Atlanta Campaign

The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought throughout northeast Georgia and the area around Atlanta, Georgia, during the summer of 1864, leading to the eventual fall of Atlanta and hastening the end of the American Civil War.

Background

The Atlanta Campaign followed the Union victory at the Battle of Chattanooga in 1863; Chattanooga was known as the "Gateway to the South" and its capture opened that gateway. After Ulysses S. Grant was promoted to be general-in-chief of all Union armies, he left his favorite lieutenant, Major General William T. Sherman, in charge of the Western armies. Grant's strategy was to apply pressure against the Confederacy in a number of coordinated offensives. While he, George G. Meade, Benjamin Butler, Franz Sigel, George Crook, and William W. Averell advanced in Virginia against Robert E. Lee, and Nathaniel Banks attempted to capture Mobile, Alabama, Sherman was assigned the mission of defeating the army of General Joseph E. Johnston, capturing Atlanta, and striking through Georgia and the Confederate heartland.

Related Topics:
Union - Battle of Chattanooga - 1863 - Ulysses S. Grant - Major General - William T. Sherman - Confederacy - George G. Meade - Benjamin Butler - Franz Sigel - George Crook - William W. Averell - Virginia - Robert E. Lee - Nathaniel Banks - Mobile, Alabama - General - Joseph E. Johnston

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At the start of the campaign, Sherman's Military Division of the Mississippi consisted of three armies: James B. McPherson's Army of the Tennessee (Sherman's old army under Grant), John M. Schofield's Army of the Ohio, and George H. Thomas's Army of the Cumberland. Opposing him, the Army of Tennessee was commanded first by Johnston, who was relieved of his command in mid-campaign and replaced by Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood. On paper, Sherman outnumbered Johnston 98,000 to 50,000, but his ranks were depleted by many furloughed soldiers and Johnston would soon receive 15,000 reinforcements from Alabama.

Related Topics:
Mississippi - James B. McPherson - Army of the Tennessee - John M. Schofield - Army of the Ohio - George H. Thomas - Army of the Cumberland - Army of Tennessee - John Bell Hood - Alabama

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Johnston was a conservative general with a reputation for withdrawing his army before serious contact would result; this was certainly his pattern against George B. McClellan in the Peninsula Campaign of 1862. But now he faced the much more aggressive Sherman. Johnston's army repeatedly took up strongly entrenched defensive positions in the campaign. Sherman prudently avoided suicidal frontal assaults against most of these positions, instead maneuvering in flanking marches around the defenses as he advanced from Chattanooga, Tennessee, towards Atlanta. Whenever Sherman flanked the defensive lines (almost exclusively around Johnston's left flank), Johnston would retreat to another prepared position. Both armies took advantage of the railroads as supply lines, with Johnston shortening his supply lines as he drew closer to Atlanta, and Sherman lengthening his own.

Related Topics:
George B. McClellan - Peninsula Campaign - 1862 - Chattanooga, Tennessee

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