The Battle of Peachtree Creek July 20, 1864 - The Confederate Attack – Fulton Co., GA
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N 33° 48.630 W 084° 24.194
16S E 740368 N 3744177
The Battle of Peachtree Creek plaques are located t the entrance to Tanyard Creek Park on Collier Rd., Atlanta, GA. There are a total of 6 plaques.
Waymark Code: WM7MT1
Location: Georgia, United States
Date Posted: 11/10/2009
Views: 2
The Battle of Peachtree Creek July 20, 1864 - The Confederate Attack
On July 20th, Hood ordered the attack to begin at 1:00 P.M. Hardee and Stewart were to advance, drive the enemy back to the creek, and then west into the angle formed by the creek and the river; but events east of Atlanta caused the line to be shifted about a mile to the east, delaying the attack until all but Ward´s division of the enemy had occupied strong ground in line of battle. Bate´s division (Hardee´s right) halted with its right on Clear Creek and its left reaching Walker´s right near Peachtree and Spring Street. Walker´s left met Maney´s right near Brookwood Station. Maney´s left joined the right of Loring´s division (Stewart´s right) which now occupied Loring Heights. Loring´s left extended to meet Walthall´s right near Northside Drive and Bellemeade Avenue. Walthall´s left regiment halted west of Howell Mill Road. About 3:30, Hardee moved forward, Stewart a half hour later. Walker´s advance, astride Peachtree Road, was impeded by uncut forest growth, Maney´s by miry creek bottom and steep hills, Bates by swampy, densely-thicketed bottom of Clear Creek. At Collier Road, Walker´s charging men met a withering fire of musketry and canister from Newton´s lines. Although they fought desperately, heavy losses forced them back. On their left, Maney´s men also met defeat. In the creek bottoms, Bates sung around Newton´s left flank to attack his rear; but Bradley´s men, massed along the road overlooking the creek, met them with musketry. At the Peachtree Creek Bridge, Thomas in person emplaced Ward´s two batteries on the high ground along Peachtree Hills Avenue. Canister from these guns shattered Bate´s right. Already suffering from Bradley´s musketry, his men fell back. Having no reserves, Hardee could not renew the attack so he withdrew. About 4:00, Stewart´s corps attacked. Loring moved forward with Featherston´s brigade on the right, Scott on the left. Featherston´s men crossed Tanyard Branch and moved through dense wood into a wide clearing. They reformed their lines (astride Dellwood Drive) under fire from Geary´s batteries, firing from their left. Sweeping back the Federal picket line barricaded along it, they charged over Collier Road and into the gap between Newton´s right and Geary´s left; but a cross fire of musketry from those positions, together with Ward´s arrival, drove them back with severe losses. Ward´s men took position along Collier Road.
The Confederate Attack(Cont.)
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On the right, Harrison placed two regiments across Tanyard Branch, to connect with Candy´s left, and three on the slight rise east of it. Scott´s brigade advanced across the thickly wooded hills between Northside and Whitehall drives, routing the 33rd New Jersey and capturing its state flag. Although Scott´s men met a storm of fire from Geary´s front, his left regiment captured four of Geary´s guns but where forced to retire without them. His right regiments, diverted to the right by the fire from Candy´s men and of the battery near his left, crossed Tanyard Branch in this area and charged into the gap along the stream, between Harrison´s regiments. At Collier Mill, a few yards farther on, they were halted by a ridge across their front. Massed under the cross fire of Harrison´s men, they were decimated before they could withdraw. Later, a Federal officer wrote "Few battlefields of the war have been strewn so thickly with dead and wounded as they lay that evening around Collier´s mill." On Loring´s left, Walthall had deployed astride Howell Mill Road and advanced northeast through the Embry plantation. O´Neal´s brigade struck Geary´s right, forced it to swing back across Overbrook Road and the ravine to connect with Williams´ left. But the impetus of the attack plunged O´Neal´s men into the ravine between Geary and Williams where they lost heavily before they could withdraw. On O´Neal´s left, the right of Reynolds´ brigade made two desperate attempts to cross the ravine on Williams´ front and assault his line, but the concave ridge thrust Williams´ flanks forward, enabling them to enfilade Reynolds´ right regiments and drive them back with heavy losses. Reynolds´ left across Howell Mill swung around Knipe´s right and attacked his flank; but Ruger´s men rushed to his support and Reynolds´ now exposed left was swept by fire from McCook´s intrenchments, forces Reynolds´ to retire. Nowhere on the two-mile front had the Confederate assault met with more than passing success. Finally, Hardee and Sterwart withdrew their shattered divisions in to the shelter of the outer line. Estimates place Hood´s loss as 4,796, Thomas actual loss was 1,779. Although the Army of Tennessee had fought with the same courage and gallantry which had made Sherman´s advance slow and costly, it had suffered a bitter defeat.
Georgia Historic Commission - Georgia Civil War Centennial Commission
Placed 1964