The one Confederate city Sherman’s men couldn’t crack in 1864

Stoneman and Kilpatrick’s Failed Assaults on Macon

Twice in 1864, Union troops tried to take Macon, Georgia, a key Confederate hub. First came General Stoneman in July with 2,000 men and two guns.

His attack on Dunlap Hill sent cannonballs into town, one hitting Judge Holt’s home. The shot passed through a column and landed in the hallway.

Despite facing mostly militia and old men, Stoneman failed and got captured the next day. Then in November, General Kilpatrick tried again during Sherman’s March to the Sea.

He briefly took some Confederate guns but soon pulled back.

The Cadwalader Raines House stood through it all, its Greek Revival style and spiral staircase now silent witnesses to Macon’s successful defense.

Sherman Needed a Way to Force Atlanta’s Surrender

Sherman had a problem in Atlanta. The city had defenses too strong to attack directly and too big to fully surround.

He needed another plan to make the Confederates leave. The Central of Georgia Railroad brought food, weapons, and supplies to Atlanta.

Macon wasn’t just a train hub – it made weapons, held 2,300 Union officers in prison, and kept the Confederate army stocked. Sherman decided to send cavalry to wreck the railroad instead of attacking Atlanta head-on.

Stoneman Got the Call for a Daring Raid

Major General George Stoneman headed south with three cavalry brigades – 2,112 men and two cannons. His main job was to tear up enough railroad track to cut off Atlanta’s supplies.

He also planned to grab Confederate gold, blow up an armory, and free Union prisoners at Camp Oglethorpe. Stoneman even hoped to push further south to free thousands more prisoners at the Andersonville prison camp.

His men would travel deep behind enemy lines.

The Union Cavalry Blazed a Trail of Destruction

On July 27, 1864, Stoneman’s cavalry left Decatur and rode south. They crossed the Ocmulgee River near Covington and moved down the east bank toward Macon.

Stoneman sent the 14th Illinois Cavalry to wreck railway buildings at Gordon, McIntyre, and Toomsboro. His men burned trains, supplies, bridges, and the key Oconee River crossing.

By July 30, the Union forces reached Macon, coming in on the Clinton Road toward the eastern part of the city.

Macon Pulled Together an Unlikely Defense Force

General Howell Cobb gathered a mix of soldiers to protect Macon.

He had 1,000 state militia troops, 600 soldiers from Tennessee, and a home guard of old men, teenage boys, and wounded soldiers from local hospitals.

Georgia Governor Joe Brown joined the fight himself, showing how serious things were. Cobb placed cannons at Fort Hawkins, which sat on high ground overlooking the roads into the city.

Cannons Roared at Dunlap Hill

The Battle of Dunlap Hill started on July 30, 1864, when Stoneman set up his cannons on the ridge at the Dunlap farm. Georgia militia dug in with strong defenses that blocked the Union advance.

Both sides fired artillery at each other – Union guns against Confederate batteries at Fort Hawkins. Stoneman soon realized he couldn’t take Macon by direct attack.

His troops briefly captured a Confederate position on Dunlap’s Hill but couldn’t hold it against the stubborn defenders.

A Cannonball Crashed Through a Macon Home

Angry about failing to break through, Stoneman ordered his artillery to fire on Macon’s neighborhoods. One cannonball hit Judge Asa Holt’s house, now known as the Cannonball House.

The shell smashed through a column, damaged a second column, flew into the parlor, and landed unexploded in the hallway. Confederate reports claimed Union forces aimed at areas where civilians lived.

The artillery fire scared women and children trapped in the city during the battle.

The Highest-Ranking Union Officer Got Captured

Stoneman learned that Confederate cavalry was coming up behind him, so he pulled back toward Monticello. The next day, Brigadier General Alfred Iverson caught up with him at Sunshine Church.

Though Iverson had only 1,300 men, he tricked Stoneman into thinking he faced a much larger force. Stoneman stayed behind to cover the escape of Adams’ and Capron’s brigades.

He gave up with 600 men on July 31, becoming the highest-ranking Union officer captured during the entire Civil War.

Kilpatrick Came Back to Finish the Job

On November 20, 1864, during Sherman’s March to the Sea, Brigadier General Judson Kilpatrick brought his cavalry to Macon.

His job wasn’t to capture the city but to keep Confederate troops busy so they couldn’t attack Sherman’s main army. The Battle of Walnut Creek happened on the same Dunlap Hill where Stoneman had fought months earlier.

Kilpatrick’s men briefly captured Confederate cannons on the ridge before General Howell Cobb fought back with Reserve Artillery from the Army of Tennessee.

Nine Confederate Guns Pounded the Union Positions

The artillery battle turned fierce as nine Confederate cannons, some firing from Fort Hawkins, hammered the Federal positions. Cobb couldn’t move all his available artillery because he didn’t have enough horses.

The bombardment sounded worse than it was – only one Confederate died and two got wounded, while nine Union soldiers were hurt. Confederate backup rushed to the front during the fighting around Dunlap Hill.

Kilpatrick also attacked the Central of Georgia railroad bridge over Walnut Creek.

The Battles Kept Confederate Troops Busy

While the fighting raged around Macon, Union cavalry units tore up miles of railroad without anyone stopping them.

The 5th, 9th, 10th Ohio and 9th Pennsylvania cavalry regiments worked freely because all nearby Confederate soldiers were defending Macon.

Sherman’s main army bypassed both Macon and Augusta, capturing the state capital at Milledgeville instead.

Local Confederate forces fought hard but were saved only because Sherman chose not to attack major cities directly. Both Union attacks on Macon achieved their real goals despite being pushed back.

Macon Held Out Until the War Was Almost Over

Confederate troops counterattacked and took back the guns on Dunlap Hill, forcing Kilpatrick to withdraw. General Joseph “Fighting Joe” Wheeler’s cavalry chased the retreating Union forces.

Macon successfully fought off both major Union attacks in 1864, protecting the Cadwalader Raines House and other historic buildings. The city finally surrendered to Federal forces on April 20, 1865.

This came nine days after General Robert E. Lee had already surrendered at Appomattox, making Macon one of the last Confederate strongholds to give up.

Visiting Cadwalader Raines House (was "Carmichael House"), Georgia

The Cadwalader Raines House at 1183 Georgia Avenue is a National Historic Landmark from 1973 that you can view from the street corner at Georgia Avenue and College Street.

The house isn’t open for tours inside, but you can see where Union cavalry tried to capture Macon in 1864. Head to nearby Ocmulgee National Monument to see Civil War earthworks from the Dunlap Hill battles.

Their visitor center opens 9 AM to 5 PM with exhibits and trail access.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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