McPherson's Last Ride

Marker Text:

July 22, 1864. When General McPherson heard the firing to the southeast while at luncheon (Whitefoord Avenue and the railroad), he mounted his horse and, sending away most of his staff on various missions, galloped south to this hill.
Here, he observed Dodge's 16th Army Corps in desperate combat with Bate's and Walker's divisions (CS) in Sugar Creek valley. Anxious about the left of the 17th Army Corps (at Glenwood and Flat Shoals Roads), he proceeded on a road through the pines in that direction, accompanied by an orderly and Signal Officer William Sherfy, who reluctantly followed after vainly warning the general that Confederate troops had seized the road.

044-44 Georgia Historical Commission erected 1956
Location: Memorial Drive near East Side Avenue
GPS:
Visited: June 26, 2008

Two days after Gresham's (and Leggett's) division pushed Wheeler toward Leggett's Hill, now the federals must defend the hill from a similar direction. This flanking attack should pin them against the defense line of Atlanta. There must have been a concerted effort to attack eastward from the siege lines, possibly at the railroad cut. But what could they really expect to achieve against an army that is basically surrounding them, cutting off their supplies, may be larger than there force, and does not have to worry about protecting the civilians or their long term welfare? It would be like taking little jabs at the heavy weight fighter all the while waiting for him to hit you with a left hook, a knock out blow. I mean I understand the will to fight for your home and country. I am not sure what was expected of General Hood at this time though. What did Jefferson Davis charge him with, the defeat of General Sherman's invasion?
This area was within a state of flux, changing hands just two days ago. Now from the marker, the left edge of McPherson's line was at Glenwood and Flat Shoals road not a mile from this marker and even closer to the intersection of Interstate 20 and Moreland Avenue, the sight of Leggett's Hill. That is not much of a buffer zone and quite a bulge that he should have expected to be vulnerable. Therefore the reason for shifting of Sweeny's division south to extend the line. Ah..the markers are starting to connect now and tell the story. A puzzle piece begins to show the picture now when connected to several other pieces, even if they are not located adjacent. I can fill in some pieces when there are blank spaces.
Now, the marker lets you know McPherson's fate. It was his last ride. I knew that McPherson died here in the Battle of Atlanta. The fort in East Point is named for him, Fort McPherson. There is a McPherson Avenue in East Atlanta. Now I am assumming that is where he died. I never knew the location of his death, only that it was in the battle for the city. I will quest for this marker as well.
But on my way towards McPherson's avenue, I was delayed by other markers, all along Memorial Drive and inter-related to this fateful day almost 144 years ago.

Sweeny Div. Encamped

Marker Text:
July 21, 1864. Sweeny's division, Dodge's 16th Army Corps (US) was held in reserve some twenty four hours in a line that crossed the southwest area of Candler Park.
These troops, of McPherson's Army of the Tennessee, had moved from Decatur toward Atlanta the day before and being crowded out of line, were halted here in rear of the 15th Army Corps (astride the railroad at Whitefoord Avenue). The right of Sweeny's line connected with the left of the 23rd Army Corps (Moreland and Ponce DeLeon).
July 22. Sweeny's troops where shifted south of the Georgia railroad to prolong McPherson's left in East Atlanta- a move that blocked Hardee's (CS) rear attack on Blair's 17th corps.

044-37 Georgia Historic Marker erected 1985
Location: McClendon Avenue at Candler Park
GPS:
Visited: June 26, 2008

Here we are in Candler Park on McClendon Avenue. Now it is a day prior to the start of the Battle of Atlanta and Sweeny's men are camped here before they march south to the "Sweeny Marches South" and "The Battle of Atlanta Began Here" markers. This move would have been a relatively directly southward march that takes them through the "Noon Under the Trees" area at Whitefoord Avenue.
Sweeny had apparently been brought up through Decatur and may have been involved in the capture of Decatur.
So, again, although nothing of the battle itself took place here in Candler Park, the prologue is becoming clearer. Now we know some about where Sweeny's men came from.
The area from Candler Park to the intersection of Moreland and Ponce is close to 3/4 a mile. That is a pretty large area so I would have to say that this was quite a few men in his Division.
Once I posted this marker to the historical marker database, the editor requested pictures of the Moreland and Ponce intersection. Apparently he does not realize how bad of an intersection that is, especially if you are trying to get a photograph. I will have to work on that one.
Next up I will take a ride down Moreland in search of Leggett's Hill, I believe that I may know the knoll or hill of which they speak.

Battle of Atlanta Began Here

Well the title of the marker says it all. Imagine my surprise.





Text of the Marker - Verbatim, but translated by me without all the abbreviations.


July 22, 1864. Sweeny's 2nd division, Dodge's 16th Army Corp (US), having been held in reserve north of the Georgia railroad (Candler Park), was ordered to support the left of Blair's 17th Corps in East Atlanta.


Marching via Clay Road, Sweeny's column halted here at noon to await further orders. Mersy's brigade led the advance, followed by Rice's.


Thus, by mere accident, the two brigades were posted where they intercepted the surprise attack by Walker's and Bate's divisions (Hardee's Army Corps) (CS), aimed at the rear of Blair's 17th Army Corps intrenched (sic) along Flat Shoals road, 1 mile west of this point, thereby precipitating the battle.

Georgia Historic Marker Number 044-46 Erected 1983

Location: Clay Street at Memorial Drive
GPS:
Visited June 19, 2008

Alright before we get to the content of the marker and the significance of it, there are a couple of things that don't make sense to me from the information in this marker.
I presume that Mersy's and Rice's brigades were Union under Sweeny's command, but according to the marker they "led the advance." That wording makes it seem as though they charged the Confederate lines. The reality is probably more along the lines that they led the movement southward down along Clay road. In reality, this movement was spread out along front close to a mile or so long and was not only down Clay road. I will have to measure the distance to the Mersy's Brigade marker further west down Memorial Drive.
The second thing that doesn't make so much sense to me is the location of Blair's 17th Army Corps. The marker says that they were entrenched at Flat Shoals road, 1 mile west of this marker. The only way that Walker and Bate would be able to reach that area is if they were making a swinging loop around. The present day Flat Shoals road does not cross Memorial Drive and is close to a mile and a half away at this point. What were they doing all the way over here? They may have been trying to push up the Memorial Drive road towards Leggett's Hill, which was, from what I have gathered, near the intersection of Flat Shoals road and Moreland avenue in East Atlanta. That makes a little more sense because it would bring in the Confederates push directly into the rear of the Union lines. But it leaves the attacking force's right flank wide open for a counter attack. It would be a risky move. Especially given the fact that once the orders were written and dispatched, adjusting them was a difficult and uncertain task in the days of runners.
Okay, so here my perception changed again. What is defined as The Battle of Atlanta begins here, on the east side of Atlanta away from present day (and, I am sure 1864 day) downtown Atlanta.
Currently this is the in-town suburbs of Atlanta. This section is either in Kirkwood area, or directly south of the Kirkwood area. I wouldn't classify it as ghettos or slums, but it is economically depressed. The housing market here is sketchy. From the mid 1990s or so and on, several houses and areas near here have been renovated and updated in an effort to ride the wave of renovation that has struck several near by areas. But this area, like East Atlanta and Grant Park, are still hit and miss. But that has nothing to do with the battle or the markers.
Here is verification that my initial perception of the southeast attack from Chattanooga to Savannah is entirely incorrect. The encounter at Peachtree Creek, which precedes these events, is not included in the Battle of Atlanta, as per this marker. So now we have the Union, coming from the east and pushing south to cover a flank, being attacked by the Confederates who are marching north to attack to the west. Apparently everyone was in a state of confusion. I certainly am. These events warrant more investigation and information on troop movements prior to July 22, 1864 at noon.
Nevertheless, the two sides clashed here, along Memorial Drive, and the Battle of Atlanta had begun. Now I have used Memorial Drive as long as I can remember. It took me a long while to connect the end that crosses Interstate 285 and continues on towards Stone Mountain (I think that part is Cynthia McKinney Parkway now) to the end that passes the State Capitol. But it is a great thoroughfare. Never did I connect it with the battle though. I see it in different light now. I wonder if all of the people who live next to this marker (and the others as you will see) understand what happened here and how it has affected their black american community. Somehow I doubt that they know. I cannot guess if they would care.

Sweeny's March South

The second of the two markers that triggered this interest in the local historical markers.

Text of the Marker - Verbatim, but translated by me without all the abbreviations.
July 22, 1864. Sweeny's 16th Army Corps division, ordered to support the left of the Federal line in East Atlanta, was shifted from its camp of the previous night, north of the Georgia railroad. It marched south on the Clay road (now Clay street).
These troops had been ordered to destroy the railroad back to Decatur but McPherson requested them as reinforcement to his left, since his cavalry (Garrard's) had been sent eastward.
Passing the Jesse Clay plantation, near this point, Sweeny's troops moved south to the present intersection of Memorial drive, where they halted for further instructions - at the fateful moment of Hardee's surprise attack.

Georgia Historic Marker Number 044-31 Erected 1956

Location: Clay Street at Hosea Williams Drive
GPS:
Visited: June 28, 2008

The second marker is occurs three days after the first marker. And the movement is south, not west. Decatur is still occupied by the Union troops and Atlanta is still under siege. This marker is on Clay street instead of Hosea Williams street (used to be Boulevard?) and therefore, I could not read the title when I passed it twice a day. I could see the Wheeler Delays Blair title of the first marker. Once I took a picture of this marker, I connected the name Sweeny with another marker that I had forgotten. It was over in Candler Park and was Sweeny Div. Encamped.
I also realized that Memorial drive was the next major road south and that there must be a marker there as well since some sort of battle occurred between Sweeny's and Hardee's men. Therefore, first I would go to Clay street and Memorial drive, then I would go over to Candler park for that marker, and then maybe I would scout out some markers on DeKalb avenue near the railroad, specifically Noon Under The Trees.

So this marker has the Union shifting troops south to cover their left flank. Obviously the entire city was not encircled. Some supply lines must have remained open for the Confederates in the city. The Decatur line was straddled by Union troops who were laboring to destroy the railroad tracks. The northern line was controlled by Union troops and, I would think, used for their own supply line. The outcome of the Battle of Atlanta was not a given at this point. It doesn't seem that the Union forces were large enough to conclude that the city should be surrendered. From Chattanooga up to this point, it seems that the Confederates were fighting a delaying tactic. In reality, the Union was using flanking maneuvers in order to avoid a direct fight. Other than the battle at Kennesaw Mountain, which ended by the Union using a flanking maneuver, this flanking and delaying seems to have seen its end here at the siege of Atlanta. From the time that Blair moved westward it seems that the Confederates have come to the battle at last.