Battle of Jonesboro: The Second Day
Jonesboro, Clayton County, Georgia
Marker Inscription
Battle of Jonesboro The Second Day. Sept. 1, 1864. The area bounded by the McPeak house (N.), the Warren house (S.), the R. R. (E.), & U.S. 41 (W.), was the scene of the final pitched battle of the Atlanta Campaign (begun May 7, '64). Hardee's A. C. [CS], posted in a salient angle at the Warren house, was attacked by Carlin's 1st, Morgan's 2d, & Baird's 3d divs. of Davis' 14th A. C. Moving S. E. from the Fayetteville Rd. (at Riverdale), they went into action at 5 P. M.; the battle ended with nightfall & withdrawal of Hardee's forces southward to Lovejoy's Station. Davis' troops were aided on the left by Stanley's 4th Corps which marched down the railroad. 031-24 GEORGIA HISTORICAL COMMISSION 1958
Erected by Georgia Historical Commission
The Story
On September 1, 1864, the final pitched battle of the Atlanta Campaign was fought around Jonesboro. Hardee's Confederate corps, posted in a salient near the Warren house, was assaulted late in the day by three divisions of Davis's 14th Corps, aided by Stanley's 4th Corps advancing down the railroad. With nightfall Hardee withdrew south to Lovejoy's Station.
Why it matters
The Union victory here cut Atlanta's last rail lifeline, compelling the Confederates to abandon the city and clearing the way for Sherman's march and Lincoln's reelection.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- Art-Haus13.7 mi away · 332 Ormond Street Southeast, Atlanta, GA
Attractions
- Boeing 747-400 Ship 63019.2 mi away
- McDonnell Douglas DC-9 Ship 98809.3 mi away
- The Walking Dead - Kingdom filming location13.1 mi away
- Zoo Atlanta13.8 mi away
- The Walking Dead - Terminus filming location13.9 mi away
- The Wren's Nest14.6 mi away · 1050 Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard, Atlanta, GA
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Related people
- · William J. Hardee
- · Jefferson C. Davis
- · David S. Stanley
Related events
- · Battle of Jonesboro
- · Atlanta Campaign
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Attack by Lee's Corps
Jonesboro, GA
When Gen. John Bell Hood tried to protect Atlanta's last open railroad, the fighting at Jonesboro on August 31 and September 1, 1864, decided the city's fate. On August 31, the corps of Hardee and S.D. Lee attacked the entrenched Federal 15th Corps between the town and the Flint River. Lee's three divisions struck the Union line at the river but, lacking support on their left, were driven back.
Battle of Jonesboro: The First Day
Clayton County, GA
On August 31, 1864, the opening day of the Battle of Jonesboro, Gen. O.O. Howard's Army of the Tennessee entrenched along the Flint River after marching up from Fairburn. Confederate corps under S.D. Lee and Hardee attacked the Union lines but could not break them, leaving the contest drawn and unresolved until the following day.
Battlefield Landmark
Clayton County, GA
The deep gully south of this marker — the bed of a small stream running to the Flint River — was one of the few natural landmarks of the fighting here on August 31, 1864. Along and north of it, Union divisions of the 15th and 16th Corps formed a refused line bent back to the river. When Hardee's Confederate divisions attacked from south of the gully, the ravine became a fatal obstacle, breaking up their assault against the entrenched Federal infantry and artillery near Jonesboro.
Bethsaida Baptist Church and Cemetery
Fulton County, GA
Bethsaida Baptist Church was formed in 1829 and served for decades under Pastor John S. Dodd, who led it for 50 years. In 1864 Union forces occupied the original wooden church as a headquarters, reportedly using its pews as horse troughs. The sanctuary later burned, the congregation merged with another to form United Baptist Church, and the Bethsaida site eventually closed, leaving behind a cemetery with graves dating to the 1800s.