Union Forces Commanded by: Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman
Confederate Forces Commanded by: Lt. Gen. William J. Hardee
**Missing and Captured Conclusion: Union Victory | ![]() |
BATTLE SUMMARY
For a month, Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman had tried to capture Atlanta using cavalry and artillery to no avail. Maj. Gen. John B. Hood's Army of Tennessee had clung to its lifeline, the Macon & Western Railroad, using it to resupply the Confederate troops in the Gateway City. Two things weighed heavily on Sherman's mind. Pres. Lincoln needed a victory prior to the 1864 Presidential election and Sherman needed Atlanta. It would be impossible to achieve his goal of "saltwater" without this north Georgia rail hub.