July 4th, 1864

I Was There...110 Years Too Late...


In addition to all the other things I've talked about here on the old blog, I don't believe that I've mentioned that I'm a bit of an American Civil War fan, having visited a number of Battlefield sites with my parents as a kid and having lived beside and on top of a good piece of Civil War history as an adult in Atlanta, Smyrna and Marietta, Georgia for nearly thirty years beginning in the 1970's.

I always like to remember that July 4th, in addition to being our National celebration of Independence, also represents the anniversary of Union General Sherman's march through what is now Cobb County Georgia on his way through Atlanta to Savannah.

Having lost the high ground at Kennesaw Mountain in late June, the Rebels fell back toward the Chattahoochee River and on July 4th, 1864 Confederate General Johnson was attacked by McPherson (a damn Yankee General) at Ruff's Mill outside modern day Smyrna Georgia.

Again the Yankee's prevailed, the confederates fell back across the 'Hooch, and Atlanta was toast within weeks.

Any way...I built and lived in a house in the late 1980's on property across the street from some hand dug trenches that were part of this segment of Sherman's so called "Atlanta Campaign."

In fact, the entire area that has been paved over and crisscrossed with asphalt over the past 150 years still has relics and artifacts of the Civil War if you look closely. One of Georgia's 12 remaining covered bridges, the Concord Bridge, still serves commuter auto traffic every day of the week there in Smyrna.

Here's an interesting chronological summary of the battles which I found at the About North Georgia Website:

July 2

After McPherson moves to outflank Johnston, the Confederate General withdraws to Smyrna.

July 4

Intense fighting at Ruff's Mill turns Johnston's left flank. Johnston pulls back to the so-called Chattahoochee Line starting late today.

July 10

Johnston withdraws to the gates of Atlanta, carefully destroying all bridges over the Chattahoochee River. Skirmish in Alpharetta. Braxton Bragg is traveling to Atlanta to meet with Johnston as a representative of President Davis

July 11

Davis informs Robert E. Lee of his decision to remove Johnston, asks Lee about his feelings on Hood as a replacement.

July 16

Moving east from Marietta, Georgia, Sherman's forces spread across the open land north of Atlanta. Replying to an inquiry about his plans made by President Davis, Johnston says, "As the enemy has double our number, we must be on the defensive. My plan of operations, therefore, must depend upon that of the enemy."

July 17

President Davis relieves Johnston of command and places John Bell Hood in charge. In a meeting with his men two days later Sherman instructs them to expect an attack at any moment, given Hood's aggressive nature. Sherman had found out about the change in command thanks to the Atlanta newspapers.

July 20

Hood attacks and loses at Peachtree Creek. From a point northeast of Atlanta along the Decatur Road (at the corner of present-day Dekalb Avenue and Degress St.) the first artillery shells fall on the city.

July 21

A "bald hill" east of the city falls to men under the command of Mortimer Leggitt. Renamed Leggett's Hill, this rise offers Sherman an elevated place to fire artillery into the heart of downtown Atlanta. Sherman believes the city will be quickly abandoned. Forward troops report large-scale movement of Confederate forces.

July 22

The large-scale troop movements is not the retreat of the Army of Tennessee, but the movement of Hardee's Corps on a 15-mile circuitous route to attack the Federal left flank in East Atlanta. General McPherson dies. Confederate loses may exceed 10,000 in this battle."

Anyone but me notice that even in 1864 the media, or more specifically--the Atlanta "Newspapers"--are providing information that could be of value to the "enemy", even as the enemy is attacking the very city where the "media's" offices are based?

And TEN THOUSAND DEAD?

There would be soiled underwear and wringing hands on two foot centers in the US today with military casualties of even 10% of those numbers today.


The city of Atlanta is still held under the siege of the Cox Media Empire's Atlanta Journal and Constitution (otherwise locally known as the "Urinal and Constipation"). It is, in my personal opinion, perhaps the worst big city newspaper in the entire country.

I can say so because I've subscribed to and yelled at it's editorial page for thirty years now.

Finally, in closing out my final fourth of July posting in 2007, let me state that I regret that I never really took the time that I needed to go through the archives held in the local libraries addressing the details of what the US Government allowed it's troops to do to the citizens of Georgia in the name of national unity.

Regardless, every time some limp wristed liberal asshole journalist starts whining about military atrocities in Iraq I want to kick them in the head and remind them of what my fellow southerners endured in 1864 as Sherman was allowed to conduct his famous "March to the Sea."