In 1864, Union General William T.
Sherman launched a bold plan in an
attempt to deliver a fatal blow to the hard
fighting Confederate States of America.
The now famous "march to the sea" had
scorched through Atlanta after three months
of struggle and by October of that year was
poised for its final thrust deeper into Dixie.
Meanwhile, far behind the front lines, a
little known battle was taking place in the
North Alabama city of Decatur that would
play a pivotal role in deciding the ultimate
success of Sherman's campaign and the life of the Confederacy.
On Aug. 31, 1998 the City of Decatur unveiled 11 historic
markers along its new Civil War Walking Tour that traces the 1864
clash between Union and Confederate forces at this key
transportation point. The 13 block stroll is a free self-guided tour
through the Old Decatur Historic District. Similar to markers at
national parks, the plaques on the Decatur tour carry the reader
through important events of the four day battle and in the overall
history of the community.
During the Civil War, Decatur was a strategic location for the
South because here the Memphis and Charleston railroad
crossed the Tennessee River. While Sherman's juggernaut was
driving deep into Georgia in 1864 its lifeline ran back to Nashville,
Tenn., where a Union depot supplied all of the ammunition, food,
reinforcements and medical supplies for his army.
Confederate General John Bell Hood, known as a hard
fighter because of the devastating attacks he delivered, had held
Sherman's troops out of the gates of Atlanta for three months
before being forced back in September. Hood now felt a strike at
Sherman's supply lines would force the federals into retreat.
In a bold plan, the gallant Southern commander believed a
quick victory at Nashville could reverse the course of the war for
the Confederacy. But to get to the Union depot in the Tennessee
capital, Hood would have to cross the Tennessee River. Decatur,
Ala., would be the attempted point of that crossing for north of the
city was a railroad and the relatively well-maintained National
Road (now U.S. Hwy. 31) that would provide a speedy advance.
Large 36-by-24 inch markers tell of Decatur’s involvement in
this campaign and how Confederate General Hood, wrapped in a
fierce four day battle involving mounted troops, gunboats and
scores of infantrymen, said Decatur was “a hard nut to crack.”
Eventually, Hood was forced to abandon his attempt to forge
the shallow waters at Decatur, and instead, moved 45 miles
westward to cross the river at Florence, Ala. However, because
the river was overflowing at Florence, Hood and his men had to
wait three weeks for the water to subside before crossing and
marching toward Nashville.
The fateful delay allowed slow moving Union troops to occupy
blocking positions in the Franklin area south of Nashville and
thus, stop Hood's attempts to destroy Sherman's supply base.





