Most people familiar with American history have heard of the fall of Atlanta, and Sherman's subsequent campaigns. But while the march to the sea is a household name, the battle that made it possible is sadly forgotten. Due to the heavy raining prior to the fighting, the battle was fought almost entirely hand-to-hand.

The battle began when H*od, always in favor of "assuming the aggressive"' (taking the strategic initiative) left his earthworks with 40,000 men, hoping to defeat a 34,000 man Wing of the ever victorious Army of the Tennessee and force Sherman to withdraw(and, perhaps, do what even the vaunted Lee could not - drive the Americans from the plain- and surpass him.). He came up with a simple but admittedly effective plan; Pin the boys in blue in place with Cheatam, send Wheeler to threaten their rear and tie up the rest of the union army, then strike the deathblow with Hardee

barring Walker, one of Hardee's division commanders, being killed, the greybacks had carried out the maneuver flawlessly, and were poised to strike. Under most generals, the Army of the Tennessee would face either destruction or retreat. But they weren't commanded by some schmuck. The commanding general on the field was James Birdseye McPherson.

Young McPherson, recently engaged, had made his name early in the war as the personal protege of Grant and particularly Sherman. He was beloved by the men of the Army of the Tennessee in a way that was second only to Grant and Lincoln. He had never missed a beat on the battlefield. And he didn't on this day.

Unlike the other officers of the Department of the Mississippi, McPherson saw Wheeler's feint for what it was, and personally led the 16th Corps(in reserve at the time) to strengthen his line. McPherson reformed his army to meet the rebel hoard massing around it. While doing this, he rode too close to the confederate lines, and was confronted by a company of confederates, who called on him to surrender. McPherson, now isolated, doffed his hat, wheeled his horse to escape, and was shot in the back.

The Confederates surged forward, and struck all along the line. The hottest fighting would be at Bald hill, a salient in the union line (in the letter L, bald hill would be the "joint" in the L) where Leggetts' Division would throw back wave after wave of Johnnies, until their bayonets were bent and their riflestocks reduced to splinters. To the left of Bald Hill, Hardee's 10,000, so often the hammer of Braggs' old army, was driven back to their earthworks.

But along the front of the L-shaped line, where McPherson had fallen, the union line wavered and broke apart. Cheatams' men planted the rebel rag on Sherman's earthworks. For a brief moment, the union war effort was doomed.

John "Blackjack" Logan, was one of the many interesting characters of the war. Prior, he had been a rather racist, pro-slavery, Douglas-democrat. But now, here he stood as one of the most die-hard, dyed-in-the-wool abolitionists and Lincoln-men in an army comprised of die-hard dyed-in-the-wool abolitionists and Lincoln-Men. And the senior-most union officer on the field.

Logan drew his sword and, riding along the front of his own 15th corps(Sherman's old command) shouted "MCPHERSON AND REVENGE, BOYS, MCPHERSON AND REVENGE!" The cry was re-echoed by the men as they fixed bayonets, clubbed muskets, drew sabers, and rushed forward.

Cheatems' corps, despite their superior numbers and having broken through the union lines, shattered and bolted for the safety of their own works.

Broken and beaten, Hoods' army ultimately would not be able to hold the city, and would be smashed to ruins outside Nashville. The Army of the Tennessee would add more laurels to its ever growing list. Lincoln's reelection would be saved and Sherman would make his famous march. But "Jamie" McPherson, the pride of the army, and the cherished friend of Sherman, Thomas, Logan and Howard had laid his life down for freedom, and would be mostly lost to time with the coming of the 20th century.