The Atlanta Campaign: Volume 1: Dalton to Cassville, May 1-19, 1864

The Atlanta Campaign examines the 1864 military operations in Georgia between Union General William T. Sherman and Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston. In scope and importance, this campaign ranked second only to Grant's Overland Campaign in Virginia, yet has received limited historical attention despite abundant primary source material. Sherman's base was Chattanooga; Johnston's was Atlanta. The campaign opened on May 1, 1864. While Grant and Lee engaged directly, Sherman and Johnston employed different tactics—Johnston avoided offensive action and sought to draw Sherman into assaults on fortified positions, while Sherman preferred maneuvering to find Confederate flanks. Sherman's orders were to move against Johnston's army, break it up, and damage Confederate war resources. Atlanta held strategic importance to the larger Confederate effort. This first volume covers May 1–19, 1864, examining the battles of Dalton, Resaca, Rome Crossroads, Adairsville, and Cassville. Though smaller than battles like the Wilderness or Spotsylvania, these engagements involved intense fighting and critical decisions. Resaca produced over 8,000 casualties in two days. Participants recalled the campaign as the "100 days' fight." Based on extensive primary sources and terrain knowledge, this multi-volume study provides detailed treatment of this important Civil War confrontation.