Kennesaw Mountain

Kennesaw Mountain Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park Georgia The Road Past Kennesaw: The 1864 Atlanta Campaign When Ulysses S. Grant assumed command of all Federal armies in March 1864, he ordered a coordinated offensive to destroy Confederate resistance and end the war. The major efforts focused on eastern Virginia and northwest Georgia. Grant accom­ panied Maj. Gen. George G. Meade’s Army of the Potomac in Virginia and aimed to finally defeat Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman, in charge of the Georgia offensive, commanded 100,000 soldiers, divided among three armies concentrated near Chattanooga, TN. Opposing them was the 53,000-man Army of Tennessee under Gen. Joseph E. Johnston entrenched at Dalton, GA, along Rocky Face Ridge. Grant ordered Sherman to “move against Johnston’s army, to break it up, and to get into the interior of the enemy’s country as far as you can, inflicting all the damage you can against their war resources.” The war-making capacity of the Confederacy remained formidable after three years of fighting. By spring 1864 the Federals controlled the Mississippi River and the Confederates had been expelled from most of Tennessee and much of Mississippi. Still, the heartland of the Confederacy, stretching from Alabama through Georgia to the Carolinas, was virtually untouched by the war. Atlanta, 125 miles southeast of Chattanooga, was a significant manufacturing city, the center of a belt of manufacturing communities extending from Augusta, GA, to Selma, AL. You cannot qualify war in harsher terms than I will. War is cruelty and you cannot refine it . . . —William T. Sherman, General, US Army Even more importantly, Atlanta was a vital Confederate rail junction. Four railroads met here, linking the southern Atlantic seaboard states with the western Confederacy. The Western & Atlantic, upon which both sides depended for supplies, ran National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, by Thure de Thulstrup, depicts Sherman’s feint against Confederates on Big Kennesaw on the morning of June 27, 1864. The original painting is on display in the Kennesaw Mountain visitor center. NPS northwest to Chattanooga and was the axis along which the Atlanta Campaign was fought. The Georgia Railroad ran east to Augusta, where it connected with lines to Charleston, Raleigh, and Richmond, the Confederate capital. The Macon & Western ran southeast, with connections to Savannah. Just south of Atlanta, at East Point, the Atlanta & West Point extended west into Alabama. From May to September 1864, Federal and Confederate forces fought across north Georgia from Dalton to Atlanta, with almost daily skirmishing and frequent maneuvering for position punctuated by fierce battles. During the final seige of Atlanta Sherman’s troops cut the city’s rail links. Confederate troops evacuated the city on September 1; Sherman entered the following day. Atlanta had fallen. The Civil War in the Western Theater, 1861–1864 Southern states secede; Fort Sumter bombarded; war begins. Dec. 1860–April 1861 Kentucky ends neutality, comes under Union control. September 1861 Union takes Forts Henry & Donelson, gains control of Tennessee R. February 1862 Union takes Island No. 10, then Memphis on Mississippi R. February, June 1862 The Campaign Begins Battle for Kennesaw Sherman began his march on Atlanta on May 7. Two days later he approached General Johnston’s position on a steep ridge called Rocky Face. Sherman sent a column through Snake Creek Gap to threaten the Western & Atlantic Railroad, Johnston’s supply connection with Atlanta. After an engagement at Rocky Face, Johnston moved south and dug in at Resaca, where on May 13–15 he repulsed Sherman’s attacks. By June 19, although hampered by weeks of continual rain, Sherman’s troops forced Johnston to withdraw again, this time to a prepared defensive position anchored by Kennesaw Mountain, a lofty humped ridge with rocky slopes rising above the surrounding plain. Confederate engineers using slave labor had laid out a formidable line of entrenchments covering every approaching ravine or hollow with cannon and rifle fire. When a Union column swung west to cross the Oostan­aula River and again threaten the railroad, Johnston retreated to Adairsville, where the two forces skirmished on the 17th. They halted only with the approach of darkness, when Johnston fell back. Again Sherman extended his lines to the south to get around the Confederate flank. Again Johnston countered, shifting 11,000 men under Gen. John Bell Hood to meet the threat. At Kolb’s Farm on June 22 Hood struck savagely but unsuccessfully, his attack failing to repel the Northerners. Time and again during Sherman’s advance to Atlanta this situation was repeated as the generals engaged in a tactical chess match. When Sherman found the Confederates entrenched, he tried to hold them with part of his force while sending another column around their flank—always trying to cut the Western & Atlantic. Johnston repeatedly withdrew to intercept the threats. By late May he had pulled back to a position in the Allatoona Mountains. Sherman swung wide to the southwest, but Johnston, ever alert to Union movements, sidestepped to slow him with stub­born fighting May 25–28 at New Hope Church, Pickett’s Mill, and Dallas. When Sherman resumed his advance on June 10, he was forced to swing back east, following a bend in the railroad so he would not stray too far from his own supply line. Union navy takes New Orleans; gains access to Mississippi R. April 1862 Battle of Stones River secures middle Tennessee for Union. January 1863 lIBRARY OF CONGRESS Grant takes Vicksburg, opening Mississippi R. & splitting Confederacy. January–July 1863 At Chickamauga, South gains greatest victory in western theater. September 1863 Union victory in Chattanooga Campaign opens way to lower South. November 1863 Atlanta Campaign; Sherman takes Atlanta, begins March to the Sea. May–November 1864 The Atlanta Campaign of fire drove them under cover. From Little Kennesaw and Pigeon Hill Confederates rolled rocks down on them. As soon as it was obvious the attack could not succeed, Sherman recalled it. Meanwhile, south of Dallas Road (now Dallas Highway), 8,000 Union infantrymen attacked two divisions of Johnston’s army. Many of those in the assaulting waves were shot down. Some advanced to close quarters, and for a few minutes there was brutal hand-to-hand fighting on top of the de­fenders’ earthworks. Both sides grimly nicknamed this place the “Dead Angle.” Sherman resumed his flanking strategy, forcing Johnston to abandon his Kennesaw lines during the night of July 2. The Confederates had lost 800 men, the Northerners 1,800, but the Union diversionary movement on the Confederate left had an unforeseen benefit, placing Sherman closer to Chattahoochee River crossings. He surprised Johnston by sending a small force across the river upstream from where Confederates guarded the railroad bridge. Outflanked again, Johnston had to retreat across the Chattahoochee. The attacking brigades moved into position before dawn on June 27. At 8 am, after an artillery bombardment, they surged forward. Both attacks were brief, bloody failures. Astride Burnt Hickory Road three Union brigades totaling 5,500 men crossed swampy, heavily wooded terrain. Before they could reach their objective—a mountain spur today named Pigeon Hill—sheets Bottom right: In this picture of Little Kennesaw, Pigeon Hill is the knob rising to the right in the middle distance. Big Kennesaw is barely visible at the left, beyond Little Kennesaw. NPS Union victory at Shiloh opens way into northern Mississippi. April 1862 Stalemated and immobilized by muddy roads, Sherman suspected that Johnston’s defenses, though strong, might be thinly manned and that one sharp thrust might break through. His plan called for diversionary moves against Kennesaw and the Confederate left while a two-pronged assault hit Johnston’s center. Left: View from behind Confederate earthworks on Pigeon Hill. This was part of the formidable line of entrenchments erected by Confederate engineers to defend against Union attacks. Right, clockwise: Confederate officer’s shell jacket; Confederate field cap; tin drinking cup and plate. Union victory at Battle of Pea Ridge establishes control of Missouri. March 1862 The Fall of Atlanta The rest of Sherman’s army crossed the Chattahoochee on July 9 and Johnston withdrew to the fortifications of Atlanta. For Confederate President Jefferson Davis, already exasperated by Johnston’s fallbacks and lack of aggressiveness, this was the last straw. He relieved Johnston of command and replaced him with General Hood. Meanwhile, Sherman was closing on Atlanta from the north and east. Hood tried unsuccessfully to destroy the army of Gen. George H. Thomas as it crossed Peachtree Creek on July 20. Two days later at the Battle of Atlanta Hood struck at Gen. James B. McPherson’s army and was repulsed with heavy losses. When Sherman tried to outflank Atlanta’s outnumbered defenders by maneuvering west of the city, Hood lashed out with another attack at Ezra Church on July 28. Again Hood was defeated. In August Sherman placed Atlanta under siege, continually shifting troops to cut the railroads that linked Atlanta with the rest of the South. On August 31 he seized the last one, the Macon & Western. Hood, after losing a two-day battle near Jonesboro, ordered all public property destroyed and the city evacuated. Sherman entered on September 2 and triumphantly telegraphed the news to Washing­ton: “Atlanta is ours, and fairly won.” The fall of Atlanta was a crippling blow to the Confederacy’s capacity and will to make war. Coupled with Union victories elsewhere, the war’s end was now in sight. In the North there was rejoicing, and on November 8 voters reelected President Abraham Lincoln, endorsing a fight to the finish. A week later Sherman left Atlanta in ruins and began his soon-to-be-famous “March to the Sea.” Union and Confederate Leadership Gen. William T. Sherman’s repeated attempts to maneuver around Gen. Joseph E. Johnston’s army were frustrated by Johnston’s skillful retreat toward Atlanta. Johnston’s failure to stop the Federals, however, caused Jefferson Davis to replace him with Gen. John Bell Hood. Hood fought hard to save Atlanta, but supply and morale problems forced him to abandon the city. William T. Sherman Joseph E. Johnston John Bell Hood lIBRARY OF CONGRESS NATIONAL ARCHIVES lIBRARY OF CONGRESS lIBRARY OF CONGRESS lIBRARY OF CONGRESS The Western & Atlantic Railroad depot (above) was the terminus for a supply line crucial to both sides during the campaign. Upon leaving Atlanta, Sherman ordered the destruction of all military and government buildings. The depot was among the casualties (above). Left, clockwise: Federal officer’s frock coat; Confederate officer’s leather trunk; Confederate saber; Federal officer’s telescope. NPS Life in Cobb County and on the Battlefield Left: Henry G. Cole was a secret Union sup­ porter and son-in-law of the owners of the Fletcher House Hotel in Marietta. Sherman’s army spared the build­ ing in part because of Cole’s clandestine activities. Below: Tools of the trade for soldiers at Kennesaw Mountain included a surveyor’s compass used by army engineers, surgeon’s kit, and (right) Confed­ erate Maj. Gen. Joe Wheeler’s map, drawn on cotton for durability. Right: Confederate regimental flags. Below right: Park volun­ teers demonstrate how a gun crew sponged, loaded, sighted, and fired its weapon. All images NPS Marietta museum of history NPS Harper’s Weekly artist Theodore R. Davis made this sketch of Kennesaw (then called Big Shanty) in June 1864. Right: Citizens of Cobb County used Georgia banknotes and Western & Atlantic Railroad “fare notes,” recognized by the State of Georgia as currency for certain uses. The rolling countryside around the Kennesaw Mountain battlefield was settled by whites in the 1830s on land taken from the Cherokee after the 1830 Indian Removal Act. By the time of the Civil War, Cobb County had become one of the most populous and wealthy counties in northwestern Georgia—at the time still called “Cherokee Georgia.” Much of the county’s prosperity derived from the Western & Atlantic Railroad, completed by 1850. This vital rail line pro­ vided easier access to distant markets and attracted new settlers from Georgia and other parts of the nation. The town of Kennesaw, then called Big Shanty, began as a con­ struction camp for workers laying rails for the Western & Atlantic. The Kennesaw Mountain region was the home of large and small planters and yeoman farmers. Most of the rural popu­ lation lived in log cabins, or later in small frame homes as sawmills began providing lumber for building. Of the county’s 14,242 people, 3,819 were enslaved workers. Few local farmers owned large numbers of slaves; most owned fewer than 10. While slaves on the larger plantations typi­ cally worked in gangs supervised by an overseer, those on smaller farms most likely worked in the field alongside their white owners. By 1860 cotton was the dominant cash crop of the area, but most acreage was devoted to food production and free range pasturage for livestock, particularly hogs. Although some farmers owned horses or mules, the most common draft animals were oxen. The largest industrial enterprise, the Roswell Mills complex, produced textiles, including “Ros­well Grey” for Confederate uniforms. There were also grist mills, tanneries, and sawmills. home to 2,680 residents, 1,175 of them slaves. Only 13 free African Americans are registered in the 1860 county census, all of them living in Marietta. They were free but not equal, their daily lives subject to numerous restrictions imposed by state laws and local codes. Marietta, the thriving county seat, was described in an 1864 article in the New York Tribune: “The town is a perfect grotto of shade. . . . There were during good times, sixteen stores, two druggists, eight groceries, three hotels, four churches . . . Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian and Episcopal, three female and one male school besides small schools for young children, all well patronized . . . .” Marietta was By the beginning of the war a number of fine residences had been constructed in Mari­etta, often by families from coastal Georgia and South Car­olina seeking the healthier climate of Piedmont Georgia during the summer malaria season. One Union soldier declared that Marietta was “The prettiest town in Northern Georgia.” Touring Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park This self-guiding auto tour (see map at right) takes you to the major points of interest. Each tour stop has parking and wayside exhibits. Short interpretive trails are located on the mountaintop, at Pigeon Hill, and at Cheatham Hill. 1 Kennesaw Mountain An overlook near the 3 Wallis House Built by Josiah Wallis about 1853 “Dead Angle.” Along a trail to the imposing and abandoned upon the approach of Sherman’s Illinois Monument are Confederate earthworks armies, this house was Union Gen. Oliver O. and markers where Union soldiers fell. Howard’s headquarters during the Battle of Ken­ 6 Sherman/Thomas Headquarters The two Union nesaw Mountain. It was earlier used as a Con­ federate hospital. General Sherman was at the generals met here to discuss, and ultimately Wallis House during the battle at Kolb’s Farm. order, an ill-fated frontal assault against Confed­ erate Gen. William Hardee’s troops entrenched 4 Pigeon Hill A foot trail leads to Confederate atop Cheatham Hill. entrenchments on this mountain spur, where 7 Kolb’s Farm On the afternoon of June 22, 1864, 2 24-Gun Battery Located on a small, wooded one of Sherman’s two major attacks was rise facing Little Kennesaw and Pigeon Hill, this repulsed. Union soldiers repulsed Confederate General Federal gun emplacement accommodated four Hood’s ill-fated attack just north of Powder 5 Cheatham Hill To protect this hill now named batteries, each containing six artillery pieces. Springs Road. Union Gen. Joseph Hooker used These guns bombarded Confederate forces on for Confederate Gen. Benjamin F. Cheatham, the Kolb House for his headquarters after the Kennesaw Mountain off and on for 10 days. the Southerners created a salient (a protruding fight. The Kolb family cemetery is adjacent to angle) in their lines. The fiercest fighting of the the house. battle raged here at what came to be called the summit offers a panoramic view of Atlanta and the northern Georgia terrain where Sherman’s and Johnston’s armies struggled in the late spring and summer of 1864. A short, moder­ ately steep trail leads to the summit. Along the way are exhibits and gun emplacements dug by Confederates to control the Western & Atlantic (now CSX) Railroad. Your Visit to the Battlefield Begin your visit at the visitor center. Here you will find information, a short orientation film, exhibits, and a bookstore. Park staff can answer questions and help you plan your visit. The visitor center is open daily except Thanks­ giving, December 25, and January 1. Hours vary seasonally. Call 770-427-4686 or visit www.nps.gov/kemo for specific times. This is a day-use-only park. All gated lots have posted hours. Please refer to them before parking. Any vehicles left at the park after the posted closing time are subject to being ticketed and towed at the owner’s expense. The park has monuments, historical markers, cannon emplacements, and 19.7 miles of hik­ ing trails. Ask a ranger about using your cell phone for the audio tour. Special programs are presented on weekends during peak sea­ son. A shuttle bus—mandatory transportation on weekends to the mountaintop—operates on the hour and half-hour starting at 10 am. Picnicking and recreational activities are allowed in designated locations only (see map). No overnight facilities are available in the park. Trails The park trails offer short walks and long hikes. Starting at the visitor center, the round-trip distances are two miles, six miles, 11 miles, and 17 miles. All require moderately steep climbing. If you plan to hike any of the trails, be advised that there is lim­i­t­ed water and no shelter or food along the way; condi­ tions can be hazardous. Stay on trails, wear sturdy shoes, and be sure to carry water. The park has a diverse mix of flora and fauna often seen along the trails. Accessibility The visitor center is fully accessi­ ble, with a museum tour for the visually- and hearing-impaired. Due to the nature of the historic terrain, trails have remained natural and have not been altered. The mountain road is paved. Our ADA-approved shuttle bus can accommodate special needs. We strive to make our facilities, services, and programs accessible to all. If you have special require­ ments, please call the visitor center at 770-427-4686 ext. 0 before your visit. Pets All pets must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet and under physical control at all times. Please note: pets are NOT allowed in the visitor center, restrooms, or shuttle bus. Getting Here From I-75, take exit 269 and drive 2.1 miles west on Barrett Parkway. Turn left onto Old US 41 and proceed 1.2 miles to Stiles­boro Road at the first traffic light after entering the park. Turn right onto Stiles­boro Road, then left through the park gate into the visitor center parking lot. More Information Kenne­saw Mountain National Battlefield Park 905 Kenne­saw Mountain Drive Kennesaw, GA 30152-4855 770-427-4686 / www.nps.gov/kemo Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park is one of over 390 parks in the National Park System. To learn more about parks and National Park Service programs in America’s communities, visit www.nps.gov. Kolb’s Farm Safety and Regulations Do not climb on the cannons, monuments, or earthworks. The earthworks are fragile; disturbing them causes irreparable damage. • All buildings, historic objects, geologic specimens, plants, and animals are protected by federal law. • Stay on the roadways and trails to help prevent erosion and to protect the mountain terrain. • Pets must be kept on a leash at all times. Clean up after your pet; bags are available in the parking lots. • Picnicking and all recreational activities are restricted to designated activity areas. • Alcoholic beverages are prohibited. • Watch out for insects, snakes, and poisonous plants. • Bicy­cles are prohibited on hiking trails. • Park only in designated areas. • Possession or use of metal detectors within the park is unlawful. • For firearms laws and policies, see the park website. Nearby Points of Interest Southern Museum of Civil War and Loco­m­o­ tive History This Kennesaw museum’s exhibits include a glimpse into the daily lives of Civil War soldiers; a reproduction of an early 1900s locomotive assembly line from the Glover Machine Works; and the General, the loco­ motive involved in Civil War actions known as Andrews’ Raid, or the Great Locomotive Chase. Marietta Museum of History Housed in what was originally an 1845 cotton warehouse, the museum’s collections feature area history and home life. Peter Valentine Kolb II was one of the earliest settlers of Cobb County. He built this house in the 1830s and operated a self-sufficient farm with 10 enslaved workers and about 600 acres of land. When the Federal troops approached the farm along Powder Springs Road in 1864, the Kolb family fled and did not return until the 1880s. The battle here on June 22, 1864 damaged the house and destroyed several outbuildings. The house has been restored to its historic appearance. Marietta National Cemetery The Marietta National Cemetery is the site of over 10,000 Union graves. Henry Green Cole donated the land as a joint Confederate & Union ceme­ tery, hoping to heal ill feelings between the North and South. His vision was never real­ ized, and the Union and Confederate ceme­ teries remained separate. Marietta Confederate Cemetery The Marietta Confederate Cemetery is the final resting place for 3,000 Confederate soldiers from nearby hospitals and military operations, including the battles of Kolb’s Farm and Kennesaw Mountain. NPS / MELINDA SCHMITT Illinois Monument Georgia Monument The Illinois Monument on Cheatham Hill is the largest monument on the battlefield. Dedicated in 1914, it honors the Illinois soldiers who served during the battle. Near the base of the monument is the entrance to a tunnel begun by Union soldiers intending to blow up the Confederate position with a mine. The Georgia Monument honors all Georgians who fought in the war. It was dedicated in 1963 during the Civil War centennial celebration, but was improperly installed at the foot of Kenne­ saw Mountain rather than where Georgia troops fought. NPS NPS ✩GPO:20xx—xxx-xxx/xxxxx Reprint 20xx Printed on recycled paper.