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MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA May 14-21, 2014 |
Following the capture of Chattanooga in November 1863, General U.S. Grant assigned General William T. Sherman the mission of capturing Atlanta. Grant and Sherman believed that if Union troops were to carry the war to the Southern home front and blaze a wide path of destruction they would effectively end the Confederacy's will and ability to fight. A deadly eight-month dance of maneuvers and clashes, thrusts and counterthrusts, and sieges and battles, would carry Sherman through Atlanta, deep into Georgia, to Savannah, his “Christmas gift” to President Lincoln. ITINERARY
May 14, Wednesday Individual arrivals in Marietta, GA. Meet staff and fellow travelers at tonight’s welcome dinner. O/N Doubletree, Marietta, GA (R,D) May 15, Thursday From May 7 to June 19, 1864, Union troops pushed their way from Dalton, GA to Kennesaw Mountain in a series of flanking maneuvers and minor battles with General Joseph Johnston’s Army of the Tennessee. Interpretive stops will include The Battles of Rocky Face Ridge (May 7-13), Resaca (May 13-15) and Adairsville (May 17). O/N Doubletree, Marietta, GA (B,L) May 16, Friday Today we will see where the armies met at New Hope Church on May 25 and again at Pickett’s Mill on May 27, forcing Johnston to fall back to Kennesaw Mountain. On June 27, Sherman attempted a two-pronged frontal assault on Kennesaw Mountain. Though both Union assaults were bloody failures, Johnston retreated to the Chattahoochee River. O/N Doubletree, Marietta, GA (B,L) May 17, Saturday When the Union successfully crossed the Chattahoochee, Johnston felt he had no choice but to fall back. On July 10, Johnston destroyed all bridges over the Cattahoochee and withdrew to the gates of Atlanta. One week later, President Davis relieved Johnston of command and placed General John Bell Hood in charge. Interpretive stops will include the Battle of Peachtree Creek (July 20), the Battle of Atlanta (July 22) and the famous Battle of Atlanta Cyclorama. Painted in 1885-86, it’s 15,000 sq. foot canvas weighs over 10,000 lbs. and is one of the world’s largest oil paintings. O/N Doubletree, Marietta, GA (B,L) May 18, Sunday After laying siege to Atlanta for five weeks, Sherman’s army successfully severed Hood’s supply lines. General Hood evacuated Atlanta, and on September 2, the city surrendered. Today we will learn about the surrender and then begin to trace Sherman’s March to the Sea that began on November 15, 1864. O/N Hampton Inn, Milledgeville (B,L,D) May 19, Monday Sherman's armies reached the outskirts of Savannah on December 10, took Fort McAlister and laid siege to the city. On December 21, Savannah surrendered, in exchange for a promise to protect the city's citizens and their property. On December 22, Sherman telegraphed Lincoln “I beg to present to you as a Christmas gift the city of Savannah.” O/N The Marshall House, Savannah (B,L) May 20, Tuesday We will take a walking tour of Savannah’s historic district that will include a visit to the Green-Meldrim House, Sherman’s headquarters. We will also tour three of Savannah’s historic forts --Fort McAllister, Fort Pulaski, and Old Fort Jackson. We will celebrate our civil war adventure at tonight’s farewell dinner at the famous Olde Pink House. O/N The Marshall House, Savannah (B,L,D) May 21, Wednesday Individual departures from Savannah; or return to Atlanta on our coach. (B) Note: The coach will depart Savannah at approximately 8 am. The drive from Savannah to Atlanta’s airport is approximately 4 hours (including a rest stop), so we will arrive at the Atlanta Airport at approximately 12:00 noon. Please schedule your flight to depart Atlanta after 2:00 pm May 21. If you plan to drive, you may leave your car at our hotel in Marietta. After stopping at the airport, the bus will make a second drop at our hotel in Marietta. NOTE REGARDING AIRLINE RESERVATIONS: This tour begins in Atlanta and ends in Savannah. When making your reservations do not attempt to book two, one-way tickets. Select "multi-city" or multi-destination" on your airline's website. You may wish to check out a flight search website such as Hipmunk to compare schedules and fares. Please call us if you have any questions at all; we are happy to help. EXPERT GUIDE: Edwin C. Bearss is scheduled to lead this tour. Chief Historian Emeritus of the National Park Service, Edwin C. Bearss is an author, lecturer and America's foremost battlefield guide. Ed has led this tour on numerous occasions over the years. Ed's encyclopedic knowledge and unflagging energy is legendary; Ed brings history alive like no other. MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA PROGRAM INCLUDES (8 days/7 nights):
*PRICES based on a minimum of 20 participants
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