Battle of Pickett's Mill

33°58′30″N 84°45′32″W / 33.975°N 84.759°W / 33.975; -84.759

Battle of Pickett's Mill
Part of the American Civil War
Remains of a trench dug during the battle
Date May 27, 1864 (1864-05-27) Location Paulding County, Georgia Result Confederate victory
Belligerents
CSA (Confederacy)	United States (Union)
Commanders and leaders
Joseph E. Johnston Patrick Cleburne John H. Kelly William Y. C. Humes	William T. Sherman Oliver O. Howard Thomas J. Wood Richard W. Johnson
Units involved
Cleburne's Division Kelly's Division Humes' Division	3rd Division, IV Corps 1st Division, XIV Corps 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, XXIII Corps
Strength
Pickett's Mill: 10,000 Campaign: c. 65–75,000	Pickett's Mill: 14,000 Campaign: c. 100,000
Casualties and losses
500	1,600

The Battle of Pickett's Mill (May 27, 1864) was fought in Paulding County, Georgia, between Union forces under Major General William Tecumseh Sherman and Confederate forces led by General Joseph E. Johnston during the Atlanta Campaign in the American Civil War. Sherman sent Brigadier General Thomas J. Wood's division, supported by other formations, to turn Johnston's right flank, but the Federals were repulsed with heavy casualties when they ran into tenacious Confederate opposition. Author Ambrose Bierce, an eyewitness, later wrote an account of the battle titled The Crime at Pickett's Mill.

Earlier in May 1864, Sherman's army successfully compelled the Confederate Army of Tennessee to fall back to a strong defensive position at Allatoona Pass. Unwilling to attack Johnston's lines frontally, Sherman attempted a wide sweep around the Confederate western flank. Johnston quickly shifted his army southwest to block the move, and Sherman's first thrust at his opponent's defenses was defeated at New Hope Church. Both sides entrenched their positions. A day after Sherman's troops were beaten at Pickett's Mill, the Confederates launched an attack on the Union right flank which was repelled at Dallas. The two armies faced each other in the New Hope Church and Dallas lines until Sherman extended his left flank toward the railroad, compelling Johnston to retreat to a new position on June 4.