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Civil War sites

In 1864, Atlantans watched as Gen. William T. Sherman's Federal armies advanced from Chattanooga to Atlanta.  By July 20, federal and Confederate armies were in and around the farms and dusty country trails that are now part of Morningside/Lenox Park.  Sherman set up headquarters at what is now the intersection of Briarcliff and North Decatur roads.  Federal troops were aligned in a half-moon around the northeast side of Atlanta, with Morningside roughly in the center.  Three historic markers recall Civil War troop movements that took place in our neighborhood.

Zimmer/North Highland:  In mid-July, 1864, Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston set up a  defensive line stretching from Marietta Boulevard, across Howell Mill road, along the Tanyard Creek lowlands just south of Collier road, across Peachtree Street at about Spring Street, eastward along Beverly Drive through the Sherwood Forest neighborhood and eastward toward Zimmer Drive and North Highland Avenue.  Here the line formed to a point and turned southward along North Highland to Cleburne Avenue, near the Carter Center.  The marker at North Highland and Zimmer Drive describes this scene in more detail.

East Pelham/Piedmont and Lenox Road/Johnson Road Traffic Island:  Sherman crossed the Chattahoochee river by July 7,  His armies then turned eastward to approach Atlanta from the north, northeast, and east.  Gen. John Schofield's Army of the Ohio advanced from the northwest toward Morningside and Atlanta.  The Army of the Cumberland, led by Gen. George Henry "Pap" Thomas, marched to Buckhead and south toward Peachtree Creek.  As the Federal armies marched tower Atlanta, they realized a gap existed between these tow lines.  Federal troops were brought from Buckhead and placed in a line starting at Morningside Baptist Church on the Piedmont Avenue and running to about the intersection of East Rock Springs and Cumberland roads.

Historic markers at the intersection of East Pelham Road and Piedmont Avenue and the traffic island at Lenox and Johnson roads describe these monuments.

What happened next:  From his headquarters near Morningside, Sherman reported hearing guns from the direction of what was known as the Battle of Peachtree Creek.  The battle lasted several hours on July 20 in the vicinity of Piedmont Hospital, with Federal troops repulsing an attack by Confederate Gen. John B. Hood.  He had replaced Gen. Johnston, who was relieved of his command.

On July 21, Hood withdrew the Confederate line to the city's major fortifications at about Ponce de Leon Avenue.  He redeployed some troops from the Peachtree Creek and Morningside areas to the southeast, while Federal troops advanced to the siege line near the Hurt House, featured in the Cyclorama, for what became the Battle of Atlanta on July 22.  But the fighting didn't stop then.

Confederates also lost the Battle of Ezra Church, fought July 28 in what is now Mozley Park in Southwest Atlanta.  The city surrendered on September 2 after the Battle of Jonesboro, fought August 31 and September 1.  On September 4, Sherman ordered the exile of Atlanta's civilian population.  Federal troops would not burn the city until mid-November.  Sherman then began his march to the sea.

- Bill Chalker and Pam Auchmutey

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