The Battle of Griswoldville: An Infantry Battle on Sherman's March to the Sea

Love him or hate him, the actions of William Tecumseh Sherman in Georgia in 1864 transformed the Civil War in the space of seven months. From a conflict which was still very much in doubt as to its victor in early 1864, by the time Sherman had captured Atlanta, marched to the Sea, and captured Savannah, the will to fight had largely left the South, and the outcome of the War had become a foregone conclusion. This book tells the story of what is sometimes described as the only infantry battle on Sherman's March – the Battle of Griswoldville. It is the tale of an inexperienced Georgia Militia general ordering an attack across an open, boggy field against an entrenched brigade of Sherman's troops. It is the tale of the bravery of the young boys and old men on that charge, some who had been pressed into emergency service just before the battle. It is the tale of the horror of the Union troops when they examined the dead and wounded, and discovered that many were 15 or younger, and what today we would describe as “senior citizens”. It is the tale of a small manufacturing city that was fought over for three days, changing hands several times.