The Civil War in Georgia
A brief summary of principal events
1861 – 1862 – 1863 – 1864 – 1865
1861
January 1,1861- Georgians go to tine polls to vote on either a pro-Union or pro- Secession slate of
delegates for the state convention to be held in Milledgeville. The referendum is won by the pro-
Secession vote.
January 3,1861- Georgia militia under General Francis Bartow seizes Federal government property
including Fort Pulaski.
January 19,1861- Georgia votes to leave the Union at the Secession Convention in Milledgeville.
January 22, 1861- A “statement of protest,” is issued by the six convention delegates who refused to
sign the Ordinances of Secession.
September 11,1861- Joseph E. Brown elected to a third term as governor.
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1862
February 10,1862 – General Robert E. Lee requests permission from Governor Joseph E. Brown to
dismantle the Confederate batteries on Jekyll Island as the inhabitants had abandoned the island. The
guns are sent to strengthen the defenses around Savannah.
March 9,1862 – Federal troops occupy Jekyll Island.
April 10-11,1862 – The Battle of Fort Pulaski takes place. Areas of the fort are reduced to rubble by the
use of rifled cannon by the Federals under Brigadier General Quincy A. Gillmore, thus forever ending the
era of the masonry fort.
April 12,1862 – Union raiders in civilian clothing seize the Confederate engine General at Big Shanty on a
mission of sabotage. The plot falls apart due to rain, poor decision making and a tenacious band of
Confederates in hot pursuit. The raiders were captured but later received the first Medals of Honor
(some posthumously) bestowed by the U.S. Government.
July, 1862 – The Griswold Cotton Gin Company produce their first Colt patterned revolvers under
Confederate contract.
July 1,1862 – Federal Navy assault on Fort McAllister.
July 29, 1862 – Federal Navy assaults Fort McAllister.
1863
January 27, 1863- Federal Navy assaults Fort McAllister
February 28,1863 – Federal gunships including the Monitor U.S.S. Montauk moved up the Ogeechee
River past Fort Pulaski to destroy the Confederate privateer Rattlesnake (formerly Nashville).
March 3,1863 – Federal Naval assaults on Fort McAllister resume.
May 3,1863 – Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest captures Colonel Abel Streight’s raiders in
Western Alabama before they reach their goal of Rome, Georgia.
June 11,1863-The coastal town of Darien is burned by the USCT of the 54* Massachusetts.
September 19-20,1863 – The Battle of Chickamauga ends in Confederate victory and leads to the siege
of Chattanooga.
October 10,1863 – Jefferson Davis arrives in north Georgia to visit with Army of Tennessee commander
General Braxton Bragg and to mediate a growing feud between Bragg and his generals.
November 27,1863 – Federal pursuit of the Confederate Army of Tennessee fleeing Chattanooga is
stopped by the ambuscade under Major General Patrick Cleburne at the Battle of Ringgold Gap.
December 16,1863 – Confederate General Braxton Bragg is resigns command of the Army of Tennessee
and is replace by General Joseph E. Johnston at Dalton. The Army of Tennessee spends the winter of
1863-64 headquartered at Dalton.
1864
January 2,1864 – Major General Patrick Cleburne presents a proposal to the Army of Tennessee high
command to offer freedom to slaves who would volunteer to fight for the Confederate army. A topic of
great controversy, the proposal presented at the Dr. James Black house in Dalton never got off the
ground.
February 22-27,1864 – General George Thomas probes Confederate lines around Dalton after General
Joseph E. Johnston dispatched two divisions to aid Lt. General Leonidas Polk in the West. Thomas
withdrew on February 27 after realizing Johnston could counter any Federal threat.
May 5- 7,1864 – The Atlanta Campaign begins as the Federal XIV Corps drives the Confederate outpost
from Tunnel Hill to Buzzard’s Roost.
May 8-11,1864- The Battles of Rocky Face Ridge and Dug Gap occur while Federal troops probe
Buzzard’s Roost Gap in unsuccessful attempts to dislodge the Confederates.
May 8 -13,1864 – General James B. McPherson attempts a flanking movement around Confederate
forces at Dalton through the Snake Creek Gap establishing the pattern for the entire campaign. The plan
was to get between the Confederate Army and Atlanta at Resaca. A small force of Confederates
stationed at Resaca cause McPherson to hesitate and lose the advantage.
May 14-15,1864 – The Battle of Resaca ends in a draw but the Confederate Army is forced to head
south to protect its flanks.
May 16,1864- Battle of Rome Crossroads and fighting near Calhoun.
May 17,1864 – Fighting at Adairsville and in the vicinity of Rome.
May 18-19,1864 – General Johnston’s attempted assault on .a portion of General Sherman’s pursuing
forces at Cassville falls short when Lt. General John B. Hood, fearing a threat on his flank, fails to act.
May 20,1864 – The Etowah River is crossed as the Federal Army moves ever closer to Atlanta; However,
General Sherman, wishing to avoid a frontal assault on well entrenched Confederates in the Allatoona
Mountain range, leaves the railroad and attempts to flank Johnston to the west.
May 25,1864 -The Battle of New Hope Church occurs after Confederates rush west into Paulding
County to meet General Sherman’s threat there. Heavy casualties result after two hours of fighting stops
the Federal advance.
May 26-June 1,1864 – Fighting on the New Hope- Dallas line in Paulding County as the Atlanta
Campaign becomes a war of entrenchment.
May 27,1864 – A Federal flanking movement is stopped with heavy casualties at the Battle of Pickett’s
Mill.
June 14,1864- Lt. General Leonidas Polk is killed atop Pine Mountain.
June 9-23,1864 – Operations west of Marietta including fighting at Pine Mountain, Lost Mountain,
Brushy Mountain, Gilgal Church, Mud Creek, Noonday Creek, and Noyes Creek. The Confederates are
forced back to the “Gibraltar of Georgia, “the Kennesaw Mountain Line.
June 22,1864 – At the Battle of Kolb’s Farm Hood’s assault s are all stopped with a bloody repulse,
though the Federal flanking movement around Kennesaw Mountain is temporarily averted.
June 27,1864 – The Federals launch a morning assault on what are considered weak points in the
Confederate line and are repulsed at all points with heavy losses at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain.
July 3-4,1864- The Confederate army abandons the Kennesaw line to avoid a Federal flanking
movement and moves back to the Smyrna- Ruff’s Mill Line. Federals assault the line at both Smyrna
Station and Ruff’s Mill.
July 5-9,1864 – The Johnston’s River line is occupied. The Federals build a line parallel and constant
skirmishing ensues.
July 5-17,1864 – Operations along the Chattahoochee River with fighting at Howell’s, Turner’s and
Pace’s Ferries.
July 18,1864 – General Joseph E. Johnston, after having failed to stop the Federal advance towards
Atlanta, is relieved of command by President Jefferson Davis and replaced by Lt. General John B. Hood.
July 18-20,1864- Operations commence around Peachtree Creek that includes fighting at Moore’s Mill
and at Green Bone Creek and east of the city at Stone Mountain.
July 20,1864-The Battle of Peachtree Creek is the first of Hood’s three unsuccessful sorties during July
designed to piecemeal destroy elements of Sherman’s army.
July 21,1864- Combat for control of Leggett’s Hill
July 22,1864 – The Battle of Atlanta and the Battle of Decatur. Federal Maj. General James B.
McPherson and Confederate Maj. General W.H.T. Walker are killed.
July 22-24,1864- Federal General Kenner Garrad’s cavalry raid on Covington.
July 23-August26,1864 – Siege operations begin and last through most of August.
July 27-31, 1864- Brigadier General Edward McCook leads cavalry raid on the Atlanta & West Point and
Macon &Western Railroads.
July 28,1864- The Battle of Ezra Church
July 30,1864- Battle at Dunlap Farm and shelling of Macon by Stoneman’s raiders.
July 31,1864- Battle of Sunshine Church. Maj. General George Stoneman and 600 men surrender to
Confederate Brig General Albert Iverson.
August 3,1864 – Battle of King’s Tanyard.
August 5-7,1864- Battle of Utoy Creek. Fighting around Atlanta’s West End.
August 10- September 9,1864 – Confederate General Wheeler’s cavalry raid into North Georgia and
East Tennessee.
August 18-22,1864 – Federal General Judson Kilpatrick’s raid on Lovejoy Station.
August 31-September 1- Battle of Jonesboro – General Hood’s 80 railroad cars of munitions is exploded.
September 2,1864- Federal troops occupy Atlanta.
September 25,1864- President Jefferson Davis visited General Hood’s headquarters at Palmetto to
confer on the military situation after the fall of Atlanta.
September 28,1864- President Jefferson Davis wires Hood from West Point, GA to relieve Lt. Gen.
Hardee from the Army of Tennessee and send him to command the Department of South Carolina,
Florida, and Georgia. Hardee’s new assignment would be headquartered in Savannah.
October 5,1864- Following several days march north from Palmetto, General Hood dispatches Maj. Gen.
French’s division to capture the Federal garrison at Allatoona Pass. After a severe combat, French
withdraws without the garrisons’ capitulation.
November 8,1864- Lincoln is reelected as President of the United States.
November 15,1864- Maj. Gen. W.T. Sherman, after organizing his army into a right wing and a left wing,
begins his double-pronged march across Georgia from Atlanta to Savannah. All item of use to the
Confederates in the City of Atlanta are burned.
November 19,1864-Gov. Joe Brown called for all men between the ages of sixteen and fifty-five to
oppose Sherman, but was unable to raise a significant force.
November 22,1864- The Battle of Griswoldville ends in Confederate defeat. The state capitol at
Milledgeville falls to the Federal invaders.
November 28,1864- Cavalry action at Buckhead Creek and Reynolds Plantation.
December 4,1864- The Battle of Waynesboro
December 7,1864- The Ebenezer Creek incident occurs at the Augusta/Savannah causeway crossing.
December 13,1864- Fort McAllister falls leading to the evacuation of Savannah.
December 16,1864- Doctortown, on the Altamaha River is successfully defended against several Federal
assaults.
December 20-21,1864- The City of Savannah falls to the invading Federals while Lt. Gen. Hardee’s army
escaped into South Carolina.
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1865
April 16.1865- Brig. Gen. James H. Wilson’s Federal raiders enter Georgia and attack at West Point and
Columbus. The Battle of West Point ends with the fall of Fort Tyler and the death of Brig. Gen. Robert C.
Tyler. Columbus is captured and its naval works are burned along with the ship CSS Jackson.
May 10,1865- Confederate President Jefferson Davis is captured near Irwinville.
May 12,1865 – Confederate Brig. Gen. William T. Wofford surrendered the last significant body of
Confederate troops in Georgia to the Federals, ending the war in Georgia.