William T. Sherman’s March to the Sea is one of the most famous (or infamous) events in American history. Only two battles took place during this campaign. One was to capture Fort McAllister at the end and one took place at Griswoldville just outside of Macon.
Sherman was content to let John Bell Hood’s Army of Tennessee march north into Tennessee and away from him. He dispatched George Thomas to deal with the threat and took 60,000 men with him to march into the heart of Georgia and toward the coast. He wanted to take the war to the people and show that the Confederacy was a hollow shell. With Hood moving in another direction only the Georgia Militia stood in Sherman’s way.
Macon was an important point in the Confederacy and the Georgia Militia was concentrated there. It was had foundries to manufacture arms that the Confederacy could not do without. While Sherman knew that he could defeat the militia in battle and seize Macon he did not want to be slowed down by wagon fulls of casualties and chose only to feint toward the city. The Georgia Militia did not know this or what to make of this and their commanders believed that they had forced Sherman away. It may have given them too much confidence.
Charles Walcutt’s Union brigade took possession of Griswoldville, a small industrial center that produced pistols for the Confederate army. Joseph Wheeler’s Confederate cavalry had clashed here earlier with Union cavalry prompting Walcutt’s arrival. Walcutt formed his men along the edge of a woodlot on a farm and began entrenching. Three brigades of Georgia Militia soon arrived under Pleasant Phillips but they were not there to fight but instead were on their way to Augusta. They hoped to get to that city before Sherman arrived, mistakenly believing that Augusta was his target. An isolated Union brigade was a tempting target so they moved to attack.
Phillips attacked at 2 PM since he had numerical superiority with about 4,500 men but many of them were too old or too young. Walcutt’s men were veterans and many were armed with repeating rifles so the militia did not stand much a chance. They charged three times and Walcutt’s men along with his battery of artillery cut them down. A flank movement was tried but they found Union cavalry protecting the flank. Phillips maintained his position until dusk and retired.
Walcutt lost about 100 men. Phillips lost over 1,100 men. Sherman’s March to the Sea would continue without any other major fight until it reached Savannah. The town of Griswoldville no longer exists as it was burned to the ground. A small park commemorates the battle that took place there and much of the battlefield is open land and has become the Griswoldville Battlefield State Historic Site.
