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Heightened Union morale, a nail in the Confederacy’s coffin, and President Lincoln’s reelection were just a few of the powerful outcomes from the Battle of Atlanta, which extended from July to September of 1864.
Union Gen. William Sherman advanced from Chattanooga to Atlanta, seeking to cut off the city’s supply lines from Macon. While the troops closed in on Decatur, the Confederacy was suffering high casualties relative to its small army.
Sherman successfully cut the city’s vital railway on August 31, causing Mayor Calhoun to surrender Atlanta two days later. Nearly 10,000 lives were lost, including Union Gen. James McPherson.
– Mark C. McDonald, Georgia Trust