The Stoneman Raid

In July 1864, as Maj. Gen. W. T. Sherman’s U.S. army closed in on Atlanta and found its fortifications too strong to assault and too extensive to invest, he sent Maj. Gen. George Stoneman with three cavalry brigades, 2112 men, and 2 guns to cut the Central of Georgia Railroad that supplied the city’s Confederate defenders. On the 27th, Stoneman left Decatur, crossed the Ocmulgee River near Covington, and moved toward Macon along the left bank. Early on the 30th at Clinton, he detached elements of the 14th Illinois Cavalry that wrecked railway facilities at Gordon, McIntyre, Toomsboro, and Griswoldville, burning four trains, many loaded cars on sidings, large stocks of supplies, several trestles, and the long railway bridge over the Oconee River east of Toomsboro. At Macon he was turned back by strongly intrenched Georgia militia, briefly shelled the city, and then tried to retreat. Early the next morning, Sunday the 31st, Brig. Gen. Alfred Iverson, Jr., CSA, born in Clinton, intercepted him at Sunshine Church with 1300 Confederate cavalry; after being deceived into believing he was surrounded, Stoneman enabled two of his brigades to escape and then surrendered with about 600 men to what he had been led to think was a substantially superior force.

Georgia · United States