In April 1864, the Civil War had entered its third year and by May Lt. General
Ulysses S. Grant had ordered Major General William T. Sherman to move his troops
from Chattanooga, Tennessee, into Georgia defeat the Confederate forces and take
Atlanta. Throughout May, Sherman and his men drove the troops of General Joseph E.
Johnston ever closer to the all important Confederate city. Fighting occurred at
Resaca, New Hope Church, Pickett's Mill, and Dallas, each location seeing a
Confederate retreat.
By the middle of June, 1864, Johnston's men had retreated to Kennesaw Mountain and began
digging fortification trenches. On June 22, Confederate troops struck the Federals at Kolb's Farm.
The Federals held the line; however, they were prevented from moving further south. Sherman
underestimated the strength of the Southern line and ordered attacks on Little Kennesaw and
Pigeon Hill. On the morning of June 27, the Federals open fire upon the Confederate fortifications.
The initial attack failed completely; however, 8000 Union infantrymen began an attack on Major Generals
Cleburne and Cheatham located south of Dallas Road. Most of the Northern troops were killed at a point
in the Confederate lines known as the "Dead Angle." By the end of the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain,
over 2000 Union troops had lost their lives compared to the just over 500 Confederates who fell.
At the beginning of July, Sherman and his men had once again outflanked Johnston's troops and began to continue
their journey to Atlanta. Once the Union forces had crossed the Chattahoochee River, heavy fighting took place at
Peachtree Creek, Atlanta, Ezra Church, and Jonesboro. Johnston was replaced by Lt. General John B. Hood, who surrendered
the city of Atlanta on September 2, 1864. This was a devastating blow to the Confederacy, one which would ultimately be
one of the deciding factors of the Civil War.