November 16th, 1864

November 16th, 1864:

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.

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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.
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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.
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The Right Wing of Sherman’s Army continued to move south through Jonesboro while their rear guard was leaving Atlanta.
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After moving through Jonesboro, the Right Wing moved through Love Joy’s Station and made camp near present day McDonough.