In May 1864, Union general William T. Sherman began his invasion of Georgia, going up against Confederate general Joseph Johnston in a series of battles and skirmishes throughout early and mid-summer. But in July, President Jefferson Davis, unhappy with Johnston’s tactics, replaced him with the more aggressive John Bell Hood.
Sherman’s and Hood’s men clashed time and again in July and August. Sherman, unwilling to attempt a head-on assault of Atlanta, decided instead to cut off the city’s last remaining railroad supply line, which his men successfully did despite Confederate opposition.
When Hood was informed of the rail line’s destruction, he ordered the evacuation of his men from Atlanta on September 1. Before they left, they destroyed ammunition stores, locomotives, and anything else the Federals would find useful. The Federals took the city the next day. Sherman’s troops would remain in Atlanta for another two months, before leaving in mid-November on Sherman’s destructive March to the Sea.
With your kind permission, the Coffee County Historical Society would like to reprint this article in our next Newsletter to members. We will, of course, credit you with the article.
Thanks very much for your consideration.
Pat Berges, Publications Editor
Coffee County (TN) Historical Society
Pat-
You have our permission to use the article
Thanks
I am looking for Fleenor’s in the Civil War, CSA
If you have the name of any in Coffee County, Tn. Can you e-mail them to me
Pat, sorry to intrude, but your Coffee Creek Society got my interest. My daughter-in-law’s ancestors are buried In the Philip Family Plot at the Coffee Creek Cemetery at Franklin, TN, according to my recent search. His name is Ezekiel Thomas Philips, born Feb. 20, 1784 and died Sept. 3, 1828. His wife was Elizabeth Thompson Brown, born Nov. 30, 1786 and died Oct. 12, 1871 (also buried there).
Are you familiar with the plot? I would appreciate any info that you might have. I’m trying to get all our ancestors on one tree and I’m kinda new at this.I live in Louisiana ; the daughter-in-law (Philips) was born in TN and now lives in OK with my youngest son and two sons of their own.I’m 82 and really enjoy the research.
Henry
I enjoyed reading about the History of the Civil War
I love reading Civil War History.It is a very personal learning experience since tracing my great great grand aunt’s husband’s federal pension application which indicates he was a sergeant in the U.S.C. Vol. Infantry–enlisted Oct 1863 and discharged April 25, 1866 at Nashville, TN.Brings history alive.Great stuff!
I live in an area where Sherman’s troops destroyed mills, and a railroad bridge over a river. Also cotton warehouses. There are still buildings standing which had the roofs destroyed and windows removed but the walls were two stones thick and could not be destroyed. Windows and roofs have been replaced many years ago.
Am learning more and more about the war in Georgia. Recently have encountered information about a group of people who thru a group called the Executive Aid Group, supplied troops with food, clothing, etc. Can’t find much about them, and really need to, but a search doesn’t produce must information. Does Fold3 have such information available?
My Great-Great-Grandfather was serving with Sherman during this time. I have his diary, wherein he recounts the March Across Georgia.
I
Is there an opportunity to read the diary excerpts on line? What a treasure!
Sherman’s legacy in American folklore is dominated with Southern hate for his destructiveness. Closer to the truth is a more favorable world-view that regards Sherman (and likewise Grant) as a great general and military genius. The truth is that Sherman’s strategy to destroy the South’s ability and will to wage war worked beautifully. He achieved his goal by destroying the South’s war-making assets and supplies, not by killing enemy soldiers. In that sense, he was a humanitarian and deserves much of credit for bringing the war to a quick end.
I have read that military schools world-wide consider both Sherman and Grant as military geniuses.
My two great grandfathers both went with Sherman to Savannah. Would also like to know avaibility of your diary to read. Linda Wodke Haeker
Burn the diary. My great-grandmother lived in the area when Sherman came. Everything she had was either burned or stolen. Maybe your ancestor was one of the low lifes that did this to a defenseless woman with children .
Really terrific, Ron!! My great, great, great grandfather died at the Battle of Cedar Creek, the last before the Union took Richmond. So sad! Fortunately, he had children prior to that, or I would not have been here to have my wonderful life. My son at 16 and 17, reenacted that battle twice, and also the Battle of Gettysburg twice.
Perhaps you could make your great-grandfather’s diaries available to civil war historians. What a great legacy you have to share!
My mom’s grandmother is Georgia Sherman. We’ve been told we are related to Gen WT Sheman, but have only been able to trace back to a John Sherman (birthdate off by a few years), which may or may not be the brother of Gen Sherman. So it could be a different line.
I have seen on the SOY website that all Shermans trace back to Shearman of Yaxley.
This is a great tip especially to those new
to the blogosphere. Simple but very accurate info…
Many thanks for sharing this one. A must read article!
I too have a great grand father 3 times removed who marched with Gen Sherman, through Georgia. In Savannah, South of the river is a large cemetery where Shemans men camped because it was fenced and still is today. Great history.
One hundred and fifty years ago today was a very sad day in Atlanta!
I agree with you…The American Civil War was never about slavery, but economics…because cotton was “king” and controlled by a small group of wealthy men, the north resented the south and all it stood for….Obviously, my sentiments reside with the Confederacy.
My great grandfather, THOMAS JEFFERSON KING was a 2nd Lieut. Co. K, 30th GA Inf. His hometown: Coweta County, GA. where he was born May 15, 1832. He fought in the Battle of Atlanta and his Company was fleeing Atlanta when he was captured near Decatur, GA on July 22, 1864. He was taken as a POW to the Johnson Island POW Depot for Confederate Officers located in Sandusky Bay, Lake Erie, Ohio. He arrived at the prison on August 1, 1864. He was released June 15, 1865 and somehow returned to his home in Georgia. The remainder of his life he suffers may health problems. In 1809, he was awarded the Southern Cross of Honor. He passed away May, 1914 and is interred at Andrews Chapel Cemetery, Roscoe, Georgia in the King Family Section.
I obtained this Prisoner Record information; which is recorded and maintained at the Center for Historic and Military Archaeology at Heidelberg University.
So many in our family has tried to find connections to our posterity in and around Cassandra, Georgia, as the court house records, as we understand, were burned when Sherman took over Atlanta and other places. The name we are looking for is John Bailey Sr.,born 1805, married Martha Betsy ?,( born 19 Nov. 1807) in about 1826 and John died about 1842-1850, and Martha died in 1885. We cannot document for sure who John’s parents were, and if Martha was an only wife. Anyone with more information on this line, please let me know by e-mail. Thanks, Laurel Burger
Not about slavery? If you read the address Gov. Isham G. Harris delivered to the Tennessee legislature calling for secession you will find that slavery was at the root of all his grievances. (It’s available on line at http://americancivilwar.com/documents/isham_harris.html )
He advocated slavery not only in the south but from coast-to-coast and from Texas to Maine. He worried that interstate commerce restrictions would make slavery unprofitable, and he was infuriated over the underground railway.
Claiming that the Civil War wasn’t about slavery is just revisionism.
Perhaps you need to read a little more history from different historians rather than just relying on this one diatribe. There is no doubt that slavery was part of the equation, but to say it was all about slavery is just plain ignorant. Perhaps you need to read some of Lincoln’s comments about the war and what he wanted to accomplish.
This message is for Thomas… NO! Military schools DO NOT consider Sherman and Grant Special what so ever.. No, I am not from the South, MN in Fact, But I am a History Scholar and will proudly tell you that no, not special, but having the ability to understand that they had WAR OF ATTRITION on their side, they could send and send and send men to their deaths and they would still have more young fools who were getting paid to do the job, I mean there was no other jobs in the North either, and since the Norh had no agg to speak of, most of the work was in Manuf.. If you are actually intertested in “The War Between the States” then please actually read about it… It will SHOCK YOU how wrong you were tough in Shool and why the truth was and has been and will continue to be kept from you…. IT IS ABOUT STATES RIGHTS… Eric Holder is showing you all now. Missouri is UP A CRICK unless they kick him out of “THIER” state now.
You, Sir, have a brain and have researched this topic. It is unfortunate that many others will not read multiple books on this war and it’s cause, but will just rely on what they were taught in revisionist schools up north.
TO: John Reed.. I am still amazed that because “ONE” politician made “HIS” concernes about the UNION staying together being the end of Slavery being the paramount reasoning for secession is still the most ignorant proof that the “American” school system has still got eveyone by the B-LLZ. The original and most actual paramount reason the South believed that Slavery should not be just abolished over night was because they knew it would destroy a complete sect of people and the natural and normal way of life that had been established for more than, NOW HEAR THIS!!!>>> 200 years. The South’ main concern was the tarrif dispute… HEY, Pay attention now. The Crimean War < go look this up. Made the South get VERY rich and the NORTH got very poor.1853 to 1856 the South sent food to the European people, i.e French and British. Their MEN were not home to "FARM" anything. The actual reason for the "War between the States" was the guise of Slavery so you all have been told, but it was actually the excuse to CHANGE THE CONSTITUTION in order for the FED to have control over the States. This is tantamount to the Neighborhood watch set up by the neighborhood taking control of the peoples houses and telling everyone how to run their lives, the FED GUB was not suppose to be anything more than a glorified manager. Now they are the OWNERS of the PEOPLE. Wakey wakey time.
John Reed… > “Claiming that the Civil War wasn’t about slavery is just revisionism.”
This statement is always the claim of those who only think they have read an article or two and now know the reason behind the “War between the States”.. Tantamount to the short guy always says “good things come in small packages, or “the bigger they the harder they fall”…NO! they don’t, the bigger they are the Harder they hit. And an ounce of gold is not as good as a pound of gold. Claiming that those who have become scholars of the “War” are revisonists is complete ignorance. Just like the Russion matter right now is looked upon as “Those evil bats terds” YIKES… Hey did not the Settlers move into what was Mexico in the 1820’s and 1830’s then want to Secede from Mexico and make their own Country because their were more anglo/saxons then mexicans in Texas. You do remember the Alamo don’t you.. You know the Mexican general Santa Anna, the politician Sam Houston. Ooops sorry, but you need to know real history. Texas was a Country all by itself for 10 years because there were more settlers there then Mexicans.. So, why can not the Southern region of the Ukraine not want to be thier own Country or go back to Russia, they are mostly RUSSIANS…. DUH. The U.S is still trying to make the “United Empire of the Earth” and they want to be in control. oh, I am Italian and live in Mn. So, no! I am not from the south. But 25 years of study lends these facts. Ciao
I lived in Texas for six years and learned to be an involved citizen there. My great-grand uncle, John J. Fisher, though born in Tennessee, was an officer in the Mexican army who offered his services to the Confederacy in 1864. He had gathered information on the Union forces at Brownsville TX. My father was named after him.
His father, Larkin Fisher, knew Isham Harris personally when the family lived in Paris TN in the 1840s. In Paducah KY according to the 1850 slave census Larkin Fisher, a tailor, owned 7 slaves, a man and a woman, four children and a 16 year old mullato girl who had fled the state.
Between family stories I heard growing up and 40+ years of research, I think I have a pretty good understanding of how slavery operated.
Sam Houston was strongly opposed to Texas joining the Confederacy.
John, perhaps you have trouble understanding what others have written here. No one is denying that slavery was part of the equation in the war but to state that the war was completely about slavery is just total ignorance. If you read history to confirm your own predetermined mindset, then I would say your 40 years of “research” has been wasted. Open your mind and read more. As to your statement about “knowing how slavery worked”, I am not sure what you are trying to say here. Slavery was wrong and there is no question about that in my view (I am form the South). I understand the reasons for it back in the 1800’s but that doesn’t mean I agree with it. The war was really about economics and self determination and the north disagreed with that. They, the manufacturers, wanted control over the South’s agricultural interest and the South decided to sell there products to other countries. Embargoes were started against the South to deny shipments to other countries and the disagreements continued ad nauseam. This was not the only disagreement between the two sections of the country, but it was extremely important in fueling the fire toward war. Take a look at some of the areas where slave trading was very profitable and you will find it was the north, as well as blacks being some of the traders. Enough for now!
Two votes. NO ON SLAVERY JUSTIFICATION:
1) I have a paper clipping, Rochester, NY 1853 “COLORED Wench FOR SALE”. The north was as biogotted as south. My Aunt would not allow my uncle to have a friend and his fireman in a power plant for an asylum in my home town. Johnny had to set by himself in the “sun room” and away from the “dining table’. My NORTHERN aunt was very insistant “darkies” know their place. I’m talking about 1950-1955.
2)nd comment on slavery and visions of fraud. In the Lincoln Memorial I took a photo with my BROWNIE Camera and a quote by Abraham Lincoln in the “old” foundation and basement structure before renovation. It clearly states that the war was NOT about slavery and not much more. We know now what it was about, greed and the northern interests wanting to control the property in the south. Sort of a 1st case justification as FDR contrived to blame JAPAN yet go after Germany 1st even though the justification for the war was SNEAK ATTACH BY JAPAN. It wasn’t a sneak attack. High command and White House knew of it, allowed it for their own purposes. Alger Hiss and fellow traveling COMMUNISTS still with us now. The statistics are “gravely” missing from history tallying northern slaves and southern slaves. In fact, most never knew or knowing hid the fact of the volume and dependence on slaves in the north. Factories require manpower and you must remember then “child labor” had not really been eliminated.
Burma Shave.
Steve: I am so glad that every so often I come on a site like this and find that once I put out some truths about the “war” I either gets some more ignorance or I get to see others who are informed as well. I am in the hopes that the Millennial generation is not the “ONES” to drop off the planet of knowing the truth. I do know that my Gen X in school (Grade and HIgh) sure did try to brain wash us. Started finding the truth round about 19 years old. Read, read. I am thinking that the Millennials do not read things like the “War between the States” Just give the argument from the “Tought” point of view… Thank you for also knowing the truth. And well, yes we all agree that owning another human is not a human thing to do. But the War was soooooo not about slavery what so ever, it was LIncolns exit if the North started to loose the the war which they were, so he fell back on something he knew no one would ever take sides with. Hey Napoleon III almost came in on the Confederate side, that was until Lincoln started with the Emancipation talk. GAME OVER.
What I mean by “how slavery worked” is that not only large plantation owners and wealthy slave traders like Nathan B. Forrest could participate in it. Less affluent merchants and farmers could make extra money by selling children as soon as they were big enough to work. Most white children would be working on farms or at other labor by their early teens, and certainly slave children weren’t going to be allowed to do less. As far as freedom was concerned, white minors were no more free than slaves before age 21.
By 1860 slaves had become a major economic factor in the South and represented personal wealth to much of the population, not for just a few.
Tariffs were generally favorable to the South before secession removed its representatives from the Congress. Many southerners like Andrew Johnson remained loyal to the Union or like Sam Houston wanted no part of the Confederacy. Some were killed for trying to avoid conscription as in the Nueces Massacre in Texas. One of my wife’s ancestors enlisted in the CSA, and his unit was first sent to the Sequatchee valley to quell an “insurrection”, a mission against other Tennesseans. In early 1861 Tennesseans had rejected secession in a referendum. Isham Harris had to send troops to East Tennessee to keep it from seceding from the rest of the state. There was certainly no general outrage over tariffs uniting the population in support of secession.
there: a place. I went there yesterday. Put the plate there. etc.
their: possessive. It was their home. Their surname is Jones.
they’re: contraction. They are at home. (They’re at home.) They’re serving in the army. (They are serving in the army.)
It sounds petty, but it isn’t. Use the correct form and your statement will sound like it comes from a person who may truly be a scholar.
Reading the remainder of the Life of Abraham Lincoln. If I learned one thing, he wasn’t “honest Abe”. Likely killed in plot by his wife and her southern family, and she was indicted and faced charges after the war. John Wilkes Boothe a convenient scapegoat. The Constitution and States lost the war. Oligarchist and northern EASTERN industrial click prevailed. So much for the idol of not telling a lie.
I too have 5th great grand parents who left Us during the Civil War Era. There names were James and Elsa Murphy. They finally came to Canada and settled in New Brunswick. They were one of the first families to settle in that province
Hi Trevor. This song may be meaningful to your readers. Thanks for your terrific site.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewvtiegnx5E
I had family which lived in the North and the South and fought both as Federals
and Confederates. From my personal research and letters from that period from
my Civil War participantes and family the war not about freeing the slaves as the liberals try to brain wash the workers,peasants,farmers,military and blacks. The war was about states rights and a powerfull central government. We have a strong central government and less states rights every day, soon we will get up in the morning and say massa whats my job today? Polishing Chelsea Clintons boots you fool !
Thank you, everyone … for the interesting, illuminating, and vigorous discussion.
My 2nd great-grandfather, MICHAEL WELCH, immigrated to the United States from County Mayo, Ireland with his wife and baby daughter in 1846 during the Great Potato Famine. Michael and his young family made their home in Elmore, Ohio where he was employed as a laborer. In 1863, he enlisted with the 100 Ohio Infantry: Co. G – Rank of Private. He was wounded in the Battle of Franklin (TN) in 1864 while serving in the 183rd Ohio Infantry – Co. A. He served to the conclusion of the war and was mustered out in July 1865 in Toledo, Ohio. After the war, he resided in Oak Harbor, Ohio at the Ottawa County Infirmary. In 1883, he was transferred to the Dayton Home for Disabled Soldiers where he died on March 8, 1903. He is buried in the Dayton National Cemetery. My research leads me to conclude he never returned to his family as a result of his war disability, as sadly, no family record exists detailing his military service. His military record states he was deaf in both ears. 64% of the veterans cared for at the Dayton Home for Disabled Soldiers were born outside of the United States. 1,340 were born in Ireland. Michael Welch left a wife and five children, one of whom is my great-grandmother, Maggie.
For those interested, have come across a book recently made avail on Kindle titled: Andersonville- A Story of Rebel Military Prisons. Only part way through it so far but very detailed read by a Northern prisoner from Illinois. Tragic how they were treated and I know that the prisons in the north wern’t much better.
Sorry, I didn’t ask permission first, posted this in our Civil War Facebook page. Thanks for the information.
The civil war was the longest and most destructive war in history. In august of 1956 I joined the United States Air Force and after basic training and military schooling I was sent to Warner Robbing AFB in Georgia. Georgia is a beautiful state and the people were friendly; but they were still fighting the civil war. They still had that deep seated animosity toward the north and the Yankee’s. Some southerners with a lower that average IQ had an obnoxious antagonistic demeanor towards all things coming from the north.
I served with loyal Americans that grew up in a home that would not fly the stars and stripes as only the confederate flag was allowed. I also met Pattie Kline in Macon and I have been her fan ever since,
Ted:
“Some southerners with a lower that average IQ had an obnoxious antagonistic demeanor towards all things coming from the north”.
No disrespect intended here. Thank you for serving in the military. But your comment seems to imply that only people with lower I.Q’s have a bad disposition towards northerners. I do not think it is only those who’s direct decendents from the south hate the uninformed brain washed people from the north. This is not a fact, in fact I am from Mn and prety much do not like the ignorance from up here. The plain simple truth is you are very right a lot of people in the south were uneducated it is because the South was SO destroyed that the education system and way of “NORMAL” life has taken over 150 years to rebound. It was the intention of the gubment from the north. The people from the South are way more genuine and honest, and would share one of their last two crackers with you if you were starving. Up here in the north, you would be eating dirt. Again thank you for serving and all due respect that for that. I am 46 and my Papa, served in the Marines and in Korea 1952.
I too have read quite a lot about the Civil War during my genealogy travels, I have several family who fought in the war, some who came home, some who didn’t. The war prisoners is the part that bothers me the most, locking away and killing your kin and country men. Fighting against each other, and all the killing, theiving and destroying even after the war had ended, shameful!
Taking all the post together, reading their suggested material and considering thoughtfully the content, one can see the truths of the greatest reason for the civil war. All the reasons are valid depending on your upbringing and education. We Southernors had the ideals pounded into our heads as we grew up that were by and large wrong concerning not just slaves but blacks. The Yankees never grew up so they never learned. We didn”t treat indentured slaves like we did the blacks. We didn’t even know a person was slave unless someone pointed it out. SO to think we disliked slaves is not enirely correct. Yes I grew up in the a segregated South. I had some of the same warped ideas about “other” people. It wasn’t hate. It was total disregard for people of color for some of the dumbest reason one could imagine. e.g. Stay away from, them. They are ignorant, unclean, lazy, blah, blah, blah.
When you don’t have relations and experience different cultures/people, you can not understand their plight/problems. Both sides say to it that the blacks received no education to such extent they always were called ignorate. In most cases if not all, total segregation existed in the homes, on the farms just every where. Blacks when allowed to receive an education were educated in lean-two’s, barns and under shade trees. In the early years if a Black was caught with a book they were whiped and the Master or whom ever provide the book was beaten or worse. Blacks during the times of salvery did not shop for themselves. They only learned of soap by washing the masters clothes. How much hygen training do you think they got in Africa? Still a huge problem over there. If we walked a mile in their shoes, we would understand their heritage.
Both the South and those other people “read Yankees”, surely have as much fault at stiring the pot and agrevating the cause. Come on now “youse guys”. If was just a matter of opinion would it have gone on that long? Actually it would have. Both sides stand by their ideas and values no matter how trite. I need to write a book on this I could go on and on about many distorted ideas we as people had and have about this era. Peace and Love.
Hey Joe, For your information, a good 80+% of the North, at the time of the uncivil War was agriculture. Only the Port cities of the north and the rivers deep enough and fast enough to drive a water wheel had industry. I had three uncles from southern Illinois, farm boys from Ohio, 2 had become railroaders and the other still farmed. Other Uncles, Kentucky farmers, served in the inf. and the 6th Kentucky cav. USA. Families were split, just as today over politics and religion. My husband had many family members, farmers from Tennessee, who served the CSA. My son insists the war was over States Rights. As with everything else, put 5 people and a room and get 15 opinions.
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