Across Peach Tree Creek, July 19

Sherman wanted Thomas to move south toward Atlanta and cross Peach Tree Creek on July 19, as McPherson approached the city from the east. Schofield still had the assignment of trying to fill the gap between Thomas and McPherson. Federal efforts resulted in less progress than expected. Thomas pushed some of his men across the creek that day. After a small fight, Thomas J. Wood's division established a bridgehead where the Buck Head and Atlanta Road crossed the creek. It took a longer, bloodier battle for Caleb Dilworth's brigade of Jefferson C. Davis' division, Fourteenth Corps, to cross at the mouth of Green Bone Creek. Here Confederate General Daniel H. Reynolds' Brigade fought hard but was forced back. Davis then formed a bridgehead on the south side of the creek. Also, John W. Geary's division of the Twentieth Corps and Richard W. Johnson's division of the Fourteenth Corps crossed the creek between those two bridgeheads. In the Confederate army, Hood wanted to attack Thomas that day but his army was in disarray with many high level commanders shifting their responsibilities because of his elevation to army leadership. Hood also needed time to acclimate himself to his new position.