When Sherman marched on Atlanta in 1864, the Atlanta arsenal was moved to Columbus. Columbus was protected by the Columbus City Infantry Battalion AKA the Arsenal Battalion. This unit was formed in the spring of 1863 and consisted to the men who worked in the various factories and the arsenal along with young boys and men who had been wounded and disabled early in the war. The exact number of men who made up this battalion is unknown, but the rosters in the National Archives contain approximately 700 names. At the end of the war, the battalion participated in Wilson's Raid and the Battle of Columbus.