How General Sherman Attacked Atlanta: A Local’s Guide to the 1864 Campaign

If you live in Atlanta or are visiting the city, you’ve probably heard about General William Tecumseh Sherman and his famous attack on Atlanta during the Civil War. Street names, historic markers, and places like Oakland Cemetery and Atlanta History Center all reference this turning point.

Understanding how Sherman attacked Atlanta helps explain why the city looks and feels the way it does today. Below is a clear breakdown of what happened, how the attack unfolded, and where you can still see traces of it around modern Atlanta.

Big Picture: What Was Sherman Trying to Do?

By 1864, Atlanta was one of the most important Confederate cities. For the South, Atlanta was:

• A major railroad hub
• A center for factories and supply depots
• A key military logistics base

Sherman’s goal was not just to capture a city, but to break the Confederacy’s ability to fight by cutting its transportation and supply lines. For someone in Atlanta today, you can think of it this way:

So, his attack on Atlanta was part of a larger campaign through North Georgia, not a single one-day battle.

Step 1: The March Toward Atlanta

Sherman didn’t just appear at Atlanta’s city limits. He advanced from northwest Georgia, pushing Confederate forces southward.

The Road to Atlanta

In spring 1864, Sherman began moving from the Chattanooga, Tennessee area toward Atlanta. Key steps in his approach:

1. Outmaneuver, not just attack head‑on
   Sherman often tried to flank Confederate positions instead of simply charging straight at them. This forced the Confederate army to keep retreating closer to Atlanta.

2. Follow the railroads
   His army moved along the Western & Atlantic Railroad, a vital link to Atlanta. For a modern reference, this roughly tracks the route of Interstate 75 into the city.

3. Push defenses back toward the city
   By July 1864, Sherman had forced the Confederate Army under General Joseph E. Johnston, and later General John Bell Hood, back toward the immediate defenses surrounding Atlanta.

If you drive around metro Atlanta today, many northern suburbs sit on or near areas that witnessed troop movements, entrenchments, and skirmishes that were part of this long approach.

Step 2: Surrounding Atlanta Instead of Storming It

Unlike a movie-style frontal assault, Sherman did not simply charge directly into downtown Atlanta. Instead, he used a strategy of siege and encirclement.

Why Sherman Didn’t Just Rush the City

Atlanta in 1864 was heavily fortified. Confederate defenses included:

• Earthworks and trenches circling the city
• Artillery positions covering likely attack routes
• Defensive lines tied into natural features like ridges and streams

Sherman knew a direct assault would cause massive casualties. Instead, he:

• Extended his lines around the city
• Tried to cut every railroad leading into and out of Atlanta
• Used artillery to bombard Confederate positions and key industrial targets

This approach slowly strangled the city’s ability to function as a military hub.

Step 3: Targeting Atlanta’s Railroads and Supply Lines

To people in Atlanta today, it’s helpful to think of the railroads the way we think of interstates, airports, and logistics hubs combined. In 1864, railroads were the lifeblood of the city.

Key Rail Lines Sherman Went After

Sherman aimed to cut:

• The Western & Atlantic Railroad (connecting Atlanta north to Chattanooga)
• The Macon & Western Railroad (connecting Atlanta south toward Macon)
• The Georgia Railroad (running east toward Augusta)
• The Atlanta & West Point Railroad (connecting southwest toward Alabama)

His troops engaged in battles and raids west, east, and south of the city to wreck track, burn depots, and capture key junctions.

Why this mattered:
Once these lines were cut, Confederate forces in Atlanta couldn’t be reliably supplied, and the city became nearly impossible to hold.

Step 4: Major Battles Around Atlanta

Most of Sherman’s “attack on Atlanta” actually took place in battles around the city, not in today’s downtown core. If you live or travel around Atlanta, you’re often passing near these historic areas.

The Battle of Peachtree Creek (July 20, 1864)

• Location context today: North of downtown Atlanta, near the Brookwood Hills and Peachtree Battle areas.
• What happened:
  As Union forces crossed Peachtree Creek to approach Atlanta from the north, Confederate General Hood launched a surprise attack.
• Result:
  Sherman’s forces held their ground. This failed Confederate attempt allowed Union troops to dig in even closer to the city.

The Battle of Atlanta (July 22, 1864)

• Location context today: East of downtown, in neighborhoods like Edgewood, Kirkwood, and near parts of I‑20 East.
• What happened:
  Hood tried a major flanking attack on Sherman’s left side, hoping to drive him away from Atlanta.
• Result:
  The Confederates inflicted heavy casualties but failed to dislodge Sherman. The Union army tightened its grip around the city.

You can find references to this fight at places like:

• Oakland Cemetery (248 Oakland Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30312), which contains graves of both Union and Confederate soldiers and interpretive markers.

The Battle of Ezra Church (July 28, 1864)

• Location context today: West of downtown, in the area around modern Mozley Park and Westview.
• What happened:
  Hood again tried to hit Sherman’s right flank as the Union army shifted west to cut the remaining railroads.
• Result:
  Another failed Confederate attack. Sherman kept closing in and got closer to cutting the last supply lines.

Step 5: Siege and Bombardment of Atlanta

As July turned into August 1864, Sherman shifted from large open-field battles to a longer siege. For Atlanta residents at the time, daily life became dangerous and unstable.

What the Siege Looked Like

Sherman’s forces:

• Dug extensive trenches and built artillery positions around the city
• Used heavy artillery to fire into Atlanta, aiming at military targets like factories, railroad yards, and supply depots
• Continued to tear up railroads, often heating and twisting rails to make them unusable

For people inside Atlanta in 1864, this meant:

• Frequent shelling in certain parts of the city
• Shortages of food and supplies as rail lines were cut
• Civilian displacement as the city became a battlefield zone

This sustained pressure was a major part of how Sherman attacked Atlanta—less about a single clash, more about wearing down the city’s ability to resist.

Step 6: Cutting the Last Railroads and Forcing Evacuation

Sherman knew that once every rail line into Atlanta was cut, the Confederate army would have to abandon the city.

The Move to Jonesboro

Sherman sent troops south of Atlanta to attack the Macon & Western Railroad, a final key line supporting the city. This led to fighting around:

• Jonesboro (today’s Jonesboro, GA, in Clayton County, just south of Atlanta)

When this line was badly damaged and essentially lost to the Confederates:

• Hood’s army could no longer sustain itself in Atlanta
• Confederate leaders evacuated the city, withdrawing southwest

This step—destroying the last major railroad—was the decisive tactical move that made Atlanta impossible for the Confederacy to hold.

Step 7: Atlanta’s Surrender and Destruction of Military Targets

On September 2, 1864, Union forces officially occupied Atlanta. For Atlanta history, this date marks:

• The end of the Battle of Atlanta campaign
• The beginning of a difficult new chapter for the city

What Sherman Did Once Inside Atlanta

Sherman:

• Used Atlanta as a Union military base for a short time
• Ordered the evacuation of most civilians, claiming it was necessary for military operations
• Later directed the destruction of military and industrial facilities in the city—such as:
  • Factories
  • Railroad yards
  • Warehouses and depots

Large parts of Atlanta’s built environment were burned in this process, especially facilities with direct military value. This destruction is a big reason why so little of pre‑war Atlanta architecture survives today.

Sherman’s Strategy in Simple Terms

Here’s a quick summary to make the overall strategy easy to see:

For someone living in or visiting Atlanta today, this chain of events is why the city became such a symbol of both destruction and rebirth.

How This History Shows Up in Today’s Atlanta

If you’re curious where you can see this history in person, several sites around Atlanta help you visualize how Sherman attacked and captured the city.

Atlanta History Center

• Location: 130 W Paces Ferry Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30305
• Relevance:
  Offers exhibits on the Atlanta Campaign and Civil War, including maps, artifacts, and detailed explanations of Sherman’s approach and the city’s defenses.

Oakland Cemetery

• Location: 248 Oakland Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30312
• Relevance:
  Contains graves of soldiers from both sides, Civil War-era markers, and views toward downtown that help you imagine the scale of the 1864 city compared to modern Atlanta.

Local Markers and Neighborhood Names

Around the city you’ll notice:

• “Peachtree Battle” area (near Peachtree Battle Ave NW) – named for events tied to the Battle of Peachtree Creek.
• Historic markers in neighborhoods like Edgewood, Kirkwood, Westview, and areas along Donald Lee Hollowell Pkwy and Campbellton Rd, which reference troop movements and battle lines.

These places sit near the outer ring of trenches and fighting positions where much of Sherman’s attack on Atlanta played out.

Why Sherman’s Attack Still Matters for Atlantans Today

Understanding how Sherman attacked Atlanta helps you make sense of:

• Why Atlanta is often called a “phoenix city” – the wartime destruction and postwar rebuilding are central to the city’s identity.
• Why the city layout emphasizes railroads and logistics – the same networks that once made Atlanta a Confederate stronghold later helped drive its growth as a transportation and business hub.
• Why so much of Atlanta’s historic architecture is post‑Civil War – the burning of military and industrial facilities, along with collateral damage, dramatically reshaped the urban landscape.

For residents and visitors, knowing this history adds depth when you:

• Walk through Downtown and Midtown
• Ride MARTA or drive past rail yards
• Visit historic neighborhoods that once lay near battle lines and artillery positions

In practical terms, General Sherman attacked Atlanta by surrounding it, cutting off its railroads, defeating its defending armies in a series of battles around the city, bombarding key military targets, and finally forcing its evacuation and occupation.

Many of the places you travel through in modern Atlanta sit on or near the ground where that campaign unfolded.