The Battle of Atlanta

The battle of Atlanta took place on July 22, 1864 near Atlanta, Georgia, a major train/railroad port city in the Confederate States of America. In the Atlanta Campaign, Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman commanded the Union forces of the Western Theater. The main Union force in this battle was the Army of the Tennessee, under Maj. Gen. James B. McPherson. He was one of Sherman's and Grant's favorite commanders, as he was very quick and aggressive. The XV Corps was commanded by Maj. Gen. John A. Logan, the XVI Corps was commanded by Maj. Gen. Grenville M. Dodge, and the XVII Corps was commanded by Maj. Gen. Frank P. Blair Jr..
During the months leading up to the battle, Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston had repeatedly retreated from Sherman's superior force. All along the railroad line from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Marietta, Georgia, a pattern was played and replayed: Johnston would take up a defensive position, Sherman would march to outflank the Confederate defenses, and Johnston would retreat again. After Johnston's withdrawal following the Battle of Resaca, the two armies clashed again at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, but the Confederate leadership was unhappy with Johnston's reluctance to fight the Union army, even though he had little chance of winning. Thus, on July 17, 1864, as he was preparing for the Battle of Peachtree Creek, Johnston was relieved of his command and replaced by Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood. Hood lashed out at Sherman's army at Peachtree Creek, but the attack failed with heavy casualties.
Hood, with his vastly outnumbered army, was faced with two problems. First, he needed to defend the city of Atlanta, which was a very important rail hub and industrial center for the Confederacy. Second, his army was small in comparison to the enormous armies that Sherman commanded. He decided to withdraw inwards, enticing the Union troops to come forward. McPherson's army closed in from Decatur, Georgia, to the east side of Atlanta. Meanwhile, Hood took Lt. Gen. William J. Hardee's corps on a march around the Union left flank, had Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler's cavalry march near Sherman's supply line, and had Maj. Gen. Benjamin Cheatham's corps attack the Union front. This was a movement reminiscent of Stonewall Jackson, which might have worked. However, it took longer than expected for Hardee to get in position, and during that time, McPherson had correctly deduced a possible threat to his left flank, and sent XVI Corps, his reserve, to help strengthen it. Hardee's force met this other force, and the battle began. Although the initial Confederate attack was repulsed, the Union left flank began to retreat. About this time, McPherson, who had ridden to the front to observe the battle, was shot and killed by Confederate infantry.

Palisades and chevaux de frise in front of the Potter House, Atlanta, Georgia, 1864.
The main lines of battle now formed an "L" shape, with Hardee's attack forming the lower part of the "L" and Cheatham's attack on the Union front as the vertical member of the "L." This was a very good strategy because if successful could later on surround the Union troops and win this battle. Hardee's attack stalled as the Union XVI corps regrouped and held the line. Meanwhile, Cheatham's troops had broken through the Union lines, but Sherman massed 20 artillery pieces near his headquarters, and had them shell the Confederate forces, while Logan's XV Corps regrouped and repulsed the Confederate troops.

The Union won the battle of Atlanta, which was good for them because the Confederacy couldn't send cargo to Atlanta anymore, but they also lost a good commander in Major General James McPherson. After the battle, the retreating Confederate army burned the railroads surrounding Atlanta.

I got this work off of http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/battleofatlanta