source : ‘the atlas of the civil war’ by James M. McPherson, Courage Books, 2005
On august 10, hoping to take advantage of the virtual destruction of two federal cavalry divisions at the end of july, Hood dispatched the bulk of Wheeler’s cavalry across the Chattahoochee river into northern Georgia. Hood’s aim was to force Sherman to retreat from Atlanta by wrecking his railroad supply line. Wheeler, however, failed to do any serious damage to the railroad, and soon had to flee into Tennessee, thereafter ceasing to be a factor in the campaign.
Meanwhile, Sherman again tried to turn Hood’s left flank, west of Atlanta, only to be repulsed at Utoy creek on august 6 and 7. Similarly, a bombardment of Atlanta achieved nothing but civilian casualties. A cavalry raid against the Macon & western railroad – Hood’s sole remaining supply line – also failed. Sherman, therefore, once again resorted to a large-scale flanking maneuver.
Leaving 20th corps to guard the Chattahoochee railroad bridge, Sherman withdrew the rest of his army from the trenches around Atlanta and swung it south toward Jonesboro. Hood was unable to react until he ascertained Sherman’s precise objective. Finally, on august 30, when he heard that a large federal force was approaching Jonesboro, he sent the corps of Hardee and SD Lee to the town with orders to drive back the federals. On august 31, Hardee assaulted Howard’s army of the Tennessee, but was easily repulsed. However, Hardee held against a federal counterattack the following day, then withdrew during the night to Lovejoy’s station. That same night, the rest of the confederate army evacuated the now untenable Atlanta, which was occupied by 20th corps on September 2. When he heard the news, Sherman telegraphed Washington: ‘Atlanta is ours, and fairly won’, then fell back to the city, thus ending the campaign. During the campaign, both federal and confederate losses each totaled about 40.000.
By reviving sagging Union morale, the fall of Atlanta assured Lincoln’s reelection in 1864. It also assured the Confederacy’s ultimate defeat: at this stage of the war, it’s only realistic hope of victory was that the Union would lose its will to continue the struggle.
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