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In mid-June, Sherman's army approached Marietta, northwest of Atlanta. Johnston established a strong defensive line centered on Kennesaw Mountain. The Confederate positions, utilizing the mountainous terrain and trenches, were difficult for the Union forces to attack head-on. Sherman attempted to flank again, but when the Confederate defenses held stronger than expected, he ultimately decided on a frontal assault. On June 27, 1864, after a massive artillery bombardment, the Union army attacked the Confederate positions on Kennesaw Mountain. While Union troops captured some outlying Confederate trenches in certain areas, they could not break through the deeply entrenched Confederate lines. The battle effectively ended around noon, with the Union army suffering significant casualties. Although Sherman's attack on Kennesaw Mountain was a tactical failure, he chose to maneuver again rather than continue the assault. Eventually, the Confederate line was threatened from the flank, and Johnston withdrew from the Marietta area in early July. Sherman's strategy was to approach Atlanta by continuously forcing the Confederates to retreat, rather than seeking a single decisive victory.

The Confederate commander who blocked Sherman's advance was General Joseph E. Johnston. Since Johnston had to defend Atlanta with fewer troops than the Union army, he built a defensive line using favorable terrain rather than confronting them head-on over a wide area. In early May, the Union army first clashed with the Confederates at Rocky Face Ridge in Georgia. Instead of a frontal assault, Sherman bypassed part of his forces through Snake Creek Gap, threatening the Confederate rear and railroad. To avoid the risk of being surrounded, Johnston sequentially retreated towards Dalton and Resaca. A battle took place at Resaca on May 14-15, but Johnston retreated south again. Subsequently, the Confederates established strong defensive lines at New Hope Church and Dallas. Sherman repeatedly held the Confederate front while moving his forces in other directions to threaten their flanks and supply lines. In this manner, Sherman continuously pushed Johnston towards Atlanta through maneuver and envelopment rather than large-scale frontal battles.

In early 1864, the American Civil War entered its fourth year. The Union Army had secured Vicksburg and Chattanooga on the Western front, laying the groundwork to penetrate the Confederacy's core regions. The Union victory at the Battle of Chattanooga in November 1863 was particularly significant, placing a crucial transportation hub in Tennessee under Union control. Using this as a base, General William T. Sherman prepared a large-scale offensive towards Atlanta, Georgia. At the time, Atlanta was a vital transportation and logistics center for the South, with railways connecting in multiple directions, and it was a key city supporting the Confederacy's war-making capabilities. Sherman's objective was to defeat the Confederate Army of Tennessee and advance into Atlanta. The Union mobilized three armies: the Army of the Cumberland under Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas, the Army of the Tennessee under Maj. Gen. James B. McPherson, and the Army of the Ohio under Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield. With approximately 100,000 troops departing Chattanooga on May 7, 1864, the Atlanta Campaign began. Following the First and Second Battles of Bull Run, this series covers the March to Atlanta, which made the name Sherman known across the nation!

The Second Battle of Bull Run took place from August 28-30, 1862, ending in a Confederate victory. According to the National Park Service, Union casualties were around 13,826, while Confederate casualties were approximately 8,353, bringing the total losses to over 22,000. Following the battle, Pope's Army of Virginia retreated to the defenses of Washington, and Lincoln removed Pope from command. His forces were absorbed into McClellan's Army of the Potomac. Meanwhile, Lee, emboldened by his victory at the Second Bull Run, crossed the Potomac River and advanced into Maryland. This marked the Confederacy's first major invasion of the North and led to the Battle of Antietam in September 1862. If the First Battle of Bull Run made the Union realize the war would be long, the Second Battle of Bull Run allowed Lee and the Confederacy to regain the initiative in the Virginia theater and expand the war into Northern territory.

On August 30th, Pope launched another attack. He believed Jackson's forces were weakened and aimed to break the Confederate lines. However, Longstreet's large contingent, which had arrived the previous day, was already positioned to Jackson's right. The moment the Union forces attacked Jackson, Confederate artillery concentrated its fire, followed by Longstreet's troops launching a massive counterattack against the Union's left flank. With approximately 28,000 of Longstreet's men attacking simultaneously, the Union front rapidly collapsed. The Confederates pushed the Union forces towards Bull Run, and the Union army began to retreat, much like in the First Battle of Bull Run. This time, however, the Union rear guard maintained order, slowing the Confederate pursuit. The Union forces withdrew towards Centreville without completely collapsing, and the Confederates seized the battlefield. The Second Battle of Bull Run resulted in significantly higher casualties than the first, securing a crucial victory for Lee on the Virginia front.

On August 29th, Pope launched a series of attacks to break through Jackson's defenses. Jackson's troops used the unfinished railroad embankment as their defensive line, and the Union army repeatedly assaulted it. While the Union army had opportunities to breach the Confederate lines in some sectors, the Confederates quickly moved reinforcements to prevent breakthroughs. Jackson's unit also suffered heavy casualties but held the line. Meanwhile, Longstreet's main Confederate force began arriving on the battlefield. Lee positioned Longstreet's troops to the right of Jackson, preparing to flank the Union army. Pope, unaware of the scale of the Confederate reinforcements, continued his attacks. The fighting was intense throughout August 29th, but the Union army failed to achieve a decisive breakthrough. Instead, the Confederates succeeded in concentrating a large force on the battlefield while Jackson held the line. The next day, the battle entered a new phase.

Upon learning that Pope's army was attempting to encircle him, Jackson moved north from the Manassas area and took up a position near the site of the First Battle of Bull Run. He established a defensive line along an unfinished railroad embankment. Pope, believing Jackson was cut off from retreat, concentrated his forces. On August 28th, Union troops moving along the Warrenton Turnpike clashed with Jackson's forces at the Brauner farm. A short but fierce engagement ensued, but neither side achieved a decisive victory. This battle convinced Pope that Jackson was trapped within his lines, and he prepared for a major assault the following day. However, the reality was different from Pope's expectations. Lee was already moving a large force under Longstreet to reinforce Jackson. While the Union army attacked Jackson's corps, the Confederacy was concentrating its reinforcements on the battlefield. The key to the battle's outcome hinged on how long Jackson could withstand the Union assault.

A year after the First Battle of Bull Run, the summer of 1862 saw the situation on the Virginia front drastically changed. The Union Army, centered around the Army of the Potomac led by George McClellan, was pressuring the Confederate capital of Richmond but was held back by Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia in the Peninsula Campaign. The Lincoln administration, while maintaining pressure on Richmond, newly organized the Army of Virginia under John Pope to defend Washington. Pope aimed to create another axis of advance for the Union forces heading to Richmond by pressuring the Confederates in the Shenandoah Valley and northern Virginia. Lee, to counter Pope's army, moved Thomas J. Jackson's corps northward. Jackson rapidly maneuvered, outflanked Pope's right, and attacked the Union supply lines, destroying the massive supply depot at Manassas Junction by the end of August. Pope, pursuing the Confederates, marched back into the Bull Run area. Following the previous First Battle of Bull Run, we continue with the Second Battle of Bull Run, which opened the best opportunity for the Confederate Army~

The First Battle of Bull Run was the first large-scale land battle of the Civil War and made both sides realize the true nature of the conflict. The Union suffered approximately 2,896 casualties, and the Confederacy around 1,982, making it the largest battle in American history at the time. The Union's defeat forced the Lincoln administration to abandon the idea of a quick victory over the South and prepare for a protracted war. McDowell stepped down from his command, and the Union army began to reorganize and train its troops. In the Confederate army, Jackson distinguished himself with outstanding defensive command, earning the nickname 'Stonewall.' However, the Confederacy could not afford to be overly optimistic about its victory. The war was far from over, and the struggle for Richmond, the Confederate capital, would only intensify. The Union, having lost at Bull Run, organized a new army and would clash with the Confederates again in the same area a year later. That was the Second Battle of Bull Run. We will return with the Second Battle of Bull Run next time~

As afternoon arrived, the Union Army launched a counterattack, beginning to pressure the right flank of the Confederate Army. With reinforcements pouring onto the front lines, the Confederates found it increasingly difficult to sustain their assault. Confederate soldiers attempted an orderly retreat, but as the fighting intensified, their formations began to crumble. On the path back to Washington across the Bull Run River, not only soldiers but also civilians who had come to watch the battle were caught in the chaos. Initially, those who thought the war would end soon found themselves at the battlefield, but as the situation rapidly changed, they were seen fleeing together towards Washington. The Confederate retreat ultimately turned into a rout, and the Union Army seized control of the battlefield. However, the Union Army also suffered heavy casualties from the prolonged fighting and their command structure became so disorganized that they couldn't pursue the Confederates to the end. By July 22nd, the remnants of the Confederate Army had returned to the defenses of Washington. Although the Union Army won the First Battle of Bull Run, it did not lead to a decisive victory that could end the war itself. Like the last sentence says, the Union won, but it was a war that started with too big of a gap.