About the Atlanta Campaign than he does. Hes been a proud civil war the fourth he was in grade. He earned his undergraduate emory, hisistory at masters degree at the andersity of North Carolina emory. At davis drew on his experience this morning when he spoke to 450 High Schoolers ever effectively. Hes taken it upon himself to attend virtually all of the eight lectures weve had thus far in this series. And hes been so very conscientious in communicating what he wanted to say to you tonight and to our students earlier today. Im not sure i can do justice to for the civil war in campaign. A his pieces have appeared in a popularf scholarly and publications, including the civil war times illustrated and the georgia historical quarterly. He was the book review editor magazine forgray 11 years. His 2001 book, atlanta will highly respected. And his most recent book, what the excuse me what the yankees did to us, shermans bombardment and wrecking of atlanta, has been described as one expert as the most detailedarched and account ever written about the fall of atlanta. The georgia writers dr. Davisn recognized with its author of the year award in the category of history. At round tables across the highly, he is a soughtafter speaker. Were honored to have this lover with usivil war here today. Please join me in welcoming his talkn davis in entitled four generals and the Atlanta Campaign. Steve, welcome thank you. I want to thank the head master undeservedly kind and complimentary introduction. Thank the lovett school. As billy mentioned, the caliber of speakers in this series preceding me has been such that im honored to have been chosen to be among them. In keeping with the theme of the lecture series, the forging of character, but mindful as the head master reminds us that this is the very capture andederal occupation of the city. We want to take a look at four generals, who on each side of the war were fighting in aftera, and then kind of looking at elements and evidence of their character and personality, what they did, well kind of bring the story reflectingonclusion, on their individual roles in the campaign. But first, someone who was not tr atlanta in 64, i wonder if that backll remember in the bicentennial year, nbc took one state of the union and spent its twohour today show broadcast, highlighting elements of that state. I happened to be teaching at dunwoody and was able to watch the show one friday, when the virginia. Focused on scott gavegeorge c. A camera view, a tour of washington and lee university. Speaking from a text that he himself had written afterwards, the University Got that itrequests for it requested from scott permission print. And i quote from what scott told camera. On over the this is bicentennial america. This is the Election Year america. 20th century thermonuclear liberated ol gar ki, in order to get mine, ive got to grind you, america. You and i supposed to learn from or feel about the world in the character of a man r. E. Lee . Hes cold. Were cool. Hes passe. Avant. Hes out of it. Were up to here in it. Continued, there are a few qualities this remarkable remarkablekree creature had,e consider them. Ive just colorized some of my favorites. Patience, loyalty, love of animals, traveler, courtesy toward the conditional frailty age. Vanced and my personal favorite, ladies and gentlemen, gentleness and to achieveion gentlemanliness. Head master. Lee on leadership. A lotat can be said for of civil war generallings. When is the last time you saw a qualitiesadership from george b. Mcclellan . Ha ha okay. Not every civil war general could be like lee obviously, but lets look at four. Ive chosen the three army commanders, johnston, hood, sherman. And pat thomas, a fellow virginian, because i believe commander of the army of the cumberland, he too had a wee and character from which can learn. First, johnston. Craig simons, i think, continues to teach at the u. S. Naval academy. Buying biography of a source. Go is still the their fathers served together in the resolution. When is the last time you thought oaf this . Were born just three weeks and 100 miles apart from each other in virginia. Point together, formed a lasting friendship, career army officers, sharing disappointment over the slow pace of promotion in the old army. War, they both served on general scotts staff, commendations. In the 50s, they were on the frontier and held identical posts. Continued parallels in the early war. Of the scott tried to keep both of them in the United States army. Was seceding. But both left the old army and followed their states out. At the time of the secession, johnston held a in the old army than lee. He was Quarter Master general of the army and head brigade. Lee was kill continental. Colonel. Similarities in there, as you will be able to see in the briefest summaries of their biography, such as bud warrens, generals. As i say, johnston was among early confederate officers the ranking officer in the old army. Theby some reading of confederate law and regulations, towould have been entitled seniority among the generals. Davis and the War Department appointed johnston fourth in seniority, after cooper, Sidney Johnson and lee. So what did johnston do . A wrote the president ninepage angry letter of whichation and protest, the president just dismissed as unbecoming. Didnt alter the seniority ranking. Ann johnston began to show he retreated up the peninsula before mcclellan and he let the yankees get within capitol. S of the president davis and general lee were beside themselves. Finally, johnston launched an attack at fair oaks, and ladies gentlemen, thereby rendered his most signal service to the confederacy by getting himself seriously wounded and knocked out of action. It led him to a point, as commander of the army of virginia, which lee never relinquished, as you know, for the rest of the war. Of 63,ssippi, spring johnston was something of a theater commander. Pemberton found himself locked in, president davis sent command troops being assembled near jackson as a army of relief. Eventually, 25or 30,000 confederates gathered in the neverbut johnston attacked. Pembertont, surrendered. , at least twotime president failure, davis appointed general johnston who had beenagg, humiliated in the rate. The in the rout. He asked johnston, please, offensive against sherman before he launches an offensive against you and begins to invade georgia. Instead here hes right. He said, mr. President , i cannot. Yankees have us boxed in, and tennessee is a poor country into which to advance. So he never advanced against sherman. And sherman, of course, held the initiative throughout the campaign. Advance,n prepared to johnston wanted to stay on the defensive. Anyone who has read about the Atlanta Campaign knows this mantra. Johnston would hold up in the high ground and ridges and defensive positions, hope to be assaulted, likely had been at fredericksburg. If hes flanked, move back to position, all the while asking that the administration send Forrest Calvary raids against shermans ever lengthening western and atlantic supply line. Familiarign took on a pattern. Johnston would take position. Sherman would approach, would skirmish with the rebels. Mean while, he would probe army ofith the tennessee, around usually by the the rebelght against left. Johnston found that he would be flanked, threatened with his being cut, and hed have to retreat. Map. You see a timeline sweeneys division with is going to the way down stream, flank downstream. With this repetitive pattern of which johnstont could figure out no antidote or counter, sherman pushed johnston back from nine successive positions. And look at my handdrawn map, yall. If you cant find a map that what you want, you draw it yourself. Ha ha is know, my favorite here allen tates biography of jackson. Have you seen his maps . Theyre far more artless than my own. Ha ha here, from midmay all the way into midjuly, pushed johnston back to essentially 80 or 90 miles of georgia. Johnston today is known as master of fabian fabus, theed for roman general. They are marching down the peninsula toward rome. Back, keeps retreating building and strengthening his army, declining to give battle, until finally he can beat gates of rome. These tactics have led him to be nickname, the delayer. Work, whose cover you see, i call joe johnston this name. Federals crossed the river, as i said, july 8, 9. And johnston had to retreat across the river on the night of the 9th, 10th. Davisthat, president over a full week agonizing whether to fire joe johnston, who had given up, as i say, 80 miles of georgia terrain. Ben hill,enator confederate senator from georgia, arrives in richmond and and theesident davis secretary a firstperson account of his interview, which had been held ten days before. And ben hill told the president three times, i asked johnston, can you hold the river . Th of no, i cannot. Calvary. T to send and by that time, when hill is before the administration, july davis holds up a telegram, look, your man has already crossed the chattahoochee. On the 11th, catch this. Building confidence with your boss, you send a telegram asking, hey, maybe we the federalove prisoners from andersonville. July 12, davis asks lee his opinion. Whold we fire johnston, and would you name . You know, general lee, who was lees most trusted adviser, did not serve the president as well as davis had hoped. He, first of all, advised against firing johnston. And he had very tepid comments hood. General battlefield,n the careless off, if you remember that. Then davis called his cabinet together. The meeting goes undated in the records. But by postwar letters and kind the whole sequence together, ladies and gentlemen, i think the Cabinet Meeting occurred on july 14. Umd in the postbell were especially vehement in remembering that they argued that johnston had to go. Johnston gave was given one last chance to save his job. On july 16 sent him a wire, i wish to hear from you as to your plan of operations so i can anticipate events. Well, what did johnston wire back . Call it the death wish reply. You wanna get fired . You dont tell the boss what he wants to hear. Catch this. Plan of operations must therefore depend upon that of enemy. Militiagoing to let the hold the city that the movements be freer anday wider. Whoa what does that mean . It sounded to me that johnston was going to give up atlanta. Thats the of course the intent, i think, of the death wish. I dont believe that johnston wanted to hold on. And as a result, johnston was relieved. General hood, who was lieutenant general, was given temporary of full general. Congress was not in session. Powers to do had militaryime of emergency. Johnston left for macon on the night of july 19. Mory, confederate general, writes military emergency. Of johnston, after the war, in his memoir, recollections of virginia. He tells how after the war he, mrs. Johnston, were dining on a porch outside when someone heard a little girl and screaming. The familys pet turkey was girl. Ing the little johnston got annoyed and said, why dont you run away . Dont you run away . Mory of johnston, after the coms fine advice for a general to give. Johnston grew angry. Well, if she will not fight, its not is it not the best thing for her to do, to run away . Break the tension, mrs. Johnston started laughing. Joe, thats kind of what you all the way, all the time, i know when johnstons belief is if you cant fight, run away, well, hes telling little girls that, mmm. You know, when is the last time leadershipbook on lessons from joe johnston . Okay. Johnstonsssess character . This is my personal opinion, because i was a teenager in the centennial. And in the centennial, joe a god. N was its only in the last 50 years att hood has been looked anew by scholars. Ive tried to do my part. Opinion. Is my genuinely a good administer. The men loved him. But as i say with president davis, he could be petty and quarrelsome. He was excessively concerned with his administer. The men loved him. But reputation. Hence, he avoided risky bas battles. He was unaware of the psychological effect of his retreat on the people and the press. Heres the essential difference lets say robert e. Lee. He was deathly afraid to send battle. Into death and as president davis once said, president johnstons focus on his army and not using his army to protect the country. Another virginian, george henry thomas, born not rebellion site, 1816. His family had to hide in the during the rebellion. He went to west point. He fought in the mexican war and was in the second calvary with lee, johnston and hardee. I like francis mckinneys biography, which you see there. As i think i have mentioned, thomas was determined to fight union. He declined the governors that he resign from the army to become the chief of ordinance. After the state left the union, would upholdat he his pledge to the United States and fight for the union army. Wife, frances, was a sheyorker, but she claimed never tried to influence his decision on this. But when he decided not to fight the co confederacy, his sisters him. To hate thomas enjoyed a steady if not rapid rise to prominence, as you here. Brigadier general, august of rebels in one the of the early western victories for the north, january of 62, promoted to Major General in shiloh, 62, fought at corinth. Youass greatest moment, if will remember, on the morning of union centery, the was attacked, just as the time was woodss decision removed, off to the left, creating a mistaken division the union line at the center, at the very point is leading five infantry divisions across the field. Bang rebels break the union line. Heading north. Where, on the north end of the field, thomas holds the left of it long, and holds enough against rebel attacks so rosekrans and the rest of flee back to chattanooga. He earned his nickname. I think its a wonderful one. That, when rosekrans was fired, thomas was promoted to the army of the cumberland and it was his troops that carried Missionary Ridge in that surprise and unordered assault up the municipality. And it was in the Atlanta Campaign that thomas commanded shermans largest in the three group. Army more on that later. What did thomas do . Generally speaking, because he was the rock, and because he commanded shermans largest army, thomas and scoaffield usually engaged the johnstons line while mcpherson flanked off by the right. This is re resaca. Thomas. His about pat after Kennesaw Mountain and his troops did most of the attacking 27, thomas sent sherman a message that afternoon, saying lost heavily today without gaining any material advantage. Such assaultse would use up this army. Offke a guy who can tell his superior officer. Youeachtree creek, if remember, on july 20, it was thomass troops who were hood. Ed by and thomas was personally engaged in the battle, not only hiscting the fire of artillery, but at one point, old thumping the rears of his artillery sources with to get him his sword to move faster. Old slow trot. Lets jump ahead. , remember that after the fall of the city, general hood marched the army of tennessee into alabama and tennessee, attacking at franklin, and then holding nashville. Ines at grant grew impatient and ordered thomas to attack hood earlier. Trot said no, im not going to attack until i have everything ready. Grant was on the verge of firing thomas, when finally on the morning of december 16, thomas launched the attack that routed hoods army back into mississippi. My personal assessment of george dedicated to principle and willing to stand up to his and family, in honor of it. The battlefield, dependable and reliable. The rock. Yall . W what, i would rather be known as thandable and reliable brilliant. I think we can character thomas as that way. As i say, he was unafraid to out to superiors like sherman like sherman and old slow trot would not attack until a gooding was ready, tackle general. One measure of his character is the fact that in the last decade, there are three biographies, including bryan wills. Thats saying something. Ad there you have kind of historiography of thomass life studies. Now to hood. Hood was the youngster, born in kentucky. He had local schooling. His uncle helped get him into point. He graduated in the class of 1853. Heres his first biography, by okorn in 1949. He wenty lieutenants out west. He got assigned to the second learnedand therefore about general lee, Lieutenant Colonel lee. September of 60, the army is actually wanting to bring hood him teach calvary at west point. Hood did not like the idea of that. Declined it. And then when the war started, tooffered himself Confederate Service and steadily rose through the ranks. Remember, he was with the second calvary, so his first posting is in the calvary. Of 6 1. May shifting over to the infantry. Signed up for confederate commission, kentucky seceded. Et so he put down as his native state texas. Hood ishy sometimes called the texan in lets say murrays biography. During th during 1962, he was the texas brigade. Here is the cache of recently published photographs of the texas brigade. Himself to be at least modestly capable as a regimental administer, caring for his men. Called the gallant hood, especially after he personally led, on june 1962, charge that broke the federal lines at gainesville and tackle victoryly in the entire seven days. Johnen points this out, in the attack on the lines, on the second day, its hood that organizes the troops and brings them to maximum impact, rolling up popes lines. When theyptember 17, attack the first corps, on the morning of the battle, threatening to overrun lees takes hoods Light Division and blows back hooker saves the line. That kind of battlefield courage got the eye of longstreet and jackson. And as a result, hood is month after that to measure general and Major General. He only slightly fought at fredericksburg. Army atin the gettysburg, his division was attack aso get the as to the union right possible. The union left. Actually, if youll remember, around and to go lines. Ely flank the but longstreet had been in a squabble with lee and did not hood the tackle discretion to maneuver farther around the union line. Indeed, hood is leading his troops into battle when a shell bang fragment catches him in the arm. Hes taken from the field, almost before the battle has begun, on the afternoon of july 2nd. Arm is not amputated. But it remains virtually useless of his life. But still, hood is a fighter. Two and a half months later, he demands field service, so with divisions, hewo sent to help and participated in of breakthrough september 20. And in the charge, as they were the yankee center, with his arm still in the sling, drawing, hood is shot in the leg. This one breaks the bone. So surgeons that night have to amputate the upper third of the leg, in the thigh. He recovers. He has good medical care. After all, he is a Major General. Richmond from atlanta, november 10. And he spends the winter of 63, 64 where the wounded hero is lionized by richmond society. After beingow, befriended by president davis, who touchingly hood is on crutches. Hood would attend st. Johns with the president , with his pew, and the president would be helping hood down the steps, on the front of st. Johns. According to mrs. Chestnut, hood flattered davis. Mr. President , why dont you come and lead us yourself. I would follow you to the death. Said, hood, you used to be a texan. Now youre becoming like us, nullifying the brass. This cover ofut cwti. Look. An Engagement Ring he wasways said that engaged to buck preston, who steweddously and steadfastly, always said, oh, no, sam, im engaged to you. But this, in a companion photograph, hood very shows his Engagement Ring. And this would have been in the of 64, before he leaves richmond. Telling. Ts very president davis worked for and secured hoods promotion to general. T the Senate Confirmed it february 10. Johnston had already been asking to come and take command of an army corps with his army from johnston took over bragg after Missionary Ridge. Hood arrived in dalton, joined in late february. As corps commander, in may, july, under johnston, his performance was both good and bad. But the important thing is that johnston, in the early months of the campaign, trusted hood more hardee to carry out key assignments. For example, on the afternoon of day at resaca, when the Union Left Flank looks open attack, it is hood thats given the command to guide those divisions and try to roll up the enemy left. Hand, when johnston assignment similar at cassville to lead a flanking attack on the morning of may this story ow hood was taking his troops out saw unionield when he calvary coming, and skirmishes had to beat him back. Generalst word to the at headquarters, i cant carry on the flanking attack. Are on my flapg and flank and ive been discovered. His dying die, joe johnston never believed hood that there flak andees on his that he could not launch the flanking attack. If youll remember, on the afternoon of the 18th, johnston had issued to his troops a great oratory announcement, we will face the enemy tomorrow we will earn our victory then for johnston to say that the attack was called off officers toers and weep. I say, i was a teenager at northside during the centennial, and i grew up thinking hood is all wrong. Like mcmurray and others have done the work. And today, ladies and gentlemen, most of thethat rests with hood. Scholarship johnston believed that hood only phantom troops. The huhuh. Thereficial records are as proof positive. Some of you may be familiar with 30s,vilions, during the 40s. They put up iron tablets, kind of set in stone on stone patios, 41,ittle islands all along, from Rocky Face Ridge down through marietta. At cassville, while i 60s,oking at it in the it would have been would have showingllustration, hood with no yankees on his flank. Plaque has been taken away. In my recent visit, theres a new Georgia Historical Commission map there that shows blinding color a blue column coming down hoods flank. Scholarship has changed the 50 years. Im just glad im alive to have it. Did hood connive for a promotion . After johnston retreated across the chattahoochee and davis was agonizing, because johnston was notoriously uncommunive with the president , hood actually sent his military advisory down, atlanta,o arrived in began talking with johnston and sending telegrams back, reporting, i find but little, discouraging. Then on his second day, bragg spebd spends a long time huddh from hoodrobably got what hood knew bragg wanted to was, and that is that hood tired of johnstons retreating and would attack. Hood,gg probably asked set those thoughts down in writing. And in his letter addressed to bragg, july 14, among other things, hood said, we should not to gain atlanta. We should attack them even if we have to recross the river to do so. Now, bragg left atlanta on july 15, and before leaving, put his own written letter and hoods letter on the train going to richmond. Until thent arrive 17th or 18th. Mcmurray has done the train here. Ling and as a result, what hood wrote president st on the decision, who, as i say, had, as been asking 16th, johnston his plan of action. Promoted tood was temporary rank of general and given command of the army of tennessee. After receiving this word, secretary of war sedin sends hood another telegram and lays expectations. It may yet be practicable to cut communication of the enemy an opportunity of equal encounter. In other words, one, due to never that joe johnston had done, attack sherman if you of advantage,nity and send your calvary. Dont wait on the Administration Order forester morgan. How do we assess hoods character . Unfortunately, ladies and reigns. N, hindsight we are always thinking of hood in terms of postatlanta, fall of theo the attackhe bloody frontal allowing d the taking defensive positions south of nashville and allowing thomas rout thetrength and army in middecember. As you see here, heres the confederatere the dead are buried and the five generals killed in action on 30, including cleburne. Thennon is only one of rath of historians who points to him as a good brigade rocksolid as division commander, as ive soso asintimate, corps commander, but when he reached army command, he had reached his level of beyond his competence. Actually, if you remember, hes not alone. The north had a couple of these guys. Burnside and hooker both rose to army command, got their noses bob lee and reverted to corps command. By final assessment of general hood. The nd adaishes on audacious. I believe he exploited his friendship with davis during the winter and used it for his gain. Ement and ambitious to a fault. He didnt recognize his limitations and sought promotion. But i will submit to you, ladies gentlemen, and i will attempt to show this in the balance of my time, that he did more than johnston to hold the city, and i think he longer thanlanta joe johnston would have done so. Remember freer . Later in the tennessee command say, hood showed that he was not the stuff of an commander. Lets go to william sherman, the last of my four generals tonight. Born in ohio, his father died when he was nine. Werehe sherman kids parceled out to friends and family. Ewing. Adopted by senator west point. Served in the mexican war. So didnt like army service he resigned. He failed as a banker out west. He failed as a lawyer in kansas. At the time of the war, he was superintendent of the in baton rouge, lsu. Is now warner gives a nice summary of his war record. Brigade general, august of 61, second inntucky, command to Major General robert anderson. Lost his nerve envisioned a hopeless situation that could only be remedied by 200,000 fresh troops being sent. The cincinnati commercial started calling him nuts. They had to send him home for refit. D but he returned to the army, became Major General, served for the districtnding of memphis, became hoods grants good friend. Vicksburg campaign. But shearl was not a sherman was not a good battlefield commander. He never got beyond frontal against attacks defensive enemies. As a result, he attacked the confederates and was repulsed in december of 62. 15thsay, he commanded the corps in grants campaign at vicksburg. Under grant, he commands the army of tennessee at Missionary Ridge. But his attack against cleburne edge of the ridge fails. And that was intended to be the main attack. If you remember then, it was the surprise and unordered attack of the federal troops up slope that managed to get the confederates off and routed back into georgia. Yes, thank you, head master, my work is called what the yankees us. To and i spent some time on what tick. Herman and for the life of me i own cats. If you own cats, then you know we cat owners are always feline. O parse the far easier task than parse general shermans brain. And then to stanton, in the middle of the Atlanta Campaign, theres a class of people, men, women and children, who must before youkilled, hope for peace and order. Whoa than hisark worse bite . Hes talking about killing civilians. Of hard bitekind and bark, hes put his face on more than any other american general, and that includes phil sheridan. Shelby foote views his Meridian Campaign in february of 64 as aerer hearse rehearsal for campaign. A he marches toward it, tore the wrecked the railroad. In march of 64, when grant goes to richmond, goes to virginia as general and chief, he puts sherman in charge of essentially troops from the appalachians across the mississippi river. And sherman takes command of armies. Theersons army of tennessee thats 110,000 troops. Grant never told sherman to go after atlanta. Armyr, bloody johnstons and use up the enemys resources. Others say atlantas importance was not only factories, supplies, medical centers, it was a psychological defensive point. If the confederates could hold through november, lincoln stood a chance of being november u. S. E elections. Peebls has written ograph in whichn he asked the cabinet members to and, sign sight unseen, which he said its extremely likely this administration will reelected. Nevertheless, as i say, johnston by pushed back by sherman, this combination of clever use kl strength numerical strength. Sedin never mentioned atlanta. But the expectation, of course, was hold atlanta as much as you can. Attack wherevary, you can. Sherman, of course, knew, from spy reports even before hed gotten across the chattahoochee, encircledta had been by a strong perimeter of fortify cases. Captain grant, the Property Owner who sold the land city, grant park p. Grant supervised the 10, 12 miles of fortify strong toled too assault, too extensive to invest. Not going to attack him. City,oing to bombard the lead kind of a semi siege on the north and western faces, but cut railroads. Cant find a good map in the book, so i drew my own. The railroads going around atlanta, linking it to savannah, montgomery it would lifeline for both aryms. Aryms armies. Cut theman wanted to lines. Givesjuly, when johnston command over to hood, actually, Union Calvary raiding through east Central Alabama have cut the line to montgomery. It near auburn, destroying 26 miles of track confederates never repaired. Thats too late to help hoods army. Washe west point line knocked out of service. 19, theation july second night that hood is in command, look, thomass are across Peachtree Creek. Theerson has already cut Georgia Railroad leading to augusta and six miles through atlanta, and scofffield is briarcliff road these days, closing in from the northeast. Map, atlantad this will fall, my first work. By the 19th, shermans artillery had gotten close enough to atlanta to begin the bombardment. The 250oddean, of had, he hadsherman threeinch rifled guns. Its the rifled guns that have range, two, two and a half miles, to throw shell into atlanta. Twelvepounders did not have that range and were used to up the rebel earthworks. It is important to note that on the night of july 19, sherman tells his commanders, if your artillery gets within range, open fire. Dont even send in word to the people. Tim,re talking about this, before while we were walking in. Theing up, i believed that first shell killed a little girl on the afternoon of july 20. Great book, last train from atlanta, is dedicated to the girl who ise middle killed at the east ellis and ivy street. You know, when is the first newspaper account of this little girls death . Its the constitution in 1889, a quarter century after the war. Atlantans got together, talking about, yeah, i remember that first shell. Girl. A little wallace reed was working for the constitution at the time. History, ando his since that time, reeds claim repeated by every local author and secondary authors, i think, castill. My professional judgment, this little girl wasnt killed. Seen myin, if youve work, atlanta i mean what us, i spendid to a third of the time on the bombardment, looking at tofederate newspapers, and from the 60s, you can bet your bippy that if a killed onl had been the afternoon of july 20, the confederate press would have mentioned it. 25 years account is later. Hood thought he saw an to attack at peach tree creek. The yankees went firmly across. Hood had arranged his troops so that actually his plan of battle was the same as lees on the gettysburg. F attack from the right, by division. He had moved so far to the right hes the far right heacking division that overlapped the union left in the battle. Nevertheless, the confederates though they, even managed to break the union lines, at a couple of different places. Confederates withdrew from their outer line, which i there in that red line up above the citys fortify cases. Fortifycations. During the commemoration of the battle of Peachtree Creek, july 20, and i conducted some tours. And we stopped at the park, is, you know, on the road. Collier in 1964, the georgia civil war markerson placed some there that had been the text by colonelitten jillian. And jillians text is very, very verbose. But if you can strike in, its jarring, particular errors. That sherman lost at Peachtree Creek, 750 troops, but he says that hood at Peachtree Creek lost sherman lost at peachtree 4,796 troops. Where did he get that 4796 . Where jillian got it . From shermans memoirs. He accepted shermans body count. Ladies and gentlemen, im hold enough to say that from my studies, theres one thing you learn from vietnam theory, you dont accept United States armys body count for the enemy. Fortunately, weve recounted the confederate casualties. 2500. Were about not too far off the federal. But mcpherson was approaching from the east. Sherman sent girards calvary to augustadamage on the line. Hood therefore saw that theersons flank was in air. Planned a flank attack by corps marchings southeast out of the city, then heading north, to hit mcpherson flank and rear. By the time its noon on july notheard is only flank but gotten in the rear of mcpherson and attacks. Thehe end, we confederates manage to drive back. Federals may be a division length of work. They managed to kill general the only u. S. Army battle, butlled in also wheeler, who had a part of the battle, failed to capture mcphersons wagon trains in decatur. Had an see that hardee 15mile march during the night. Its hot. Of course the soldiers fell attack. Nd so did the the has done a good book on battle. As you see, cleburne attacked, feraln initially the line, but were federal line but were halted. After a union general. I think that that is a the confederates, so i always call it cleburne, yall. But nevertheless, though bloodily repulsed, hood actually this was the claimed. Ood and the confederate press, and even soldiers in hoods army, victory, because they bloodied mcpherson, they halted the federals progress the city. And look they captured three batteries of union canon. After midjuly, with the Georgia Railroad and the montgomery line cut, the only rail link is the one to macon by way of east point. Sherman moves mcphersons army. The city. West of hood hopes to attack there. Asks f. D. Lee to position himself so that the stewarts corps could come and hit the yankees in flank. Rightwere talking about before tonights program, lee yankees already held the intersection, the junction, and made the mistake orders of launching frontal attacks to drive them away. Repulsed with a heavy loss with the result that the 3,000 menes lost against a fifth of that at lee. But lets remember, hood it to be a flanking attack. Lee botched the plan. After church, sherman extended his right. Of 1938. He map on it youll see that he overlays the union extension, of the city, and confederates the dug, from essentially the au campus out towards the line of earthworks, to protect the macon road all the way to east point. Sherman grew impatient and during august 5, 6 and 7 ordered part ofattacks on that the railway defense line, held by bait. They were repulsed. About that time, sherman was his he had tried effort. A failed calvary and with the calvary not able to ablehe line, and with hood to extend his lines farther to guard the railroad, sherman noteved that he could extend farther than hood, officers to union think that hood actually outgeneralled sherman during those first several weeks of august. Out of frustration, sherman cannon. Eavier 30pounders from chattanooga. And catch this. In timey didnt arrive on august 9, he still ordered to fire 50d gun rounds into the city. We want to make the insight atlanta too hot to be endured. Hes not talking about killing people. In that feline, brain of his, the city of atlanta and its buildings loomed as an enemy, something sinister destroyed. Ed and as we know, the decisive Event Campaign was when the yankees cut the railroad. And they did so in a map from my first work, above jonesboro, in vicinity of rough and ready, on the afternoon of august 31. Another great instance of being long of tooth. When i was growing up in the centennial, we atlantans believed that hood lost jonesboro, the battle fought 31, september 1, so he had to give up the city. Ladies and gentlemen, ive gone or last castell. By yankees had cut the line 4 p. M. , two hours or so before launched their attack on the evening of jonesboro. Submit to youll that the battle of jonesboro is unconsequential. Revisekind of lets our thinking, 50 years after the centennial. Withdraws, hardee after withstanding federal 1. Acks on september by that time, hood, of course, knows that he has to abandon the confederates evacuate on the night of september 1, 2. Heres the famous fire from gone with the wind. Upyoull remember, they blew buildings that had been on the set of king kong. And he wanted his fire. And he wanted the fires on the night of the confederate evacuation. Technical advisor for the film. He would have been saying the city was not burned on the night of the confederate abandonment. They were burned by the yankees. But the confederates didnt have time to set the kinds of fires that you want to depict. Matter. If you remember the chronology of the film, he fime technical r the film. He would have been saying the filmed the filmed the fires even before he settled on lee as actress to scarlet. Mayor calhoun surrendered the day, as i was telling the head master. Students this morning are speaking okay. Its 25 of 12. By god has already taken possession of city hall and started ordering, bringing in trying to putd down the looters. Atlanta is occupied. 150 years ago. Thiss a result, today night, sherman wired washington atlanta is ours and fairly won. Lincoln was reelected. Now we knew that he was being anden up at cedar creek elsewhere in the valley. Farogat hemmed in the bay. But it is the fall of atlanta that sealed lincolns reelection confederacy the confederat of its last hope to secure peace it confederate independence. Kind of like hood is judged in events after atlanta, so too is sherman, by andmarch to the city, through the carolinas. When, if youll remember, he make georgia howl and he trembled at the fate of south carolina. Asdestroyed military targets well as a lot of peoples crops, cotton. Longacre represents 100 million in damage to property in georgia alone. Do we assess general sherman . Toin, the 65yearold gets reflect on the centennial. Back then, john walters was writing his dissertation and book, claiming a that sherman was the inventor of total war. Thanks to professor who has taught at ohio state, we now know its hard war. Thats the phrase. In ourifferentiate terminology, ladies and gentlemen. War is the deliberate civiliansrgeting of lives. Ma hiroshima, nagasaki, nurmburg, we were out to kill the people. As practiced bycticed by sherman and others in the civil war, is the deliberate targeting of civilians property. So sherman neither invented total war, did not even invent hard war. He has become, as i say, the face of hard war in American Civil War studies. My personal assessment of sherman. Eccentric, quirky. Those assaults, mediocre at best. A better strategist, especially when he had a numerical strength. In treating enemy civilians, he could proclaim vicious net and he seemed to revel in building this reputation. Bombarded while emphasizing damage to buildings, he chose to ignore the fact there were maybe 4000 civilians who lived, tried to live through, the bombardment. He has put his face on hard war more than any other northern general. Here is my conclusion. Which of these officers, sherman, hood, thomas, what id choose or select is having possessed the most lot of a character . What i want to be remembered as retreater, a demonstration of the peter principle. What i want to be remembered as vicious and mean . No. Id rather have at my graveside the fact somebody calls me of rock. I kind of like that. Steadfast than eccentrically brilliant. Thomass gravesite in troy, new york. Im a southerner. Im choosing a yankee general . Talmud teaches us, we dont see things as what they are, we see things as who we are. So as a southerner, remembering the words of abram ryan who served as the catholic poet priest, father ryan saw his niece gazing at a picture of jesus. Child, do you know who it was who crucified our savior . Yes, she said, the yankees. [laughter] yall. A lot, thanks, tom. [applause] it was the yankees. Davis will take some questions. Who will get us started . Was there a conspiracy by grant [inaudible] i cant say that. Repeat the question. To stall thegrant career of thomas. Prevent his promotion. Promoted ineen october of 63. Grantdid not matter if had disliked. Such a rocksolid record, he was promoted to the army of the cumberland. He was never promoted after that, but it was the largest army in the western theater. I think that answers your question. At least to my satisfaction. [laughter] headmaster, weve scared them again. Bruce wrote one of the biggest mistakes of the confederacy was johnson because he understood all you had to do was hold out against a war weary public. The question has to do with ote histories of the war in the 1950s and 1960s. Lets remember what weve learned. Wasston claimed after he removed he could have held atlanta another two and a half months. I just dont see how. Even his own soldiers, before he was fired, were complaining about his retreat. Dr. Jones knows this. Some of them said we will keep repeating retreating and throw a pontoon boat to cuba. His refusal tod, fight, his refusal to send his calvary, i dont believe he can claim he could have held atlanta. Panel on saturday and one of my presenters said not only did he give johnston credit for the battle plan, he also said he planned to attack pittsburgh. It was land on july 5. Really . Come on. He was writing of his time. We can speak of ours. Good question, sir. Sir. Was very better candidate . Good point. Lets talk about hardy. Pardon me. Was there a better guy to replace johnston than hood . Hardy was the senior corps commander. He had refused to take army command. He took it for a couple of weeks but said he was not going to take it permanent. Both of the secretaries remembered to this and in their correspondence with davis, what do you remember, they remember we were against hardee. He refused to take the command. Corpsthat, you have other commanders. No you dont. Lee and stuart are too new. Worth, and even simon, who said the charm of pat to hise is that he kept level of competence. There were times where he commanded a small battle and was soso, like hood. With our choice and operated logically. Thank you for the question. Sir. One idea you would have had with 60,000 troops, 110 thousand troops, you have to guard the entire state of your jet. What would you have done in his place of georgia. What would you have done in his place . What could he have done to save atlanta. He started with 50,000 troops and by late may, he was reinforced by 15,000 troops. , the garrisons of charleston, were drained to reinforce the army so that by june, he has the largest field and thethe country secretary makes a point of reminding him his odds against sherman are more favorable of lee in virginia. And look what lee has done. He has refused to give up territory. You have given up 80 miles of territory. Is, could he have done anything different . A joee johnston was johnston. Thank you for your good question, sir. [laughter] couple of other questions. Astounded by how generous sherman was with johnston during the surrender of North Carolina. What do you attribute his softness to johnson in terms of surrender terms . You know, the question is, why was sherman kind to johnston . If you remember, sherman wrote up a contract for armistice that was so lenient washington rejected it and told sherman to do it again. The problem sherman was getting into political issues of how the rebels would fit back into citizenship and sherman and no, no, no, that is for us to decide. Dont go there. Actually sherman did have a his conquerede to enemy. That after the story sherman ordered the people of atlanta, september 5, to leave, and appealed she would be able to stay in her home with her child. She brought her baby. Madam, it isins, the hardship of war. Im without option. Am so sorry. I regret it beyond measure. Took the child and said my poor exile. Kindness call that kind is, if you will. Im trying to remember the quote he found of a union general. Brain. Ing shermans machineryt piece of with all of the moving parts just a little loose. Have you heard that one . Anybody in the upper level with the question . Ixnay. Remember even sherman usually was generous and said i cant understand why he is doing it. If also you will remember johnston was contemplating crossing the river when he said, no, no, let me buy you time with these urban forces i have designed. That time johnston was eager for anything that would buy him a few more days than to have to retreat. As you know, he held the river for a couple of days until he was flanked. Surprise, surprise. [inaudible] caught a cold and died. Couldnt cure it and he died. In 1807. Born you can catch cold in the rain. If you are 80 years old, it is going to have consequences. A pallbearerbeing is tender. That is nice. That shows an element of his character im glad you point out, search. Sir. One more question. We will repeat the question. One more. [inaudible] the question as casualties and the bombardment. Thanks for my work. [laughter] we will never know with certainty, for a couple of reasons. Pilgrim all, green failed to keep records beyond the summer of 64. Taking burials were place, but we dont have a record. Confederates were busy caring but kept noctims, records. Sam richards, in his diary, now published by georgia press, and edited by Wendy Bennett of georgia state, said im only guessing from what it here on the streets, maybe 20 lives. You add to that a couple of others that we can document and didfact the shell carnage not and when the bombardment ended on august 20 five. A lot of the shells were unexploded and people, little them, they peck at would detonate and you would have mutilation and death. So my word is 25 dead in a few wounded. And given the fact that is a small number against the 3000 people, i believe, having looked at the bombardments of charles berg, petersburg, they died in greater number to be 37 day bombardment and in charleston, petersburg, and richmond. With that, i want to thank you for coming. [applause] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute] [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2014] the civil war airs every saturday at 6 00 p. 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