Atlanta in the American Civil War

Although relatively small in population, the city became a critical point of contention during the Atlanta Campaign in 1864 when a powerful Union Army approached from Union-held Tennessee.

The fall of Atlanta was a critical point in the Civil War, giving the North more confidence, and (along with the victories at Mobile Bay and Winchester) leading to the re-election of President Abraham Lincoln and the eventual dissolution of the Confederacy.

[17][18][19] Concerned after the fall of Vicksburg on July 4, 1863, that Atlanta would be a logical target for future Union Army attacks, Jeremy F. Gilmer, Chief of the Confederate Engineer Bureau, contacted Captain Lemuel P. Grant, Chief Engineer of the Department of Georgia, and asked him to survey possible enemy crossings of the Chattahoochee River, a broad waterway that offered some protection from a northern approach.

Captain Grant planned "a cordon of enclosed works, within supporting distance of each other", with twelve to fifteen strong forts sited specially for artillery and connected by infantry entrenchments in a perimeter "between 10 and 12 miles in extent".

Gilmer advised that the earthen forts should be connected by a line of rifle pits, with ditches, felled timbers or other obstruction to impede an infantry charge.

They were bounded on the north by high ground (the present location of the Fox Theatre), the west by Ashby Street, the south by McDonough Drive and the east by what is today known as Grant Park.

Due to topographical features of the land and the manning requirements for the fortifications, Grant's design had, by necessity, left Atlanta within artillery range.

A report from Captain Grant to Gen. Wright places the length of the fortifications at 10 ½ miles and requiring about 55,000 troops to fully man the line.

By July 9, the Federal forces had secured three good crossings over the Chattahoochee: one at Powers' Ferry, a second at the mouth of Soap Creek and a third at the shallow ford near Roswell, Georgia.

These continued about an hour, and again about 4 a.m. occurred another series of similar discharges apparently nearer us, and these sounds could be accounted for on no other hypothesis than of a night attack on Atlanta by General Slocum or the blowing up of the enemy s magazines.

We overtook the enemy again near Lovejoy's Station in a strong intrenched position, with his flanks well protected behind a branch of Walnut Creek to the right and a confluent of the Flint River to his left.

We pushed close up and reconnoitered the ground and found he had evidently halted to cover his communication with the McDonough and Fayetteville road.On September 2, Major General Slocum, in command of the XX Corp near the Chattahoochee River, sent reconnaissance parties towards Atlanta.

Mayor James M. Calhoun and several prominent citizens rode out Marietta St. under a flag of truce to surrender the city of Atlanta to the Union Army.

Two hundred and forty men were thrown forward as skirmishers and flankers, and so advanced without opposition until we reached the earth-works recently abandoned by us near Atlanta.

Here, after a short delay, occasioned by a slight skirmish with a few mounted men and sentinels, we proceeded through the lines of the enemy's works, finding them abandoned.

General Ward directed a portion of my brigade to move up from Turners Ferry, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Bloodgood, Twenty-second Wisconsin, which reached Atlanta about sunset, and the remainder, under Major Miller, the next morning.

Soon after General Slocum's arrival he directed me to move my command, which then occupied the works of the enemy on the southeastern part of the city, to the right of the Augusta railroad.

The ammunition abandoned had been fired in the night and continued to explode with loud reports after we had entered the city in the forts and among the ruins of the burning shops and buildings where it had been deposited.

As we passed through the streets many of the citizens ran gladly out to meet us, welcoming us as deliverers from the despotism of the Confederacy; others regarded us with apprehension and begged to be spared from robbery.

JOHN SPEED, Assistant Adjutant-General On September 3, General Sherman was with the bulk of his troops near Lovejoy's Station when he received word from Gen. Henry W. Slocum that the confederates had withdrawn from Atlanta.

They will pass the lines and go South …"The next day, Lt. Col. C. F. Morse, the provost marshal instructed that the population was to assemble at the City Hall for registration on September 12.

[67][68] On September 8, 1864, General Sherman issued special order No 67, "The city of Atlanta, being exclusively required for warlike purposes, will at once be vacated by all except the armies of the United States".

[77] Once these preparations were completed, he and his troops would set out on a campaign designed to destroy the state of Georgia's war-making capabilities and the will of its population to continue the war.

In late October Col. Cogswell ordered his officers in the three provost regiments to begin planning the demolition of designated buildings and areas of the city assigned to them and the railroad.

The 2nd Massachusetts was assigned the Car Shed and structures to its east while the 111th Pennsylvania would target things to the Northwest including the Western and Atlantic roundhouse and gasworks.

These orders were faithfully carried out, and neither fire nor power were used for destroying buildings until after they had been put in ruins by battering down the walls, throwing down smokestacks, breaking up furnace arches, knocking steam machinery to pieces, and punching all boilers full of holes.

But many buildings in the business part of the city were destroyed by lawless persons, who, by sneaking around in blind alleys, succeeded in firing many houses which it was not intended to torch.Gen.

The remainder of the day and night was spent in issuing clothing to the men, filling up empty wagons with provisions, equalizing and assigning trains to the different commands with a view to rapid marching.

In addition to the destruction caused by the war, Gen. Howard notes that: "There were about 250 wagons in the city on my arrival, loading with pilfered plunder; pianoes, mirrors, furniture of all kinds, iron, hides without number, and an incalculable amount of other things, very valuable at the present time.

"[99][100] The destruction of Atlanta was the result of nine major events that began in the summer of 1863 and culminated with the fires set as the Federal troops left the city on Nov 15, 1864.