BA001798
Atlanta, Ga.
July 22, 1864
Event ID # BA001798
This battle is often referred to as the Battle of Atlanta, although battles in and around Atlanta continued for another 6 weeks. It is also referred to as the Battle of Decatur and the Battle of the Augusta Rail Line.
Depiction of the battle from the Atlanta Cyclorama
Mr. Ponders house was used by Confederate sharp-
shooters, and was heavily bombarded by Union artillery
causing extensive damage. After the battle, the house
was never rebuilt or reoccupied by the Ponder family.
Sherman was under the impression that the Confederates had evacuated Atlanta., Gen. James B. McPherson thought otherwise and while they were discussing the matter a large concentration of gunfire was heard from the direction of Decatur, Gen McPherson jumped on his horse and sped towards his troops. He found Grenville Dodge's corps struggling against a fierce assault. After giving orders to Dodge, he followed a line of the 16th Corps towards the 17th Corps, traveling only with his orderly. Entering the woods that separated the two corps, he had traveled only about one hundred fifty yards when a cry of "Halt!" rang out. He stopped for an instant and saw a line of gray skirmishers, wheeled his horse, raised his hat, and made a quick dash to his right. The skirmishers let go with a volley. McPherson staggered in the saddle for a short distance and then fell to the ground mortally wounded.
His adversary, John Bell Hood, wrote,
Hardee and Cheatham were operating on lines nearly at a right angle and several miles apart. Had they attacked with vigor at the same moment the result might have been different. Fortunately for Blair, who occupied the hill for which the Confederates were contending, the assaults were so disconnected that he always had time to change front to meet each one when it came.
One thing that made it comparatively easy for Hardee to gain Blair's flank and rear was the fact that Sherman had sent Garrard's cavalry on the 2ist to Covington to destroy the Georgia railroad. Had the cavalry been with the left wing it is quite probable that some scouting party would have discovered the movement in time to check it, or at least to have given a different turn to the battle.
At Decatur was Sprague's brigade of Fuller's division guarding a train. About the time that Hardee began his attack two divisions of Wheeler's cavalry made a descent upon Sprague in an endeavor to capture the train. Sprague disposed his force in such a way as to cover the withdrawal of the train and put up a gallant resistance to a vastly superior force. Reilly's brigade of Sweeny's division came to his assistance and Wheeler was repulsed with a loss estimated at from 500 to 600. Sprague lost 242 men, most of whom were evidently captured, as Wheeler reported about 225 prisoners.
In the battle Col. George Doherty Johnston led the 25th Alabama in a charge which forced the enemy's lines, capturing more men than he led, bearing off as trophies two flags and 350 stand of arms.
Confederate Gen. W. H. T. Walker was shot from his horse by a Federal picket, killing him instantly, and Brig. Gen. Hugh W. Mercer took over the division.
Gen. J. D. Cox reports the Union losses in the battle of the 22nd at 3,521 in killed, wounded and missing. Full returns of the Confederate casualties are not available, but Logan estimated them at 10,000. His command captured 5,000 stand of small arms, 18 stand of colors and 1,017 prisoners. The total number of prisoners taken by the Union army was about 2,000. Walker's division lost so heavily that the remnants of its brigades were assigned to other commands.
First Hand Account
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