New Hope Church
As May of 1864 was closing, Union General William T. Sherman approached Marietta, George on his campaign to capture Atlanta. Deciding of flank Confederate defenses around Marietta he need to his right and entered the dense forests of central Georgia during its rainy season. Confederate Joseph E. Johnson, anticipating Sherman’s move met him in battle in what was called The Hell Hole which included three major battles and skirmishing that tied those battles into one nasty part of the Atlanta Campaign.
The first battle took place in front of a Methodist Meeting House and its cemetery called New Hope Church. The Confederates massed artillery at the church to stymie the Federal advance. It did. The Confederate infantry of Gen. A.P Steward where placed at New Hope Church to support the Confederate artillery. They dug in but the Georgia brigade of Marcellus Stovall who were placed in the church’s cemetery used the head stones as protection. The battle commenced in the late afternoon of May 25,1864 and ended in a heavy rainstorm that evening. It was a Confederate victory. After that, Sherman tried to flank the Confederates at Pickett’s Mill and failed. The Confederates made an assault on the opposite Federal flank at Dallas which was not successful.
My painting shows Stovall’s Georgians defending the batteries massed at New Hope Church as the sky darken with thunder clouds. Behind them is Gen. A.P. Steward on horseback being asked if he needed reinforcements. His response was “My own troops will hold the position.” They did!
Signed and numbered edition of 50. Giclee prints on canvas
Size: 24 x 30″
Price: $250
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