City, county-seat of
Fulton county, and capital of the
State of Georgia; 171 miles north by west of
Augusta: popularly known as “The Gate City” ; is noted for the historical events of which it was the centre, for its extensive commercial and manufacturing interests, and for its educational institutions.
In its suburbs is
Fort McPherson, one of the most complete of the modern military posts in the country.
Cotton expositions were held here in 1881 and 1895.
The population in 1890 was 65,533; in 1900, 89,872.
In the
Civil War the main National and Confederate armies remained quiet in their camps after their arrival at the
Chattahoochee until the middle of July, 1864.
Sherman was 8 miles from the city.
On the 17th he resumed offensive and active
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operations, by throwing
Thomas's army across the
Chattahoochee, close to
Schofield's right, with directions to move forward.
McPherson moved against the railway east of
Decatur, and destroyed (July 18) 4 miles of the track.
Schofield seized
Decatur.
At the same time
Thomas crossed Peach-tree Creek, on the 19th, in the face of the
Confederate intrenchments, skirmishing heavily at every step.
At this juncture,
General Rousseau, who had swept through
Alabama and
northern Georgia, joined
Sherman with 2,000 cavalry.
On the 20th the
National armies had all closed in, converging towards
Atlanta, and at 4 P. M. the
Confederates, under
Hood, made a sortie, and struck
Hooker's corps with great strength.
The Confederates were repulsed and driven back to their intrenchments.
The entire National loss in this conflict was 1,500 men;
Sherman estimated that of the
Confederates at not less than 5,000 men.
Hood left on the field 500 dead, 1,000 severely wounded, and many prisoners.
On the morning of the 21st the
Confederates had abandoned their position on the south side of
Peachtree Creek, and
Sherman believed they were evacuating
Atlanta.
He pressed on towards the town in a narrow semicircle, when, at the average distance of 2 miles from it, the Nationals were confronted by an inner line of intrenchments much stronger than the one just abandoned.
Behind these swarmed a Confederate host.
On the 22d,
McPherson moved from
Decatur to assail this strong line;
Logan's corps formed his centre,
Dodge's his right, and
Blair's his left.
The latter had driven the
Confederates from a commanding eminence the evening before, and the Nationals proceeded to plant a battery upon it.
Hood had left a sufficient number of troops in front of
Sherman to hold them, and, by a night march to the flank and rear of the Nationals, struck them a severe and unexpected blow.
It fell with heaviest force on the division of
Gen. G. A. Smith, of
Blair's corps.
McPherson had ridden from
Sherman to
Dodge's moving column, and had entered a wood almost alone, for observation, in the rear of
Smith's column.
At that moment
Hardee charged upon the Nationals, and his men
were pouring into a gap between
Blair and
Dodge.
McPherson had just given an order from his place in the wood for a brigade to fill that gap, when the bullet of a sharp-shooter killed him. His body was recovered during the heat of the battle that ensued.
Logan immediately took command of the Army of the Tennessee.
At that moment the battle was general all along the line, and raged fiercely for several hours.
At 4 P. M. there was a brief lull in the contest.
Then a charge of the
Confederates broke
Logan's line, pushed back
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a brigade in much disorder, and took possession of two important batteries. Sherman ordered up reinforcements, and
Logan soon recovered the ground lost.
Very soon the
Confederates gave way and fell back to their defences.
The losses on both sides were heavy.
That of the Nationals was 3,722, of whom about 1,000 were prisoners.
Generals Thomas and
Schofield having well closed up,
Hood was firmly held behind his inner line of intrenchments.
Sherman concluded to make a flank movement, and sent
Stoneman with about 5,000 cavalry, and
McCook with another mounted force, including
Rousseau's cavalry, to destroy the railways in
Hood's rear.
McCook performed his part well, but
Stoneman, departing from
Sherman's instructions, did not accomplish much.
Simultaneously with these raids,
Slocum began (July 27) a flanking movement from
Atlanta.
Hood had penetrated
Sherman's design, knew of changes in his army, and acted promptly.
Under cover of an artillery fire, he moved out with the larger part of his army (July 28), with the expectation of finding
Howard's forces in confusion.
He was mistaken, and disastrous consequences followed.
He threw heavy masses of his troops upon
Logan's corps on
Howard's right, and was met by a fire that made fearful havoc in their ranks.
They recoiled, but returned to the attack again and again.
The battle raged fearfully from noon until about 4 P. M., when the
Confederates retired to their intrenchments, leaving several hundred of their dead on the field.
Hood's entire loss in this struggle was about 5,000 men: that of the Nationals did not exceed 600.
Logan captured 2.000 muskets.
and took 233 prisoners.
Sherman extended his right along an intrenched line to the junction of two railways at
East Point.
over which came the supplies for
Atlanta and
Hood's army; and the latter, extending a parallel line of works, stood on the defensive.
Sherman's long-range guns kindled destructive fires in
Atlanta.
At length
Hood, who had lost half his infantry in rash encounters.
in sheer desperation sent out
Wheeler with his cavalry to break up
Sherman's communications and capture supplies.
Kilpatrick made a successful counter-movement.
On the 25th all of
Sherman's munitions of war, supplies, and sick and wounded men were sent to his intrenched position on the
Chattahoochee, the siege of
Atlanta was raised, and the Nationals began a grand flanking movement, which events had delayed, and which finally caused
Hood to abandon the coveted post.
cross the
Chattahoochee, and make a formidable raid upon
Sherman's communications.
The
Nationals entered
Atlanta as victors on Sept. 2, 1864, and the national flag was unfurled over the court-house.
Two days afterwards,
Sherman issued an order for the inhabitants to leave the town within five days, that the place might be appropriated to military purposes.
He deemed the measure humane, under the circumstances, for he expected the
Confederates to attack him there.
To a remonstrance by
Hood, he replied, “God will judge me in good time, and He will pronounce whether it be more humane to fight with a town full of women and the families of a brave people at our backs.
or to remove them in time to places of safety among their own friends.”
In a few days
Atlanta was thoroughly evacuated by the civilians.
