On Sept. 2, 1864, Union General William T. Sherman marched into Atlanta and triumphantly telegraphed his superiors: “Atlanta is ours and fairly won.” The capture of this strategic Southern city was of great importance to the North, both militarily and politically. For the Confederacy, the loss of Atlanta was the beginning of the end.

Militarily, Atlanta was an important target, being the center of the railroad network running throughout the Confederacy, and home to much of the South’s remaining industrial base. The Confederate Army of Tennessee had entrenched themselves all around Atlanta and determinedly held on despite a relentless four-month siege.

Politically, President Abraham Lincoln desperately needed a major victory on the battlefront. The North was weary of the war, and Lincoln’s support was waning. Without a victory before the fall’s presidential election, it appeared that Lincoln would lose to his challenger and former general, George Brinton McClellan. If McClellan became president, he would sign a peace treaty with the South and the Confederate States of America would secure their independence. If Hood could just hold on to Atlanta a little longer, the Confederacy might still prevail in its war of independence.

Deciding it was time to take bold action, Sherman changed tactics. He abruptly shifted most of his army south of Atlanta and, in the two-day Battle of Jonesborough beginning Aug. 31, Sherman cut Hood’s supply line by capturing the railroad that connected Atlanta with Macon. During the night of Sept. 1 Hood evacuated his army from Atlanta, and the next day Sherman marched in and claimed his prize.

Northern newspapers trumpeted the news to their readers. This article was printed by the Boston Daily Advertiser (Boston, Massachusetts) on the front page of its Sept. 5, 1864, issue:

Official Dispatches from Gen. Sherman

“Atlanta Ours and Fairly Won”

How the City Was Captured

Hood Out-Generalled and Out-Fought

The Fruits of the Victory

War Department, Washington.
Sept. 4, 8 P.M.

To Major-General Dix:

General Sherman’s official report of the capture of Atlanta has just been received by this Department. It is dated 26 miles south of Atlanta, 6 o’clock yesterday morning, but it was detained by the breaking of the telegraphic lines, mentioned in my dispatch of last night. Gen. Sherman says:

“As already reported the army withdrew from about Atlanta and on the 30th had made a break on the West Point road and reached a good position from which to strike the Macon road, the right, (Howard) near Jonesborough, the left (Schofield) near Rough and Ready, and the centre (Thomas) at Couch’s.

“Howard found the enemy in force at Jonesborough and entrenched his troops, the salient within half a mile of the railroad. The enemy attacked him at 3 p.m. and was easily repulsed, leaving his dead and wounded. Finding strong opposition on the road, I advanced the left and centre rapidly to the railroad, made a good lodgment and broke it all the way from Rough and Ready down to Howard’s left near Jonesborough, and by the same movement I interposed my whole army between Atlanta and the part of the enemy entrenched in and around Jonesborough.

“We made a general attack on the enemy at Jonesborough on the 1st of September, the 14th corps, Gen. Jeff. C. Davis, carrying the works handsomely with ten guns and about a thousand prisoners. In the night the enemy retreated south and we have followed him to another of his hastily constructed lines near Lovejoy’s Station.

“Hood, at Atlanta, finding me on his road—the only one that could supply him—and between him and a considerable part of his army, blew up his magazines in Atlanta and left in the night time, when the 20th corps, Gen. Slocum, took possession of the place. So Atlanta is ours and fairly won.

“Since the 5th of May we have been in one constant battle or skirmish, and need rest.

“Our losses will not exceed 1200, and we have possession of over 300 rebel dead, 250 wounded and over 1500 well.

“—W. T. Sherman, Major General.”

A later dispatch from Gen. Slocum, dated at Atlanta, Sept. 3, 9 p.m., states that the enemy on evacuating Atlanta destroyed seven locomotives and 81 cars loaded with ammunition, small arms and stores, and left 14 pieces of artillery, most of them uninjured, and a large number of small arms. Deserters are constantly coming into our lines.

—Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary of War.

For more information, visit the Atlanta Campaign Web site provided by the New Georgia Encyclopedia.

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