Symposium Spotlight: Steve Davis and Hood’s Grand Assault at Atlanta-July 22, 1864

Steve Davis is one of the most recent additions to the Emerging Civil War stable of authors. Steve was introduced to ECW by publisher Ted Savas, as the Emerging Civil War Series looked to expand its reaches farther into the Western Theater.  He is currently putting the finishing touches on two books for the series, which cover the battles for Atlanta.

A Civil War buff since the 4th grade, Davis, attended Emory University and studied under the renowned Civil War historian Bell Wiley.

As the Confederate Army of Tennessee fell-back closer and closer to the vital city of Atlanta, Georgia, President Jefferson Davis sought a commander that would stop retreating, and stand toe-to-toe with William T. Sherman. On July 17, 1864 Joe Johnston was relieved of command and John Bell Hood was chosen as his replacement. Five days later, Hood launched his first offensive as an army commander.

Steve’s talk is entitled, “Hood’s Grand Assault at Atlanta, July 22, 1864.” 

According to Davis:

“The closest the Confederate Army of Tennessee came to duplicating Stonewall Jackson’s great attack at Chancellorsville was on July 22, 1864, east of Atlanta. Hood caught James B. McPherson’s left flank in the air, and sent Lt. Gen. William Hardee’s infantry corps to roll it up. There the similarity ends, though, as we contract Hood’s and Jackson’s assaults.”

Steve is one of the leading experts on the campaign, and is the author of an in-depth book, Atlanta Will Fall: Sherman, Joe Johnston and the Heavy Yankee Battalions (2001). His book What the Yankees Did to Us: Sherman’s Bombardment and Wrecking of Atlanta was published by Mercer University Press in 2012.

We hope that you will join us August 5-7, 2016 at the Third Annual Emerging Civil War Symposium at Stevenson Ridge. For more information, or to purchase tickets, click here.