The Battle of Peachtree Creek

The Battle of Peachtree Creek. July 20, 1864. , The battle of Peachtree Creek was the first of three desperate Confederate attacks on the armies commanded by Maj. General Wm. T. Sherman which were closing in on Atlanta. Although heavy skirmishing occurred between the Federal right and the Confederate left, which extended west to Moore´s Mill Road, and other forces were engaged east of Atlanta, the actual battle was fought along a two - mile front extending from Clear Creek (east of Brookwood Hills) to Howell Mill Road along Collier and Northfleet raods, one of the most costly here along Tanyard Branch at Collier Mill. After 70 days of slow retreat Dalton (88 miles N), forcing the enemy to fight for every mile, Gen. Joseph E. Johnston´s Confederate Army of Tennessee (Hardee´s, Hood´s and Stewart´s corp. and Wheeler´s cavalry corps) crossed the Chattahoochee River at Bolton late on July 9th and retires toward Atlanta. Although Atlanta was encircled by 12 miles of forts and parapets which Sherman termed "unassailable", Johnston was not ready to use them. He watched closely for the time when Sherman´s stronger forces would cross upriver to approach Atlanta beyond mutual support. Now he sensed that Sherman left wing would cross upriver to approach Atlanta from the east while his right wing crossed near Peachtree Creek. While they were miles apart, he planned to attack the exposed right wing.