Sherman’s March to Atlanta
In 1864, Union General Ulysses S. Grant placed William Tecumseh Sherman in command of a major campaign to capture Atlanta, Georgia, an important Confederate railroad and industrial center. Sherman’s troops advanced from Chattanooga, Tennessee, pushing back Confederate forces led first by Joseph E. Johnston and later by John Bell Hood. As fighting intensified at places such as Kennesaw Mountain, Atlanta’s residents faced growing fear, shortages, and displacement.
After weeks of fighting and a prolonged siege, Union forces captured Atlanta on September 2, 1864, following the Confederate evacuation the previous night. Sherman ordered much of the city’s remaining military infrastructure destroyed, and fires damaged large parts of Atlanta. The victory dealt a significant blow to the Confederacy, disrupted its transportation and supply networks, and strengthened Northern morale. It also helped Lincoln’s reelection campaign, while the war continued until the Confederacy’s surrender in 1865.
Lesson Express
Q: What was Ulysses S. Grant tasked to do?
A: He was to pursue the retreating Southern armies and cut off the commercial hubs.
Q: Why did the residents of Atlanta flee the city?
A: They knew that Union soldiers were close to the city and that the Confederates were losing.
Q: When Atlanta fell, the death of the Confederacy was a “foregone conclusion.” What does this mean?
A: Once Atlanta fell, the Confederacy could not keep fighting. Everyone knew that the Union would win.
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