The Atlanta Campaign, spanning the summer of 1864, was a series of battles in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. Led by Union Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman, the Union forces moved to invade Georgia, initiating from Chattanooga, Tennessee. They faced resistance from the Confederate Army, commanded by General Joseph E. Johnston. As Sherman's troops advanced, Johnston executed a series of withdrawals toward Atlanta, employing defensive tactics. However, in July, Confederate President Jefferson Davis replaced Johnston with the more aggressive General John Bell Hood, leading to several direct confrontations.

After the Union's capture of Chattanooga in 1863, which was termed the "Gateway to the South," Sherman took command of the Western armies. His strategy focused on simultaneous offensives against the Confederacy, with the primary objective being the defeat of Johnston's army and the capture of Atlanta. The campaign was marked by Sherman's flanking maneuvers against Johnston, compelling the latter to fall back repeatedly. By the time Hood took command, the Confederate Army was pressed into making riskier frontal assaults against the Union forces.

The battles raged on with significant confrontations at places like Rocky Face Ridge, Resaca, and Kennesaw Mountain. Despite facing stiff resistance, Sherman's tactics of encirclement and his numerical advantage gradually pushed back the Confederate forces. Hood's decision to defend Atlanta led to intense battles, including the major clashes at Peachtree Creek and Ezra Church. However, Hood's aggressive approach couldn't stop the advancing Union forces and resulted in substantial Confederate casualties.

In late August, Sherman decided to cut Hood's railroad supply lines, believing it would force an evacuation of Atlanta. Through a series of engagements, including battles at Jonesborough and Lovejoy's Station, Sherman was able to exert significant pressure on the Confederate supply routes. On September 1, with his supply lines threatened and the city under imminent danger, Hood ordered the evacuation of Atlanta, which subsequently fell to Sherman's forces the next day.

Sherman's capture of Atlanta was a significant victory for the Union, not only from a strategic standpoint but also for the morale boost it provided. It played a pivotal role in President Abraham Lincoln's re-election later that year. Although Hood's aggressive tactics did manage to inflict substantial damage, the Confederate losses were proportionally much higher. Following the capture, Sherman decided to move further into the heartland of the Confederacy, marking the beginning of his infamous March to the Sea.