The Atlanta Campaign Animated Map

In early May of 1864, Federal forces under Gen. William T. Sherman began battling the Confederate Army of Tennessee. At stake was Atlanta, a major manufacturing center and railroad hub. For nearly 17 weeks, Sherman’s three armies battled Confederate defenders under Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, and his successor, Gen. John B. Hood. Sherman’s larger forces skillfully managed movements towards the city, forcing the Confederates to continuously withdraw from defensive positions. Pinned into a corner around Atlanta, Hood's army struck time and time again in an effort to break out from the grip of the Federal forces, but failed at every turn. Sherman’s capture of Atlanta was a major blow to the Confederacy, all but assuring President Abraham Lincoln’s re-election two months later and setting the stage for Sherman’s March to the Sea.