Today in American History: June 22, 1864

Today in American History: June 22, 1864

 

 

The Battle of Atlanta was only one day, but was the largest battle of the entire Atlanta Campaign. The Confederate General John Bell Hood continued to attempt to drive our the Union General William T. Sherman from the outskirts of Atlanta. Hood attacked Yankee forces on Bald Hill, but the attack failed and Sherman continued to tighten his grasp on the city. 

 Jefferson Davis, the Confederate President, had made Hood the commander of the Tennessee Army just days before the battle at Atlanta. President Davis was frustrated with the previous commander, Joseph Johnston, so he appointed Hood to drive Sherman and his army North away from Atlanta. Hood had attacked Peachtree Creek on July 20, but could not break past the Union forces. 

A couple days later, Hood tried again at Bald Hill. Sherman's Union force was made up of three armies working as one. James McPherson's Army of Tennessee, John Schofield's Army of Oho, and George Thomas' Army of Cumberland. Thomas' men moved on Atlanta from the North, at Peachtree Creek. Meanwhile McPherson came around to Atlanta's eastern edge to cut the Georgia Railroad, which ran all the way to Decatur. Hood had attacked McPherson and his men on July 22, but it didn't go according to plan. The rugged terrain made coordinating the attack difficult. Not only that, but the attack was supposed to start before dawn and didn't actually happen until after noon. Perhaps the most important mistake, which Hood was unaware of at the time, was that McPherson had extended his line to the east. The Confederates had assembled along a line that they thought was behind the Union Army, but instead they were directly in front of Yankee soldiers. Hood's men only breached the line momentarily, but couldn't hold their position. Once the day was through, there hadn't been any significant change in either side's position. 

Hood had failed for the second time in just three days to drive out the Union Army from Atlanta. To be fair, Hood was already outnumbered by the Yankees. His men didn't do well and he lost 5,500 of his men. The Union on the other hand, only had 3,722 casualties. Of the Yankees, General McPherson was one of the killed. He was killed while trying to scout out the lines during the battle. At the time, he was one of the most respected commanders in the Union Army. 

His loss wasn't felt solely on the Union side, but also the Confederate side. In fact, Hood had been good friends and classmates at West Point with McPherson. The news of his death caused him deep sorrow. He wrote:

"I will record the death of my classmate and boyhood friend, General James B. McPherson, the announcement of which caused me sincere sorrow. Since we had graduated in 1853, and had each been ordered off on duty in different directions, it has not been our fortune to meet. Neither the years nor the difference of sentiment that had led us to range ourselves on opposite sides in the war had lessened my friendship; indeed the attachment formed in early youth was strengthened by my admiration and gratitude for his conduct toward our people in the vicinity of Vicksburg. His considerate and kind treatment of them stood in bright contrast to the course pursued by many Federal officers."

 Hood and Sherman would continue to fight over Atlanta until Hood was forced to abandon the city to Union forces September 1, 1864.

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