July 28th 1864, at the Battle of Ezra Church, Georgia

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July 28th 1864, at the Battle of Ezra Church, Georgia, Confederates under General John Bell Hood make a third attempt to break General William T. Sherman's hold on Atlanta. Like the first two, this attack failed, destroying the Confederate Army of Tennessee's offensive capabilities.
 
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Sadly not everyone appreciates the battle. I have had no updates about if this marker was cleaned up
 
July 28, 1864 - The Battle of Ezra Church, also known as the Battle of Ezra Chapel and the Battle of the Poor House.

Confederates under General John Bell Hood make a third attempt to break General William T. Sherman's hold on Atlanta. Like the first two, this attack failed, destroying the Confederate Army of Tennessee's offensive capabilities.

When Union General William T. Sherman sent General Oliver O. Howard southeast of Atlanta to cut the Macon and Western Railroad, one of Hood's remaining supply lines, Hood sent four divisions, two commanded by newly arriving Stephen Dill Lee, and two others by A.P. Stewart. Lee was to block the Federals while Stewart was to circle and come up on their rear. On July 28, near Ezra Church, Gen. Lee, without orders and before Stewart had arrived, launched assaults on an entrenched Union army and was severely beaten back. Instead of striking the Union flank, Lee's corps hit the Union center, where the Yankee troops were positioned behind barricades made from logs and pews taken from the church.

Throughout the afternoon, Lee made several attacks on the Union lines. Each was turned back, and Lee was not able to get around the Union flank. When Stewart arrived, he led several unsuccessful assaults, and became a casualty. Four assaults and three hours of fighting produced what is considered by historians to be the most one-sided victory of the entire war and a costly defeat for an army that was already outnumbered. Lee lost 3,000 men to the Union's 630. Gen. William Hardee reported to Hood that this battle had broken the proud spirit of the Army of Tennessee.

Ten days and three battles since taking command, Hood had lost one-third of his infantry attacking entrenchments. More important, Hood lost his offensive capability. For the next month, he could do no more than sit in trenches around Atlanta and wait for Sherman to deal him the knockout blow.

Photo - Gen. Stephen D. Lee; Gen. Alexander P. Stewart


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