Sign up for our quarterly email series highlighting the environmental benefits of battlefield preservation. The Battle of Ezra Church was a military engagement between Union forces commanded by Major General Oliver O. Howard and Confederate forces commanded by General John B. You can access the specifics of each battle by clicking on the individual areas. Stay up-to-date on the Trust's battlefield preservation efforts, travel tips, upcoming events, history content and more. Lee’s Corps and A. P. Stewart’s Corps to move out the Lickskillet Road in an effort to check the Federal advance and try to roll up their right flank. On July 28, Hood attempted to strike the Union right flank west of Atlanta. Sensing impending battle, Howard's 15th Corps halted near Ezra Church, a Methodist chapel. MENU SlaveryTalk ★ SecessionTalk ★ CivilWarTalk ★ ReconstructionTalk ★ Monument Discussions. Howard hurried assistance to Logan's threatened line. Fought on July 28, 1864, the Battle of Ezra Church was a dramatic engagement during the Civil War's Atlanta Campaign. A sketch of the Battle of Ezra Church, July 28, 1864. The American Battlefield Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Tag Archives: Battle of Ezra Church. Logan's men piled up rails and logs as impromptu breastworks. Howard's Army of the Tennessee, although failing to reach the railroad, closed the battle with fewer than 650 men lost. Battle Summary: Ezra Church, GA. Ezra Church. Sherman's army stretched in an inverted U around the northern defenses of Atlanta. Walthall ordered no more charges. Battle of Ezra Church Jovaniqiue renteria - Battle of Ezra Chapel and The battle of the Poor House - July 28, 1864 - Major General William T. Sherman-Union Army of the Tennessee - Lieutenant General John B. Hood-Major General Oliver O. Howard. Gone was the hope of Lee's corps taking a defensive position at Ezra Church while Stewart set up for a flank attack. The battle of Ezra Church Earl Hess has written the only detailed history of the Civil War battle of Ezra Church that I know of. Posted on July 29, 2017 by Dave Powell. The Battle of Ezra Church was one of the deadliest engagements in the Atlanta Campaign of the Civil War, and continues to be one of the least understood. Sherman's movements were determined by the plan to cut off the railroad supply lines from Macon, Georgia, into Atlanta, thus forcing the defending army to withdraw without a direct assault. Clayton had had enough. Please note that the locations and events listed on our itineraries do not reflect any potential closures due to COVID-19. After a brief, bloody fight, Hood withdrew and planned his next move. Sherman believed that Hood was evacuating the city, and sent McPherson to the southeast towards Decatur. In all, about 3,642 men were casualties; 3,000 on the Confederate side and 642 on the Union side. General Oliver Howard took over the Army of the Tennessee after McPherson was slain in battle. Confederate casualties will never be confirmed, but a reasonable estimate would be more than 2,800 men, possible reaching 3,000.Â. To Lt. Gen. Stephen D. Lee, his youngest (30 years old) and newest corps commander, he issued these orders: march west out of the city along Lick Skillet Road, and take position near Ezra Church three miles from town. Gen. A.P. Battle of Ezra Church - Aftermath: In the fighting at Ezra Church, Howard lost 562 killed and wounded while Lee suffered around 3,000. Hood sent Hardee's corps to meet McPherson and attack on July 22. The Battle of Ezra Church, also known as the Battle of Ezra Chapel and the Battle of the Poor House was fought on July 28, 1864, in Fulton County, Georgia, during the American Civil War. Part of the Atlanta Campaign, the battle featured Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman's Union Army of the Tennessee against the Army of Tennessee, commanded by Lt. Gen. John B. Though a tactical defeat for the Confederates, the battle prevented Howard from reaching the railroad. The Yankees were already there. In most places the Federals were entrenched. The Battle of Ezra Church was one of the deadliest engagements in the Atlanta Campaign of the Civil War and continues to be one of the least understood. Date: July 28, 1864 Location of Battle: Fulton County, Georgia Union Casualties: 700 Confederate Casualties: 4,642 Result: Union Victory After the Battle of Atlanta, with the Georgia Railroad cut, Gen. William T. Sherman turned his attention to the Macon & Western Railroad, running southwest out of the city. Both official and unofficial reports failed to illuminate the true bloodshed of the conflict: one of every three engaged Confederates was killed or wounded, including four generals. Gens. The third battle within nine days as General Sherman closed in on Atlanta (American Civil War).The previous two battles (Peachtree Creek and Atlanta) had been launched by the Confederate General Hood in an attempt to take advantage of perceived weaknesses in Sherman’s deployment.In contrast, the fighting at Ezra Church was triggered by an attempt by Sherman to cut the last railroad into Atlanta. ", Ten minutes after Brown had begun, Clayton's division arrived, which Lee promptly ordered to advance. John C. Brown and Henry Clayton marching west out of Atlanta's works around 10:00 a.m. on the 28th. Lee did not know that, however, as he sent two of his divisions under Brig. The Illinoisan also ordered plenty of ammunition brought forward, a hundred rounds per man. In response, Hood again went on the offensive, ordering an attack on a Federal line surrounding Ezra Church -- near where Martin Luther King Drive intersects I … Photo by Janet Greentree. - Join today! The Northerners, fighting on the defensive, suffered fewer casualties at Ezra Church. The Battle of Ezra Church was over. Tag Archives: Battle of Ezra Church. At 4:15 a.m., with Howard's march just a few hours in progress, Confederate commander Lt. Gen. John B. The bluecoats heard the fire to their right (the attack of Brown's division) and stood ready in their makeshift works of rails and trenches. The American Battlefield Trust and our members have saved more than 53,000 acres in 24 states! Hood planned to intercept them and catch them completely by surprise. The young Lee exercised field officer’s discretion and determined to attack the enemy straightaway.Â, Lee formed Brown's division and sent it in around noon. Exploring a pivotal but often overlooked battle in the Civil War, The Battle of Ezra Church is the first book-length examination of the battle of Ezra Church. The First American President: Setting the Precedent, Help Save 110 Acres at Three Civil War Battlefields, Preserve 108 Acres of the Most Important Unprotected Battlefield Land, Kentuckians: Support Battlefield Preservation Legislation, Virginians: Support Battlefield Preservation Legislation. Gary Ecelbarger “Slaughter at the Chapel; The Battle of Ezra Church” click the link to listen or right-click to download Lee distinguished himself early in the war as an artillery commander in the Army of Northern Virginia. Lee’s Corps and A. P. Stewart’s Corps to move out the Lickskillet Road in an effort to check the … The Federals were getting ready for a fight.Â, Hood planned to give it to them. [3], The Battle of Ezra Church was part of a series of battles in the Atlanta campaign, the main goal of which was to destroy the capabilities of the city of Atlanta, an important manufacturing, supply, and medical center for the south during the war. Confederate: 3,000. Federal Identification Number (EIN): 54-1426643. This threw off Hood's whole plan. The armies met on the afternoon of July 28 at a chapel called Ezra Church. The battle demonstrated Hood's main deficiency as a battlefield commander: his willingness to attack without adequate reconnaissance. Casualties. On July 28, 1864, the Union Army of the Tennessee reached a point west of Atlanta from where they could threaten the Macon Railroad, which entered Atlanta from the southwest. Inscription. Another notable participant was Ernst R. Torgler, a 24-year-old sergeant in the 37th Ohio Infantry, who was later awarded the Medal of Honor for his action during the battle. On the 28th, soldiers dug in and brought up artillery all along Howard's line. Donations to the Trust are tax deductible to the full extent allowable under the law. Confederate casualties will never be confirmed, but a reasonable estimate would be more than 2,800 men, possible reaching 3,000. Hood, which was defending the Confederate stronghold of Atlanta, Georgia. Fought on July 28, 1864, the Battle of Ezra Church was a dramatic engagement during the Civil War's Atlanta campaign. July 28, 1864. ", Unmolested, Howard’s men filled in on Thomas’ right and extended the Union line toward the railroad during the day. The 17th Corps soon arrived to extend the line. Hood during the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War. The Battle of Ezra Church July 28: Having cut the railroad to the east, Sherman next moved to sever the lines running west and south of Atlanta. [5], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}33°45′10″N 84°26′21″W / 33.75278°N 84.43917°W / 33.75278; -84.43917, Values given for Union forces are: 13,266 engaged in, United States Army Center of Military History, "Civil War Medal of Honor Recipients - (M-Z)", Georgia Constitutional Convention of 1861, List of Union Civil War monuments and memorials, List of memorials to the Grand Army of the Republic, Confederate artworks in the United States Capitol, List of Confederate monuments and memorials, Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials. Hood foresaw such a maneuver and determined to send the two corps of Lt. Gen. Stephen D. Lee and Lt. Gen. Alexander P. Stewart to intercept and destroy the Union force. 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