While Grant oversaw what was hopefully the final offensive in Virginia, General William Tecumseh Sherman led three armies (Army of the Tennessee, Army of the Cumberland, and Army of the Ohio) on a drive to the vital railroad and communications hub of Atlanta, Georgia. General Joseph E. Johnston led the Confederate resistance. Sherman tried to outmaneuver Johnston while the Confederate commander attempted defensive battles to compensate for his numerical inferiority. Louis Kurz selected three battles from this campaign for his lithographs.
Battle of Resaca
Resaca was the first major battle of the campaign. General James B. McPherson’s Army of the Tennessee had an opportunity to get around the left of the Confederates and into their rear, thus trapping them. He failed to act on it. As a result timely reinforcements under General Leonidas Polk were able to reach Johnston and force the Union into a headlong battle from May 13-15. Johnston ordered a retreat as Sherman again threatened to cut into his rear.
