Battle of New Hope Church
A Costly Failure
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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.
Erected by Georgia
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Religion & Religious Structures • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Georgia Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical date for this entry is May 25, 1864.
Location. 33° 57.395′ N, 84° 47.42′ W. Marker is near Dallas, Georgia, in Paulding County. It can be reached from Bobo Road south of Dallas Acworth Highway (Georgia Route 381), on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 31 Bobo Road, Dallas GA 30157, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Georgia’s Piedmont and in Metro Atlanta. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A different marker also named Battle of New Hope Church (here, next to this marker); New Hope Church Phase of Atlanta Campaign (here, next to this marker); Atlanta Campaign (here, next to this marker); Polks March to Lost Mountain (a few steps from this marker); The March of Hardees Corps, May 23-25, 1864 (a few steps from this marker); Dedicated to the Confederate Soldiers (a few steps from this marker); Battle of New Hope Church Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); New Hope Battlefield (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dallas.
Also see . . . Wikipedia article on the Battle of New Hope Church. (Submitted on November 24, 2019, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
Credits. This page was last revised on November 24, 2019. It was originally submitted on November 24, 2019, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 2,025 times since then and 95 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on November 24, 2019, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
