Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield, Georgia

Aside from any other consideration, Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield is a special place for me for a reason entirely unrelated to the Civil War. My wife and I were there in July of last year, while we were in Atlanta on a research trip for my book. While hiking up one of the trails, she complained about feeling a bit nauseous and unusually tired.

The next day, I found out that I was going to become a father.
 
Was at Kennesaw Mountain,just this past September .We decided to stop on the way back from Chickamauga.After having driven past it bunches of times in my life,finally got to see it.We didnt have much time,but we had a good time for what we had.I was amazed at how busy it was on a Monday morning.We had to use the over-flow lot..
Joggers and cyclists dont bother me.I am a cyclist,myself and can say that livibg that close to such a nice place,I would use it as well.Matter of fact there were lots of cyclists at Chickamauga,too,not just touring but getting thier excersize.Somewhere deep down,I dont think that the soldiers that struggled and died at these places would really mind.A Wal-Mart at the Bloody Angle,maybe,but Americans getting thier daily regimen?nah.I certainly was gratified to see the entire mountain not dotted with the homes of the affluent,like Lookout Mountain.It was a great place and a wonderful side-trip,and I look forward to going back,after a bit more study on the Atlanta campaigns.
 
You know, I never thought of it that way. KM is hallowed ground for me. I spent part of my honeymoon there (yup, he's a good man, even though he's only mildly interested in the CW, lol!) My ancestor was killed at the Dead Angle, after only a few months of service. His Lieutenant left a full account of his death and we were able to stand pretty much where he fell all those years ago. We were also finally able to locate his grave, as I had found a GAR record listing the name he was buried under (probably due to illegible identification on his body according to one of the park service guys.)

I now live less than hour from there and haven't been back since my honeymoon (2000) because of the ridiculous congestion. I have noticed something living here that I've not noticed elsewhere - people love their parks. Parks in the rural, poor area where I grew up was mostly used for crack deals it seems.

Thank you OP for this thread, and thank you CheathamHill for you comments. My attachment to the park is emotional, very emotional. But now I kinda have a different viewpoint about those who love their park, but aren't emotionally attached to the history.

Best,
Debbie

Debbie, Thank you for your kind reply. If I may ask, who was your ancestor killed at CH? I have done a lot of research and spent many many...MANY of my days over the last few years going there on a weekly, sometimes daily basis. I was hoping to have a book out on just the actions at Cheatham Hill (as opposed to the Kennesaw Campaign as a whole), but "real life" has not allowed me to complete that project thus far.
But again, would love to know who your ancestor was.
Regards
 
A relic grouping of Items from the Kennesw Mountain area...A Springfield lock-plate, a piece of a cannon shell, and a
Minnie Ball.

Kevin Dally
Kennesaw relic grouping.jpg
 
My regret concerning the Dead angle area is I wish the Illinois Monument wasn't so "pronounced"! I rather think it despoils the ground to be viewed, as those entrenched up there in the Confederate works's, saw ahead of them.
Joe Johnston got the best of Sherman on THAT assault!
"Old Joe" would fight at times!

Kevin Dally
 
Fair point Mr. Dally. However, the McCook Reunion Brgd. decided that THAT small knoll above all others they fought upon(and they were EVERYWHERE from Perryville in '62 to Carolina in '65) was the only fitting place to honor those who fought heat, lead, fire, pitch tar fireballs, vomit, blood, shrapnel, torrential downpours, 105+ heat, and cooking pans and utensils being lobbed at them (that's an interesting story) over the course of 5 days.
They were VERY protective of their Brgd's legacy and VERY protective of that land once they acquired it at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. Survivors weren't so protective of the view or viewing obstructions their everlasting marble legacy may or may not cause. Though we see but an erect piece of granite, marble, Iron and copper...they, the survivors who saw first hand the hell on earth that manifested itself in such a small radius that oppressively hot June week in '64, saw much much more.
It's so pronounced because..as they say...the victors write history (hence the first monuments at 'Mauga were all federal) and when June turned to July and Johnston pulled out, the Federals were in possession of that and the surrounding hills and valleys, and those veterans were sure to make sure we, 149 1/2 years later, knew that.
 
..I have done a lot of research and spent many many...MANY of my days over the last few years going there on a weekly, sometimes daily basis. I was hoping to have a book out on just the actions at Cheatham Hill (as opposed to the Kennesaw Campaign as a whole), but "real life" has not allowed me to complete that project thus far.

CheathamHill, a technical question for you:
I think I satisfied myself as to this, but when I saw on my G-G-Grandfather Jasper Blair's 1902 pension application, Lightly wounded in the hip at Tennesaw Mountains[ SIC ] ( filled out by a parish clerk as Jasper was illiterate ) I immediately looked at all the maps I could find of the battle; every one shows Lowrey's Brigade in a different location - only one shows it at the head of Wagner's brigade assault where I think it must've actually been. I think I finally found somewhere that Lowery was in reserve, so no doubt the exact placement of his brigade in the line-of-battle is conjectural. I decided it was likely someplace in the vicinity of the modern Texas State Monument, which seems to me to be a little too far south to be on Granbury's actual position; any thoughts on this?
 
>Debbie, Thank you for your kind reply. If I may ask, who was your ancestor killed at CH?

Hiram Hancock, 113th OVI. I found out how he died leafing through a book in the Park Service gift shop: Kennesaw Mountain, June 1864 by Richard Baumgartner & Larry Strayer. I think my squeal startled the staff :unsure: He had been in service, I think about 4 months (computer crash & paperwork is still packed in boxes.) I have a lot of genealogical info (haha, in said boxes.)

The First Lieutenant was William H. Baxter. For some reason I was thinking he left diaries and letters to a university I lived an hour or two away from while in Ohio. I can't find that reference at the moment :cry:

Debbie
who sometimes overuses emoticons
 
No one could beat Dennis Kelly in telling the story about the dead angle, pointing out the spot where Watkins was positioned, pick axe mark on rocks, etc. I doubt if "Tin Cup" has a clue what he's talking about.

I have spent a few night on the "angle" and was there when the folks from ILL came down to re-dedicate the monument and the repairs that had been made to it.
 
CheathamHill, a technical question for you:
I think I satisfied myself as to this, but when I saw on my G-G-Grandfather Jasper Blair's 1902 pension application, Lightly wounded in the hip at Tennesaw Mountains[ SIC ] ( filled out by a parish clerk as Jasper was illiterate ) I immediately looked at all the maps I could find of the battle; every one shows Lowrey's Brigade in a different location - only one shows it at the head of Wagner's brigade assault where I think it must've actually been. I think I finally found somewhere that Lowery was in reserve, so no doubt the exact placement of his brigade in the line-of-battle is conjectural. I decided it was likely someplace in the vicinity of the modern Texas State Monument, which seems to me to be a little too far south to be on Granbury's actual position; any thoughts on this?


From what I have seen, local historians say that Lowery was indeed in reserve and national historians put them on the line between Polk and Govan. I don't really know what to think but I'd like to know this too as I had an ancestor in the 33rd Bama.
@CheathamHill might know more on this if he'd quit messing around and log on.
 
The ILL monument is a rare thing. It actually sits in ILL. The little plot of land is a piece of that state in another state! (unless something has changed I didn't hear about).
 
No one could beat Dennis Kelly in telling the story about the dead angle, pointing out the spot where Watkins was positioned, pick axe mark on rocks, etc. I doubt if "Tin Cup" has a clue what he's talking about.

I have spent a few night on the "angle" and was there when the folks from ILL came down to re-dedicate the monument and the repairs that had been made to it.
"Tin cup" has been on site, Joe, you took me there. My comment about the Illinois monument stems from my recalling Sam Watkins description of the battle, while looking at the actual area for the first time. I was thinking it would have been nicer to have the monument in front of the Confederate lines more lower down, designed more with the "lay of the land", just an opinion I had at the time that still sticks with me.

I liked the information that CheathamHill gave me in his posting about the history of that particular monument, good info.

Kevin Dally
 
I moved from Urbana, Illinois to Athens, GA in 1984. That first year I visited Kennesaw Mountain and, when I signed in, the ranger asked if I knew abut the Illinois Monument. I didn't and enjoyed the visit. Ten years later my uncle sent out our family tree and I learned that our ancestor, Jason Figg was in Co B, 11th Tennessee and most likely with Cheatham's Rifle's. He was killed at the Battle of Peachtree Creek on July 22, 1864 and I have been trying to locate a grave with no luck. It is very interesting to me that being an Illinois native that I have these roots. Jason's father served with the Confederacy and his brother with the Union. Here's is a shot from the Dead Angle one spring morning last year:
8478882178_064580225d_h.jpg
 
I moved from Urbana, Illinois to Athens, GA in 1984. That first year I visited Kennesaw Mountain and, when I signed in, the ranger asked if I knew abut the Illinois Monument. I didn't and enjoyed the visit. Ten years later my uncle sent out our family tree and I learned that our ancestor, Jason Figg was in Co B, 11th Tennessee and most likely with Cheatham's Rifle's. He was killed at the Battle of Peachtree Creek on July 22, 1864 and I have been trying to locate a grave with no luck. It is very interesting to me that being an Illinois native that I have these roots. Jason's father served with the Confederacy and his brother with the Union. Here's is a shot from the Dead Angle one spring morning last year:
8478882178_064580225d_h.jpg

It would be likely he is buried at Atlanta's Oakland Cemetery. Most Confederates killed at Peachtree Creek and the next day at Atlanta are there if not buried on the field.
 
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