Atlanta, Georgia was a key Confederate railway hub throughout the war with a thriving population of about 22,000. Defense of this industrial city fell to Lt. General John Bell Hood and his army, which unfortunately was much too small for the responsibility. News traveled fast as Union General William T. Sherman marched towards Atlanta in autumn 1864. Hood knew he was outnumbered and decided to evacuate the city. His troops escaped safely into the night on September 1st.
The sound of explosions greeted Sherman as he approached Atlanta the same night. Hood and his troops had blown up everything that may have been useful to the invading army. The next day saw Atlanta fall to the Union with an official telegram from Sherman to Washington stating “Atlanta is ours, and fairly won.” Atlanta’s citizens were forced to surrender to the Yankees. Sherman expelled everyone remaining in the city so that he could transform Atlanta into a Union military base.
