9 chapters | credit by exam that is accepted by over 1,500 colleges and universities. The Players In the spring of 1864, Union and Confederate troops in the […] On June 27th, the Union attacked, beginning with a blast of artillery fire to try to soften up the Confederate position. Working Scholars® Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community, Recognize the major generals on both sides of the Atlanta campaign, Detail the importance of Sherman's plan of moving southward to take Atlanta, Understand that the loss of Atlanta devastated the Confederacy and aided in Lincoln's reelection. Sherman had already decided on his target. Study.com has thousands of articles about every With their arrival and victory there, the last life line to Atlanta was effectively cut. They soon ran into Johnston’s forces near Dalton. Before long, Sherman would be ready to continue his path of destruction across the South. The Atlanta campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864. Most engagements were small, as Union forces sidestepped the Confederates and forced them south, but the battle at Kennesaw Mountain cost the Union heavy casualties. Anyone can earn The Union victory at Atlanta provided a major boost for the North, which had been experiencing a series of frustrating stalemates and defeats in the East. The 1864 military campaign season in the West focused on the campaign to capture Atlanta, Georgia. Log in here for access. Atlanta itself suffered greatly at Union hands. Union Maj. Gen. James B. McPherson was killed during the battle. After a limited, but sharp clash, the Confederates retreated to the south. Visit the History 106: The Civil War and Reconstruction page to learn more. Atlanta itself was fortified by a series of rifle pits, gun batteries, and spiked logs that formed a ring around the city. Our goal is to perpetuate public awareness of, and stimulate interest in, the historical significance of the period in United States history termed "the War between the States" or commonly called the American Civil War. Sherman and his men set out from Chattanooga on May 1, 1864, and crossed the border into Georgia on May 5th. Already registered? As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 79,000 Sherman knew that if he could take Atlanta, he would deprive the South of much-needed resources and open up a gateway for the Union to march across Georgia and meet up with Union forces in the East. The Union army in the West was under the control of Major General William T. Sherman. To severely curtail the Confederate war effort, Sherman made sure Atlanta's arsenals and factories were destroyed.