Key Facts
- Campaign start
- May 1864
- Atlanta's fall
- September 2, 1864
- Theater
- Western Theater, American Civil War
- Primary theater region
- Northwest Georgia
Strategic Narrative Overview
Sherman's forces pushed south using repeated flanking maneuvers, forcing Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston to retreat progressively toward Atlanta. In July 1864, Confederate President Jefferson Davis replaced the cautious Johnston with General John B. Hood, who launched a series of aggressive but costly frontal attacks. These assaults failed to repel Sherman, who eventually encircled Atlanta and cut its rail supply lines.
01 / The Origins
By early 1864 the Union sought to break Confederate resistance in the Western Theater by targeting Atlanta, a vital Confederate rail hub and industrial center. Union General William T. Sherman was tasked with advancing from Chattanooga, Tennessee, into Georgia to destroy the Confederate Army of Tennessee and capture Atlanta, depriving the Confederacy of a critical logistical and symbolic asset.
03 / The Outcome
Hood abandoned Atlanta on September 1, 1864, and Union forces occupied the city on September 2. The capture reinvigorated Northern public opinion and bolstered President Lincoln's prospects in the November 1864 election. Atlanta's fall also set the stage for Sherman's subsequent March to the Sea, accelerating the Confederacy's collapse.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
William Tecumseh Sherman.
Side B
1 belligerent
Joseph E. Johnston, John B. Hood.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.