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Sherman on July 8 caught the Confederates off guard and turned their right flank and crossed the Chattahoochee. Johnston now had to fall back on Atlanta and take up prepared positions at Peachtree Creek. But his retreat from Kennesaw Mountain (plus his bad personal relations with Jefferson Davis) resulted in his being relieved of his command. Replacing him on July 18 was John B. Hood, a fighting Cofederate general who had suffered
______________________________A______________________________and lost
a leg at Chickamauga and who had a reputation as an aggressive soldier who felt an attack was the best defense, just opposite of Johnston.
The events immediately following the change in command did nothing to enhance Hood?s reputation as a fighter. Three times he attacked the Federals from his entrenched position before Atlanta (entrenchments that Johnston had carefully planned and developed) and each time was thrown back with heavy Southern losses. Finally, it seems, he was forced to accept the wisdom of Johnston?s defensive tactics. The battle at Peachtree Creek on July 20, the Battle of Atlanta on the 22nd and Ezra Church on the 29th convinced him of the futility of further offensive action. In these engagements the Federals and Confederates suffered heavy losses, and the conclusion of the fighting saw Hood back in his lines and Sherman in his.
Thus began the seige of Atlanta, and it went on for more than a month. Baxter divided his time about equally between the rifle-pits and picket duty. On one occasion, he recalled after the war, he found himself involved in a small arms duel with a Federal sharpshooter. It apparently went on most of an afternoon. One round from the Yankee struck Baxter square in the forehead, but the ball, fired at extreme range, was spent at the moment of impact, and only a minor wound resulted. It was the first casualty Baxter had received	during	the three years	of
his CSA service.	?
On August 25 Sherman began a flanking sweep west of Atlanta. His objective was Jonesboro	on the	Macon	& Western
Railroad directly south of the besieged,city.	This	railroad	to
Macon was essential to Hood?s supply lijiies. Without it he would be bottled up in Atlanta just as Pemberton was trapped in Vicksburg. To preserve this vital link, Hood rushed Hardee and
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