The Confederate Attack

On July 20th, Hood ordered an attack to begin at 1:00 P.M., with Hardee and Stewart to advance and 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 shifted the line about a mile east and delayed the attack until all but Ward´s division of the enemy had occupied strong ground in line of battle. Bate´s division on Hardee´s right halted with its right on Clear Creek and its left near Walker´s right by Peachtree and Spring Street; Walker´s left met Maney´s right near Brookwood Station; Maney´s left joined Loring´s division on Stewart´s right at Loring Heights; Loring´s left met Walthall´s right near Northside Drive and Bellemeade Avenue; and Walthall´s left regiment halted west of Howell Mill Road. About 3:30, Hardee moved forward and Stewart a half hour later, but Walker´s advance astride Peachtree Road was slowed by uncut forest growth, Maney´s by miry creek bottom and steep hills, and Bate´s by the swampy, densely thicketed bottom of Clear Creek. At Collier Road, Walker´s charging men met withering musketry and canister from Newton´s lines and, despite desperate fighting, were forced back with heavy losses, while Maney´s men on their left also met defeat. In the creek bottoms, Bate´s division swung around Newton´s left flank to attack his rear, but Bradley´s men along the road overlooking the creek met them with musketry. At the Peachtree Creek Bridge, Thomas personally placed Ward´s two batteries on the high ground along Peachtree Hills Avenue, and canister from these guns shattered Bate´s right; already suffering from Bradley´s musketry, his men fell back, and Hardee, having no reserves, could not renew the attack and withdrew. About 4:00, Stewart´s corps attacked as Loring advanced with Featherston´s brigade on the right and Scott on the left. Featherston´s men crossed Tanyard Branch and moved through dense woods into a wide clearing, reformed their lines astride Dellwood Drive under fire from Geary´s batteries on their left, swept back the Federal picket line barricaded there, and charged over Collier Road into the gap between Newton´s right and Geary´s left, but cross fire of musketry from those positions, together with Ward´s arrival, drove them back with severe losses, after which Ward´s men took position along Collier Road.

Atlanta, Georgia · United States