About the Atlanta Campaign than he does. Hes been a proud civil war the fourth he was in grade. He earned his undergraduate emory, hisistory at masters degree at the andersity of North Carolina emory. At davis drew on his experience this morning when he spoke to 450 High Schoolers ever effectively. Hes taken it upon himself to attend virtually all of the eight lectures weve had thus far in this series. And hes been so very conscientious in communicating what he wanted to say to you tonight and to our students earlier today. Im not sure i can do justice to for the civil war in campaign. A his pieces have appeared in a popularf scholarly and publications, including the civil war times illustrated and the georgia historical quarterly. He was the book review editor magazine forgray 11 years. His 2001 book, atlanta will highly respected. And his most recent book, what the excuse me what the yankees did to us, shermans bombardment and wrecking of atlanta, has been described as one expert as the most detailedarched and account ever written about the fall of atlanta. The georgia writers dr. Davisn recognized with its author of the year award in the category of history. At round tables across the highly, he is a soughtafter speaker. Were honored to have this lover with usivil war here today. Please join me in welcoming his talkn davis in entitled four generals and the Atlanta Campaign. Steve, welcome thank you. I want to thank the head master undeservedly kind and complimentary introduction. Thank the lovett school. As billy mentioned, the caliber of speakers in this series preceding me has been such that im honored to have been chosen to be among them. In keeping with the theme of the lecture series, the forging of character, but mindful as the head master reminds us that this is the very capture andederal occupation of the city. We want to take a look at four generals, who on each side of the war were fighting in aftera, and then kind of looking at elements and evidence of their character and personality, what they did, well kind of bring the story reflectingonclusion, on their individual roles in the campaign. But first, someone who was not tr atlanta in 64, i wonder if that backll remember in the bicentennial year, nbc took one state of the union and spent its twohour today show broadcast, highlighting elements of that state. I happened to be teaching at dunwoody and was able to watch the show one friday, when the virginia. Focused on scott gavegeorge c. A camera view, a tour of washington and lee university. Speaking from a text that he himself had written afterwards, the University Got that itrequests for it requested from scott permission print. And i quote from what scott told camera. On over the this is bicentennial america. This is the Election Year america. 20th century thermonuclear liberated ol gar ki, in order to get mine, ive got to grind you, america. You and i supposed to learn from or feel about the world in the character of a man r. E. Lee . Hes cold. Were cool. Hes passe. Avant. Hes out of it. Were up to here in it. Continued, there are a few qualities this remarkable remarkablekree creature had,e consider them. Ive just colorized some of my favorites. Patience, loyalty, love of animals, traveler, courtesy toward the conditional frailty age. Vanced and my personal favorite, ladies and gentlemen, gentleness and to achieveion gentlemanliness. Head master. Lee on leadership. A lotat can be said for of civil war generallings. When is the last time you saw a qualitiesadership from george b. Mcclellan . Ha ha okay. Not every civil war general could be like lee obviously, but lets look at four. Ive chosen the three army commanders, johnston, hood, sherman. And pat thomas, a fellow virginian, because i believe commander of the army of the cumberland, he too had a wee and character from which can learn. First, johnston. Craig simons, i think, continues to teach at the u. S. Naval academy. Buying biography of a source. Go is still the their fathers served together in the resolution. When is the last time you thought oaf this . Were born just three weeks and 100 miles apart from each other in virginia. Point together, formed a lasting friendship, career army officers, sharing disappointment over the slow pace of promotion in the old army. War, they both served on general scotts staff, commendations. In the 50s, they were on the frontier and held identical posts. Continued parallels in the early war. Of the scott tried to keep both of them in the United States army. Was seceding. But both left the old army and followed their states out. At the time of the secession, johnston held a in the old army than lee. He was Quarter Master general of the army and head brigade. Lee was kill continental. Colonel. Similarities in there, as you will be able to see in the briefest summaries of their biography, such as bud warrens, generals. As i say, johnston was among early confederate officers the ranking officer in the old army. Theby some reading of confederate law and regulations, towould have been entitled seniority among the generals. Davis and the War Department appointed johnston fourth in seniority, after cooper, Sidney Johnson and lee. So what did johnston do . A wrote the president ninepage angry letter of whichation and protest, the president just dismissed as unbecoming. Didnt alter the seniority ranking. Ann johnston began to show he retreated up the peninsula before mcclellan and he let the yankees get within capitol. S of the president davis and general lee were beside themselves. Finally, johnston launched an attack at fair oaks, and ladies gentlemen, thereby rendered his most signal service to the confederacy by getting himself seriously wounded and knocked out of action. It led him to a point, as commander of the army of virginia, which lee never relinquished, as you know, for the rest of the war. Of 63,ssippi, spring johnston was something of a theater commander. Pemberton found himself locked in, president davis sent command troops being assembled near jackson as a army of relief. Eventually, 25or 30,000 confederates gathered in the neverbut johnston attacked. Pembertont, surrendered. , at least twotime president failure, davis appointed general johnston who had beenagg, humiliated in the rate. The in the rout. He asked johnston, please, offensive against sherman before he launches an offensive against you and begins to invade georgia. Instead here hes right. He said, mr. President , i cannot. Yankees have us boxed in, and tennessee is a poor country into which to advance. So he never advanced against sherman. And sherman, of course, held the initiative throughout the campaign. Advance,n prepared to johnston wanted to stay on the defensive. Anyone who has read about the Atlanta Campaign knows this mantra. Johnston would hold up in the high ground and ridges and defensive positions, hope to be assaulted, likely had been at fredericksburg. If hes flanked, move back to position, all the while asking that the administration send Forrest Calvary raids against shermans ever lengthening western and atlantic supply line. Familiarign took on a pattern. Johnston would take position. Sherman would approach, would skirmish with the rebels. Mean while, he would probe army ofith the tennessee, around usually by the the rebelght against left. Johnston found that he would be flanked, threatened with his being cut, and hed have to retreat. Map. You see a timeline sweeneys division with is going to the way down stream, flank downstream. With this repetitive pattern of which johnstont could figure out no antidote or counter, sherman pushed johnston back from nine successive positions. And look at my handdrawn map, yall. If you cant find a map that what you want, you draw it yourself. Ha ha is know, my favorite here allen tates biography of jackson. Have you seen his maps . Theyre far more artless than my own. Ha ha here, from midmay all the way into midjuly, pushed johnston back to essentially 80 or 90 miles of georgia. Johnston today is known as master of fabian fabus, theed for roman general. They are marching down the peninsula toward rome. Back, keeps retreating building and strengthening his army, declining to give battle, until finally he can beat gates of rome. These tactics have led him to be nickname, the delayer. Work, whose cover you see, i call joe johnston this name. Federals crossed the river, as i said, july 8, 9. And johnston had to retreat across the river on the night of the 9th, 10th. Davisthat, president over a full week agonizing whether to fire joe johnston, who had given up, as i say, 80 miles of georgia terrain. Ben hill,enator confederate senator from georgia, arrives in richmond and and theesident davis secretary a firstperson account of his interview, which had been held ten days before. And ben hill told the president three times, i asked johnston, can you hold the river . Th of no, i cannot. Calvary. T to send and by that time, when hill is before the administration, july davis holds up a telegram, look, your man has already crossed the chattahoochee. On the 11th, catch this. Building confidence with your boss, you send a telegram asking, hey, maybe we the federalove prisoners from andersonville. July 12, davis asks lee his opinion. Whold we fire johnston, and would you name . You know, general lee, who was lees most trusted adviser, did not serve the president as well as davis had hoped. He, first of all, advised against firing johnston. And he had very tepid comments hood. General battlefield,n the careless off, if you remember that. Then davis called his cabinet together. The meeting goes undated in the records. But by postwar letters and kind the whole sequence together, ladies and gentlemen, i think the Cabinet Meeting occurred on july 14. Umd in the postbell were especially vehement in remembering that they argued that johnston had to go. Johnston gave was given one last chance to save his job. On july 16 sent him a wire, i wish to hear from you as to your plan of operations so i can anticipate events. Well, what did johnston wire back . Call it the death wish reply. You wanna get fired . You dont tell the boss what he wants to hear. Catch this. Plan of operations must therefore depend upon that of enemy. Militiagoing to let the hold the city that the movements be freer anday wider. Whoa what does that mean . It sounded to me that johnston was going to give up atlanta. Thats the of course the intent, i think, of the death wish. I dont believe that johnston wanted to hold on. And as a result, johnston was relieved. General hood, who was lieutenant general, was given temporary of full general. Congress was not in session. Powers to do had militaryime of emergency. Johnston left for macon on the night of july 19. Mory, confederate general, writes military emergency. Of johnston, after the war, in his memoir, recollections of virginia. He tells how after the war he, mrs. Johnston, were dining on a porch outside when someone heard a little girl and screaming. The familys pet turkey was girl. Ing the little johnston got annoyed and said, why dont you run away . Dont you run away . Mory of johnston, after the coms fine advice for a general to give. Johnston grew angry. Well, if she will not fight, its not is it not the best thing for her to do, to run away . Break the tension, mrs. Johnston started laughing. Joe, thats kind of what you all the way, all the time, i know when johnstons belief is if you cant fight, run away, well, hes telling little girls that, mmm. You know, when is the last time leadershipbook on lessons from joe johnston . Okay. Johnstonsssess character . This is my personal opinion, because i was a teenager in the centennial. And in the centennial, joe a god. N was its only in the last 50 years att hood has been looked anew by scholars. Ive tried to do my part. Opinion. Is my genuinely a good administer. The men loved him. But as i say with president davis, he could be petty and quarrelsome. He was excessively concerned with his administer. The men loved him. But reputation. Hence, he avoided risky bas battles. He was unaware of the psychological effect of his retreat on the people and the press. Heres the essential difference lets say robert e. Lee. He was deathly afraid to send battle. Into death and as president davis once said, president johnstons focus on his army and not using his army to protect the country. Another virginian, george henry thomas, born not rebellion site, 1816. His family had to hide in the during the rebellion. He went to west point. He fought in the mexican war and was in the second calvary with lee, johnston and hardee. I like francis mckinneys biography, which you see there. As i think i have mentioned, thomas was determined to fight union. He declined the governors that he resign from the army to become the chief of ordinance. After the state left the union, would upholdat he his pledge to the United States and fight for the union army. Wife, frances, was a sheyorker, but she claimed never tried to influence his decision on this. But when he decided not to fight the co confederacy, his sisters him. To hate thomas enjoyed a steady if not rapid rise to prominence, as you here. Brigadier general, august of rebels in one the of the early western victories for the north, january of 62, promoted to Major General in shiloh, 62, fought at corinth. Youass greatest moment, if will remember, on the morning of union centery, the was attacked, just as the time was woodss decision removed, off to the left, creating a mistaken division the union line at the center, at the very point is leading five infantry divisions across the field. Bang rebels break the union line. Heading north. Where, on the north end of the field, thomas holds the left of it long, and holds enough against rebel attacks so rosekrans and the rest of flee back to chattanooga. He earned his nickname. I think its a wonderful one. That, when rosekrans was fired, thomas was promoted to the army of the cumberland and it was his troops that carried Missionary Ridge in that surprise and unordered assault up the municipality. And it was in the Atlanta Campaign that thomas commanded shermans largest in the three group. Army more on that later. What did thomas do . Generally speaking, because he was the rock, and because he commanded shermans largest army, thomas and scoaffield usually engaged the johnstons line while mcpherson flanked off by the right. This is re resaca. Thomas. His about pat after Kennesaw Mountain and his troops did most of the attacking 27, thomas sent sherman a message that afternoon, saying lost heavily today without gaining any material advantage. Such assaultse would use up this army. Offke a guy who can tell his superior officer. Youeachtree creek, if remember, on july 20, it was thomass troops who were hood. Ed by and thomas was personally engaged in the battle, not only hiscting the fire of artillery, but at one point, old thumping the rears of his artillery sources with to get him his sword to move faster. Old slow trot. Lets jump ahead. , remember that after the fall of the city, general hood marched the army of tennessee into alabama and tennessee, attacking at franklin, and then holding nashville. Ines at grant grew impatient and ordered thomas to attack hood earlier. Trot said no, im not going to attack until i have everything ready. Grant was on the verge of firing thomas, when finally on the morning of december 16, thomas launched the attack that routed hoods army back into mississippi. My personal assessment of george dedicated to principle and willing to stand up to his and family, in honor of it. The battlefield, dependable and reliable. The rock. Yall . W what, i would rather be known as thandable and reliable brilliant. I think we can character thomas as that way. As i say, he was unafraid to out to superiors like sherman like sherman and old slow trot would not attack until a gooding was ready, tackle general. One measure of his character is the fact that in the last decade, there are three biographies, including bryan wills. Thats saying something. Ad there you have kind of historiography of thomass life studies. Now to hood. Hood was the youngster, born in kentucky. He had local schooling. His uncle helped get him into point. He graduated in the class of 1853. Heres his first biography, by okorn in 1949. He wenty lieutenants out west. He got assigned to the second learnedand therefore about general lee, Lieutenant Colonel lee. September of 60, the army is actually wanting to bring hood him teach calvary at west point. Hood did not like the idea of that. Declined it. And then when the war started, tooffered himself Confederate Service and steadily rose through the ranks. Remember, he was with the second calvary, so his first posting is in the calvary. Of 6 1. May shifting over to the infantry. Signed up for confederate commission, kentucky seceded. Et so he put down as his native state texas. Hood ishy sometimes called the texan in lets say murrays biography. During th during 1962, he was the texas brigade. Here is the cache of recently published photographs of the texas brigade. Himself to be at least modestly capable as a regimental administer, caring for his men. Called the gallant hood, especially after he personally led, on june 1962, charge that broke the federal lines at gainesville and tackle victoryly in the entire seven days. Johnen points this out, in the attack on the lines, on the second day, its hood that organizes the troops and brings them to maximum impact, rolling up popes lines. When theyptember 17, attack the first corps, on the morning of the battle, threatening to overrun lees takes hoods Light Division and blows back hooker saves the line. That kind of battlefield courage got the eye of longstreet and jackson. And as a result, hood is month after that to measure general and Major General. He only slightly fought at fredericksburg. Army atin the gettysburg, his division was attack aso get the as to the union right possible. The union left. Actually, if youll remember, around and to go lines. Ely flank the but longstreet had been in a squabble with lee and did not hood the tackle discretion to maneuver farther around the union line. Indeed, hood is leading his troops into battle when a shell bang fragment catches him in the arm. Hes taken from the field, almost before the battle has begun, on the afternoon of july 2nd. Arm is not amputated. But it remains virtually useless of his life. But still, hood is a fighter. Two and a half months later, he demands field service, so with divisions, hewo sent to help and participat