In early May 1864 Union armies left their winter encampment near
Chattanooga, Tennessee, and began a march to Atlanta. Four months later
-- on September 3 -- William T. Sherman wired Abraham Lincoln, Atlanta
is ours, and fairly won!""
The fall of Atlanta was not just one more Union victory. It was pivotal
to the outcome of the entire Civil War and also to Lincoln's reelection.
With the fall of Atlanta, Confederate morale plummeted. The South's most
significant manufacturing center was destroyed, and its primary railroad
connections were cut. The destruction of Atlanta was not just a Union
victory over one city, but a key to the end of the war.
Fields of Glory traces the story of the campaign from the Tennessee
border through the heart of Georgia to Jonesboro. Included is a series
of driving tours that enable readers to see firsthand the battlefields
and important sites of the campaign.
Also included are more than 85 illustrations, 25 original maps, a lively
history of the campaign, fascinating tours of the battlefields, articles
on military strategy, biographies of generals, the chronology of key
battles and important events, sources for additional travel information,
a bibliography, and an index.
""In General Sherman's mind, "" Jim Miles explains, ""before the Civil
War could be brought to a victorious conclusion, Atlanta had to be
destroyed and the Confederacy denied its products. From that day,
Atlanta was a doomed city.""""
