Battle of New Hope Church

Battle of New Hope Church. A Costly Failure. On Wednesday, May 25, 1864, a fierce battle was fought between Union Major General Joseph Hooker's 20th Corps and Confederate Major General Alexander P. Stewart's division. It occurred around a church located at this crossroads, known as New Hope.

Three days earlier, with only 20 days of supplies in his wagons, Union Major General William T. Sherman began moving his armies toward Dallas and away from their Western and Atlantic Railroad “lifeline.” Sherman's intent was to march around the "left flank” of Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston's “Army of Tennessee" and their formidable defenses around Allatoona Pass. In doing such Sherman hoped to capture Atlanta from the west rather than the north and sooner than anticipated. Federal troops headed toward Dallas by different routes. Union Major General George H. Thomas's “Army of the Cumberland” marched south about 15 miles from Stilesboro. General Hooker's corps was the first to approach the New Hope crossroads. Countering these moves, General Johnston quickly shifted his Confederate army southwest from Allatoona Pass to the Dallas area. Lieutenant General John B. Hood's corps was placed in a defensive line around and near New Hope Church.

At 6:00 am on May 25th, General Hooker's corps began crossing a creek near a burning bridge at Owen's Mill. Immediately they encountered enemy resistance. Confederate observers atop nearby Elsberry Mountain reported clouds of dust approaching from the north and General Hood's pickets captured several Federal soldiers. Yet General Sherman refused to believe a large Confederate force could have moved so quickly to block his path and ordered Hooker's corps forward. At approximately 4:00 pm Hooker deployed his three divisions for battle, a total of approximately 16,000 men. To oppose Hooker's 20th Corps was General Stewart's Confederate division, positioned in the center of Hood's corps. Stewart deployed three brigades covering this crossroads, with Brigadier Generals Marcellus A. Stovalls Georgians on the left, Henry D. Clayton's Alabamians in the center and Alpheus Baker's Alabamians on the right. Two additional brigades were held in reserve and three artillery batteries were massed along the line. Stewart had about 4,000 total muskets and 16 cannon.

The Federals advanced against the Confederate line one brigade at a time. Thus each brigade bore the brunt of massed enemy fire along a narrow front. Union Brigadier General Alpheus S. Williams's division lost over 800 men in only a few minutes. The 20th Corps other two divisions also suffered heavily. Near the height of the battle commanding Confederate General Johnston sent word to General Stewart asking if he needed reinforcements. Stewart replied, “My own troops will hold the position.”

The fiercest fighting during the Battle of New Hope Church occurred near the church's cemetery. This was the first of three major battles to occur in close proximity to one another over a four-day period, including at Pickett's Mill on May 27th and at Dallas on May 28th.