home at it’s original location was noted on military maps and used as a landmark for troop movements.
Sept. 3rd, 1864: General Sherman, having followed Hardee from Jonesboro on the previous day, has formed his troops in a line of battle across from what is left of Hardee’s Corps. Skirmishing continues throughout the day, buy Sherman does not order an assault. Just before breakfast, Sherman receives a dispatch from a courier sent by Slocum in Atlanta advising him that they have entered and secured the City of Atlanta and that the remainder of Hood’s forces have evacuated toward Love Joy’s Station via the McDonough Rd. Sherman, fearing that all of Hood’s forces have reunited, holds off on attacking the Confederates and with his objective “fairly won”, he decides to hold his position a day or two longer and destroy more railroad track, before returning to Atlanta. Slocum’s entire XX Corps has entered the city and is attempting to restore some semblance of order.
War Was Here 