The fighting 275needed a rest. He doubted that the Rebel Army
of Tennessee possessed enough strength to be
much of a threat to the Union cause, and he
much preferred to recuperate, refit, and then
undertake a very a different type of campaign
from the grind toward Atlanta.
Hood's army, badly worn down but not
whipped, eventually limped to Palmetto,
about 25 miles (40km) from Atlanta. Morale
declined over the loss of the campaign, but
some rest, hot food, and time for reflection
away from the boom of guns helped to
restore their attitude, as did a religious
revival that roared through camp. With a
rejuvenated spirit, members of the Army of
Tennessee began to look at the past
campaign in a different light. The fall of
Atlanta, concluded most of the troops, was
merely a setback. Through a vast numerical
superiority, the Federals had forced them out
of the city, but had by no means crushed the
Army of Tennessee.
During this hiatus, the Confederate
President decided to pay the army a visit.
Jefferson Davis had heard reports of
dissatisfaction with Hood's performance
throughout the Army of Tennessee and had
also sensed a dramatic decline in public
morale throughout the region. He hoped
that a personal inspection of the army and a
few public speeches on the way back to
Richmond were just the solution. Upon his
arrival, Davis immediately began to speak
with Hood and several of his key
subordinates, and it soon became clear that
a major shake-up was in order. Davis
promptly transferred corps commander
lieutenant-General William J. Hardee, at his
own request, to the Department of South
Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Hood,
however, stayed. Davis had always been fond
of Hood's aggressive style, and he strongly
approved Hood's new plan to strike at
Sherman's long supply line and retake
Atlanta. To silence critics Davis placed a
more experienced officer, General
P. G. T. Beauregard, in a supervisory position
over Hood. Hood would still command the
Army of Tennessee; Beauregard's job was
merely to give Hood advice.In addition to sorting out the command
problems, Davis also hoped to give the
members of the Army of Tennessee a lift.
He spoke to them of the upcoming
campaign and announced that they would
soon advance into Tennessee and Kentucky.
The President insisted that Atlanta, like
Moscow for Napoleon, would be Sherman's
downfall. For the most part, the Confederate
troops responded favorably to Davis's
predictions, yet a few of the more
superstitious men feared that 'his coming is
an omen of ill luck.' The last time Davis had
spoken to the Army of the Tennessee was
just before the catastrophe at Chattanooga.
While Major-General Joseph Wheeler and
his cavalry looked after the Federals in
Atlanta, Hood embarked upon a series of
rapid marches along Sherman's supply line,
the railroad from Atlanta to Chattanooga,
destroying track and bridges and gobbling up
garrisons en route. At first, Sherman jumped
at the bait. He left one corps to occupy
Atlanta and pursued the Confederates
vigorously with the rest of his command,
and on a few occasions they nearly cornered
Hood's elusive army. Yet by the time the
Rebels reached eastern Alabama, the Federal
commander had decided to call off the hunt.
It was useless for the Federals to surrender
the initiative, particularly when they could
not move as rapidly as the Confederates.
Since late 1862, when Grant and Sherman
wrestled with guerrillas and civilian
problems in Tennessee and Mississippi, they
had thrashed out a strategy of raiding. Rebel
cavalry had been effective against the Union
army and its supply lines. Think how much
disruption a Federal army could cause, the
two generals speculated, if it could destroy
the Confederate infrastructure, seize their
slaves, damage or consume their property,
and disrupt lives. The Union could
demonstrate unequivocally to the Southern
people just how futile continued resistance
would be. In January 1864, Sherman had
tested the concept in a march on Meridian,
Mississippi, living off the land and wrecking
anything of military value. The best thing to
do, Sherman concluded, was to launch an