Creek, north of Atlanta. Hood prepared to attack, particularly along Peach Creek. He hoped to mass superior force against the army of the Cumberland while it was separated from the Army of the Ohio and the Army of the Tennessee.

On Wednesday July 20th the Federal Army of the Cumberland under George H. Thomas crossed Peachtree Creek, heading toward the fortifications of Atlanta from the north. Hood decided to attack, but there were delays of over three hours, for which Hood blamed Gen. Hardee, perhaps unjustly. After some success the fierce Southern assaults failed. Gen. Thomas and his men again steadfastly held off the frantic Confederates, who charged for about two hours. Something over 20,000 Federals was engaged, with about 1779 killed, wounded, and missing. Nearly the same number of Confederates was in the charges with losses totaling 4,796.

Hood, who was not present, had failed in his first big test in command. Unlike Johnston, Hood opened battle, but little had been accomplished. Sherman's Federals controlled almost half the perimeter of Atlanta and the only open routes were to the south and southwest. Hood tried to make Hardee a scapegoat both for the delays and because, he alleged, Hardee’s men did not attack vigorously enough. The Battle of Peachtree Creek showed that the fight for Atlanta would continue and that the only hope for the Confederates probably lay in further efforts to make their lesser numbers effective against a portion of the Federals.

One of the wounded and captured of this battle was LEWIS JASPER BAILEY. He was sent to the hospital at Forsyth. He was paroled at Talladega. Ala., May 11, 1865. After Lewis was paroled, he went back to Mississippi and married. He married Carrie Margaret Sale. She was the daughter of William M. Sale and Jane A. Guffin Sale. Carrie was born in Abberville Co., S.C. 1-6-1848.They lived in Holmes Co. Ms., until alter 1880 and then moved to the Indian Territory (later Oklahoma). They lived in different parts of the state but mostly in Marietta, Love Co. That is where they are both buried. Carrie died 12-22-1915 and Lewis Jasper died-1-21-1925 in the Ardmore Veterans Home.

 By August, the fighting was still heavy around Atlanta; Ga. Sherman had begun his principal movement to cut off Atlanta completely. Troops marched toward the south side of the Atlanta area, in the general direction of Jonesborough. By August 27th, Sherman's army was ready. Much of it was in position southwest of Atlanta on the Sandtown Road, ready to push farther south and swing east toward Jonesborough to cut Hood's last railroads into the city. Hood and the Confederates had not been able to interfere with the preparations to any extent.

 By September the 1st, explosions and fires broke out at night around Atlanta's railroad depot and yards. Hoed, beset by Sherman's encircling force to the south at Jonesborough and fearing a direct attack on the city', evacuated, beginning in the late afternoon. Time did not remain to remove the extensive munitions and other supplies, so they went up in flames along with a great deal of railroad equipment. Like his predecessor, Johnston, Hood now was intent on saving his army for a better day. However, without question, Hood had failed in his major task, to fight and hold Atlanta. He withdrew to Lovejoy's Station; where the Army of Tennessee was reassembling alter the retreat.

 By the end of September, Hood, after conferring with Jefferson Davis, moved out to try to sever Sherman's lengthy supply line from Chattanooga to Atlanta. Hood hoped to force Sherman to pull his army back to Tennessee.

 By Sunday October 2nd, troops of the Army of Tennessee reached Sherman's supply line. Skirmishing ensured at Big Shanty and Kennesaw Water Tank, Ga., where Hood's men broke the Western & Atlantic Railroad and interrupted the Federal link between Atlanta and Chattanooga.

 Hood's Army of Tennessee was squarely on the Chattanooga-Atlanta railroad in Sherman's rear and seized Big Shanty, Kennesaw Water Tank, and the nearby area, breaking the track ever more. Sherman, forced to take notice of Hood's operations, began sending troops back from Atlanta to cope with what had become far more than nuisance raids. George H. Thomas arrived in Nashville, sent by Sherman to command defensive forces against any possible invasion by Hood.

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Last Update Friday, 09-Mar-2018 02:40:33 CST