Battle of Atlanta

Battle of Atlanta
Part of the American Civil War
Confederate fortifications on the southeast side
Date July 22, 1864 (1864-07-22)[1] Location Fulton and DeKalb counties, Georgia[1] 33°44′45″N 84°20′56″W / 33.7459°N 84.3488°W / 33.7459; -84.3488 Result Union victory[1]
Belligerents
United States (Union)	Confederate States
Commanders and leaders
William T. Sherman[1] James B. McPherson †	John Bell Hood[1] William J. Hardee[1]
Units involved
Military Division of the Mississippi:[1] Army of the Tennessee	Army of Tennessee[1]
Strength
34,863[fn 1]	40,438[fn 2]
Casualties and losses
3,722[2]	5,500[3][4] 5,000 (according to Col. Taylor Beatty of General Hood's staff)[4]
Atlanta class=notpageimage| Location within Georgia

The Battle of Atlanta took place during the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War on July 22, 1864, just southeast of Atlanta, Georgia. Continuing their summer campaign to seize the important rail and supply hub of Atlanta, Union forces commanded by William Tecumseh Sherman overwhelmed and defeated Confederate forces defending the city under John Bell Hood. Union Major General James B. McPherson was killed during the battle, the second-highest-ranking Union officer killed in action during the war. Despite the implication of finality in its name, the battle occurred midway through the Atlanta campaign, and the city did not fall until September 2, 1864, after a Union siege and various attempts to seize railroads and supply lines leading to Atlanta. After taking the city, Sherman's troops headed south-southeastward toward Milledgeville, the state capital, and on to Savannah with the March to the Sea.

The fall of Atlanta was especially noteworthy for its political ramifications. In the 1864 election, former Union General George B. McClellan, a Democrat, ran against President Lincoln, although he repudiated his own party's platform, calling for an armistice with the Confederacy. The capture of Atlanta and Hood's burning of military facilities as he evacuated were extensively covered by Northern newspapers, significantly boosting Northern morale, and Lincoln was re-elected by a significant margin.

Cite error: There are <ref group=fn> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=fn}} template (see the help page).