The Struggle for the Life of the Republic by Stewart Bennet Barbara Tillery

Author:Stewart Bennet, Barbara Tillery [Stewart Bennet, Barbara Tillery]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Nonfiction, History, Americas, United States, Civil War Period (1850-1877)
ISBN: 9781631010248
Publisher: The Kent State University Press
Published: 2014-02-28T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

The Siege and Capture

of Atlanta

July 18–September 24, 1864

McPherson had been killed and our army was being out-flanked

and driven back, but it must be kept a secret from our men.

Since May Sherman’s army had fought, sweated, and bled its way to the outskirts of Atlanta. After many flanking maneuvers and, at times, costly frontal assaults, Union forces could finally see the buildings of Atlanta. Yet the campaign was not over. President Lincoln’s reelection was looked upon by many as dependent on Union victory in either the Eastern or Western Theater of the war.

The Union army’s flanking movements toward Atlanta and relentless pursuit of the Confederate army began to fray the nerves of the Confederate government. Though Confederate commander Joe Johnston maneuvered southward with patience and skill, he lost command of the army, due in part to President Davis’s opinion that he lacked an offensive strategy and an aggressive spirit. Davis’s replacement of Johnston with Gen. John B. Hood, a tenacious fighter, set a new tone for how the campaign would continue. Hood’s aggressive generalship emphasized meeting and attacking Union forces whenever he saw an advantage. During his time in command, Hood kept the Fifteenth Corps, which customarily included the 76th Ohio, very busy.

Miller would find himself in many of the Battles around Atlanta, most notably the Battle of Atlanta. By mid-August he was appointed acting assistant inspector general of the First Brigade, First Division, 15th Army Corps. Although not involved in the Battle of Jonesboro, he watched as it unfolded. Soon after this battle, Atlanta was abandoned by Hood’s forces. Miller and the 76th Ohio would continue to engage the Confederate forces. It would be a while before Sherman could celebrate the taking of that great city.

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