James B . McPherson James Birdseye McPherson ( November 14 , 1828 – July 22 , 1864 ) was a career United States Army officer who served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War . He was killed at the Battle of Atlanta , the second highest ranking Union officer killed during the war . Early life and career . McPherson was born near Clyde , Ohio . He attended Norwalk Academy in Ohio , and graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1853 , first in his class , which included Philip H . Sheridan , John M . Schofield , and John Bell Hood ; Hood would oppose him later in the Western Theater . McPherson was appointed to the Corps of Engineers with the rank of brevet second lieutenant . For a year after his graduation he was assistant instructor of practical engineering at the Military Academy , and was next engaged from 1854 to 1857 as assistant engineer upon the defenses of the harbor of New York and the improvement of Hudson River . In 1857 he superintended the building of Fort Delaware , and in 1857 - 61 was superintending engineer of the construction of the defenses of Alcatraz Island , at San Francisco , Cal . Civil War . At the start of the Civil War , he was stationed in San Francisco , California , but requested a transfer to the Corps of Engineers , rightly thinking that a transfer to the East would further his career . He departed California on August 1 , 1861 , and arrived soon after in New York . He requested a position on the staff of Maj . Gen . Henry W . Halleck , one of the senior Western commanders . He received this ( while a captain in the Corps of Engineers ) , and was sent to St . Louis , Missouri . McPherson ' s career began rising after this assignment . He was a lieutenant colonel and the Chief Engineer in Brig . Gen . Ulysses S . Grant ' s army during the capture of Forts Henry and Donelson . Following the Battle of Shiloh , he was promoted to brigadier general . On October 8 , 1862 , he was promoted to major general , and was soon after given command of the XVII Corps in Grant ' s Army of the Tennessee . On March 12 , 1864 , he was given command of the Army of the Tennessee , after its former commander , Maj . Gen . William T . Sherman , was promoted to command of all armies in the West ( after Grant was appointed general - in - chief ) . His army was the Right Wing of Sherman ' s army , alongside the Army of the Cumberland and the Army of the Ohio . On May 5 , 1864 , Sherman began his Atlanta Campaign . Sherman planned to have the bulk of his forces feint toward Dalton , Georgia , while McPherson would bear the brunt of Confederate General Joseph E . Johnston ' s attack , and attempt to trap them . However , the Confederate forces eventually escaped , and Sherman blamed McPherson ( for being " slow " ) , although it was mainly faulty planning on Sherman ' s part that led to the escape . McPherson ' s troops followed the Confederates " vigorously " , and were resupplied at Kingston , Georgia . The troops drew near Pumpkinvine Creek , where they attacked and drove the Confederates from Dallas , Georgia , even before Sherman ' s order to do so . Johnston and Sherman maneuvered against each other , until the Union disaster at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain . McPherson then tried a flanking maneuver at the Battle of Marietta , but that failed as well . On July 17 , Confederate President Jefferson Davis became frustrated with Johnston ' s strategy of maneuver and retreat , and replaced him with Lt . Gen . John Bell Hood . With the Union armies closing in on Atlanta , Hood first attacked Thomas ' s Army of the Cumberland north of the city on July 20 , at Peachtree Creek , hoping to drive Thomas back before other forces could come to his aid . The attack failed . Then Hood ' s cavalry reported that the left flank of McPherson ' s Army of the Tennessee , east of Atlanta , was unprotected . Hood visualized a glorious replay of Jackson ' s famous flank attack at Chancellorsville and ordered a new attack . McPherson had advanced his troops into Decatur , Georgia , and from there , they moved onto high ground on Bald Hill overlooking Atlanta . Sherman believed that the Confederates had been defeated and were evacuating ; however , McPherson rightly believed that they were moving to attack the Union left and rear . While they were discussing this new development , however , four divisions under Lt . Gen . William J . Hardee flanked Maj . Gen . Grenville Dodge ' s XVI Corps . While McPherson was riding his horse toward his old XVII Corps , a line of Confederate skirmisher s appeared , yelling " Halt ! " . McPherson raised his hand to his head as if to remove his hat , but suddenly wheeled his horse , attempting to escape . The Confederates opened fire and mortally wounded McPherson . His adversary , John Bell Hood , wrote , Legacy . Fort McPherson in the Atlanta , Georgia , area was named in Gen . McPherson ' s honor on February 20 , 1866 . McPherson Square in Washington , D . C . , and its Metro rail station are named in the general ' s honor . At the center of the square is a statue of McPherson on horseback . McPherson County , Kansas , and the town of McPherson , Kansas , are named in his honor . There is also an equestrian statue of him in the park across from the McPherson County Courthouse . McPherson County , South Dakota , founded in 1873 , and organized in 1885 , was also named in his honor . McPherson County , Nebraska , and Fort McPherson National Cemetery , located near Maxwell , Nebraska , were named in his honor , and the National Cemetery was established on March 3 , 1873 . This cemetery is located two miles ( 3 km ) south of Interstate 80 , near Exit 190 . A monument marking the death of McPherson was established at the location of his death in East Atlanta , at the intersection of McPherson Avenue and Monument Avenue . McPherson Avenue in Atlanta was named for him . The spot is marked by a Union cannon once placed at Glenwood Road and Flat Shoals Road to protect the flank of the front line and return fire against the defensive positions built by Lemuel P . Grant . A distinctive engraved portrait of McPherson appeared on U . S . paper money in 1890 and 1891 . The bills are called " treasury notes " or " coin notes " and are widely collected today because of their fine , detailed engraving . The $ 2 McPherson " fancyback " note of 1890 , with an estimated 600 - 900 in existence relative to the 4 . 9 million printed , ranks as number 15 in the " 100 Greatest American Currency Notes " compiled by Bowers and Sundman ( 2006 ) . The James B . McPherson Elementary School in the Ravenswood area of Chicago , Illinois , was named for McPherson . In his home town of Clyde , Ohio , James B . McPherson Highway ( State Route 20 ) , McPherson Middle School and McPherson Cemetery are named for him .