General Sherman in Atlanta

General Sherman devastated Atlanta during his "March to the Sea."

This drawing depicts the Union general and some of his men in Atlanta during September, 1864. Click on the image to expand its view.

The September 24, 1864 issue of Harper's Weekly contains a story on Sherman's capture of Atlanta, including quotes from a letter which Sherman wrote. (The article, and the letter, use nineteenth-century words, concepts and references.)

"ATLANTA, September 7.

"On the 25th of August, pursuant to a plan of which the War Department had been fully advised, I left the Twentieth Corps at the Chattahoochee Bridge, and with the balance of the army I drew off from the siege, and using ... considerable artifice to mislead the enemy.

"I moved rapidly south, reached the West Point Railroad near Fairborn on the 27th, and broke up twelve miles of it. When moving east my right approached the Macon Railroad near Jonesborough, and my left near Rough and Ready. The enemy attacked the right wing of the Army of the Tennessee, and were completely beaten.

"On the 31st, and during the combat, I pushed the left of the centre rapidly to the railroad above, between Rough and Ready and Jonesborough.

"On the 1st of September we broke up about eight miles of the Macon Read, and turned on the enemy at Jonesborough, assaulted him and his lines, and carried them, capturing Brigadier-General Gorman and about 2000 prisoners, with eight guns and much plunder. Night alone prevented our capturing all of Hardee's corps, which escaped south that night.

"That same night, Hood, in Atlanta, finding all his railroads broken and in our possession, blew up his ammunition, seven locomotives and eighty cars, and evacuated Atlanta, which, on the next day, September 2, was occupied by the corps left for that purpose.

"Major-General Slocum commanding, we following the retreating rebel army to near Lovejoy's station, thirty miles south of Atlanta, where, finding him strongly intrenched, I concluded it would not 'pay' to assault as we already had the great object of the campaign, viz., Atlanta.

"Accordingly the army gradually and leisurely returned to Atlanta; and it is now encamped eight miles south of the city, and tomorrow will move to the camps appointed. I am now writing in Atlanta, so I could not be uneasy in regard to our situation.

"We have as the result of this quick, and, as I think, well executed movement, 27 guns, over 3000 prisoners, and have buried over 400 rebel dead, and left as many wounded; they could not be removed.

"The rebels have lost, besides the important city of Atlanta and stores, at least 500 dead, 2500 wounded, and 3000 prisoners, whereas our aggregate loss will not foot 1500,

"If that is not success, I don't know what is.

(Signed) "SHERMAN, Major-General."

The article concludes with these observations:

"It was Hardee's corps, together with General S. L. Lee's and Cleburne's commands, which fought the battle of Jonesborough on the rebel side. The rebel Generals Anderson, Patten, and Cummings were wounded. The capture of Atlanta renders useless any of the rebel attempts on Sherman's communications."