BATTLE OF ALLATOONA PASS

Battle of Allatoona Pass

In the aftermath of the fall of Atlanta during the Civil War, Confederate forces tried to strike back not by retaking the city, but by severing the Union army’s lifelines. On October 5th, 1864, Confederate Major General Samuel French attacked the Union garrison at Allatoona Pass in northern Georgia, where a fortified position guarded the Western and Atlantic Railroad that supplied General William T. Sherman’s army. Outnumbered Union soldiers under Brigadier General John Corse held a chain of earthworks and redoubts overlooking the cut through the hills. Before the fight, Sherman signaled his famous message that he was moving to support them and for them to “hold the fort,” words that later inspired a popular hymn. Despite fierce assaults and heavy casualties on both sides, the Union defenders refused to yield the position. The successful defense kept the vital rail line intact, helping Sherman sustain his army and paving the way for his later march across Georgia to the sea.