HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT AND ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE BEFORE ATLANTA GEORGIA, JULY 24, 1864
Major-General W. T. Sherman, commanding Military Division of Mississippi
GENERAL: I have the honor to report the following general summary of the result of the attack of the enemy on this army on the 22d inst.
Total loss, killed, wounded, and missing, thirty-five hundred and twenty-one, and ten pieces of artillery. We have buried and delivered to the enemy, under a flag of truce sent in by them, in front of the Third Division, Seventeenth Corps, one thousand of their killed. The number of their dead in front of the Fourth Division of the same corps, including those on the ground not now occupied by our troops, General Blair reports, will swell the number of their dead on his front to two thousand. The number of their dead buried in front of the Fifteenth Corps, up to this hour, is three hundred and sixty, and the commanding officer reports that at least as many more are yet unburied; burying-parties being still at work. The number of dead buried in front of the Sixteenth Corps is four hundred and twenty-two. We have over one thousand of their wounded in our hands, the larger number of the wounded being carried off during the night, after the engagement, by them. We captured eighteen stands of colors, and have them now. We also captured five thousand stands of arms. The attack was made on our lines seven times, and was seven times repulsed. Hood's and Hardee's corps and Wheeler's cavalry engaged us. We have sent to the rear one thousand prisoners, including thirty-three commissioned officers of high rank. We still occupy the field, and the troops are in fine spirits. A detailed and full report will be furnished as soon as completed.
Recapitulation.
Our total loss: 3,521
Enemy's dead, thus far reported, buried and delivered to them: 3,220
Total prisoners sent North: 1,017
Total prisoners, wounded, in our hands: 1,000
Estimated loss of the enemy, at least: 10,000
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
John A Logan, Major-General
http://www.sonofthesouth.net/union-generals/sherman/memoirs/general-sherman-battle-atlanta.htm
In "The Day Dixie Died" Gary Ecelbarger puts the overall Federal loss at 3,722 and the Confederate loss at an estimated 5,700 - 6,300. The Federal count is probably more accurate than any Confederate estimate given. The next day the dead and wounded were collected under flags of truce, but no official Confederate casualty count was recorded. Not every commander recorded his casualties, and those that did may have underestimated.
So the total loss, both sides, could be over 10,000.
In comparison, at the Battle of Franklin there were 6,252 Confederate and 2,326 Federal casualties recorded. Recent studies (Eric A. Jacobson and others) have supposed that the losses at Franklin were higher, possibly over 10,000.
The Battle of Perryville saw a reported 4,241 Union and 3,396 Confederate losses.
While the losses are not comparable to Shiloh, Stones River or Chickamauga, the Battle of Atlanta would still rival many others as one of the bloodiest battles in the Western Theater; however, it is largely forgotten today.
Major-General W. T. Sherman, commanding Military Division of Mississippi
GENERAL: I have the honor to report the following general summary of the result of the attack of the enemy on this army on the 22d inst.
Total loss, killed, wounded, and missing, thirty-five hundred and twenty-one, and ten pieces of artillery. We have buried and delivered to the enemy, under a flag of truce sent in by them, in front of the Third Division, Seventeenth Corps, one thousand of their killed. The number of their dead in front of the Fourth Division of the same corps, including those on the ground not now occupied by our troops, General Blair reports, will swell the number of their dead on his front to two thousand. The number of their dead buried in front of the Fifteenth Corps, up to this hour, is three hundred and sixty, and the commanding officer reports that at least as many more are yet unburied; burying-parties being still at work. The number of dead buried in front of the Sixteenth Corps is four hundred and twenty-two. We have over one thousand of their wounded in our hands, the larger number of the wounded being carried off during the night, after the engagement, by them. We captured eighteen stands of colors, and have them now. We also captured five thousand stands of arms. The attack was made on our lines seven times, and was seven times repulsed. Hood's and Hardee's corps and Wheeler's cavalry engaged us. We have sent to the rear one thousand prisoners, including thirty-three commissioned officers of high rank. We still occupy the field, and the troops are in fine spirits. A detailed and full report will be furnished as soon as completed.
Recapitulation.
Our total loss: 3,521
Enemy's dead, thus far reported, buried and delivered to them: 3,220
Total prisoners sent North: 1,017
Total prisoners, wounded, in our hands: 1,000
Estimated loss of the enemy, at least: 10,000
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
John A Logan, Major-General
http://www.sonofthesouth.net/union-generals/sherman/memoirs/general-sherman-battle-atlanta.htm
In "The Day Dixie Died" Gary Ecelbarger puts the overall Federal loss at 3,722 and the Confederate loss at an estimated 5,700 - 6,300. The Federal count is probably more accurate than any Confederate estimate given. The next day the dead and wounded were collected under flags of truce, but no official Confederate casualty count was recorded. Not every commander recorded his casualties, and those that did may have underestimated.
So the total loss, both sides, could be over 10,000.
In comparison, at the Battle of Franklin there were 6,252 Confederate and 2,326 Federal casualties recorded. Recent studies (Eric A. Jacobson and others) have supposed that the losses at Franklin were higher, possibly over 10,000.
The Battle of Perryville saw a reported 4,241 Union and 3,396 Confederate losses.
While the losses are not comparable to Shiloh, Stones River or Chickamauga, the Battle of Atlanta would still rival many others as one of the bloodiest battles in the Western Theater; however, it is largely forgotten today.
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