Kennesaw Mountain trip

[rgtaylor61]

Planning a one day trip (3.5 hours from my home in SC) and wanted suggestions on must see spots at the battlefield. My relative.was most likely there with the 12th Tennessee Infantry so would love to visit spots Cheatam's Corps was at. All help appreciated as its my first visit there.

 

[jepridgen]

I'd recommend hitting the battlefield from north to south starting at the park visitor center and museum. You can take a quick ride up to the top and check out some nice CS cannon positions. If you have time, you can drive over to the 24 gun Union battery position west of the main CS position. It's a short walk to some well preserved Union fortifications. I'd highly recommend hitting the spur or "Pigeon Hill" to see where one of the two main Union attacks occurred. You can also walk south from the Pigeon Hill parking area and see some outstanding CS fortifications. The next place to hit is Cheatham Hill. That's self explanatory and probably close to where your ancestor fought. Even better fortifications and you can literally touch the Dead Angle (But don't because that's not allowed). Trails are great throughout. You could literally spend a full day just walking and viewing almost the entire AoT position. Kolb's Farm where Hood came to grief is further south, but that part of the field is essentially a subdivision now, but they do have a nice preserved farmhouse if you have time.

 

[rgtaylor61]

I'd recommend hitting the battlefield from north to south starting at the park visitor center and museum. You can take a quick ride up to the top and check out some nice CS cannon positions. If you have time, you can drive over to the 24 gun Union battery position west of the main CS position. It's a short walk to some well preserved Union fortifications. I'd highly recommend hitting the spur or "Pigeon Hill" to see where one of the two main Union attacks occurred. You can also walk south from the Pigeon Hill parking area and see some outstanding CS fortifications. The next place to hit is Cheatham Hill. That's self explanatory and probably close to where your ancestor fought. Even better fortifications and you can literally touch the Dead Angle (But don't because that's not allowed). Trails are great throughout. You could literally spend a full day just walking and viewing almost the entire AoT position. Kolb's Farm where Hood came to grief is further south, but that part of the field is essentially a subdivision now, but they do have a nice preserved farmhouse if you have time.

Thank you

 

[Norman Dasinger Jr]

CSA Cemetery in MArietta - largest outside of Richmond

 

[James N.]

Here's a link to an older thread I made a few years back that you might find helpful:

https://civilwartalk.com/threads/kennesaw-mountain-national-battlefield-georgia.85345/

But during your visit BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL negotiating the local traffic - When the park was originally created it was completely out in the countryside; since then it has been engulfed by the Atlanta Metro Megalopolis. And although the park is more or less a compact and contiguous north-south unit there is NO park road! Instead it is entered and crossed by three east-west roads that are often choked by local traffic. It's still nice, but totally surrounded by Yuppiedom. The locals use it for everything you're NOT supposed to at Hallowed Ground: dog walking, hiking, sun bathing, etc., etc. Most of them likely have no notion at all that they are doing their various activities where men fought and died.

 

[rgtaylor61]

Here's a link to an older thread I made a few years back that you might find helpful:

https://civilwartalk.com/threads/kennesaw-mountain-national-battlefield-georgia.85345/

But during your visit BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL negotiating the local traffic - When the park was originally created it was completely out in the countryside; since then it has been engulfed by the Atlanta Metro Megalopolis. And although the park is more or less a compact and contiguous north-south unit there is NO park road! Instead it is entered and crossed by three east-west roads that are often choked by local traffic. It's still nice, but totally surrounded by Yuppiedom. The locals use it for everything you're NOT supposed to at Hallowed Ground: dog walking, hiking, sun bathing, etc., etc. Most of them likely have no notion at all that they are doing their various activities where men fought and died.

Thank you..im hoping to visit in December or if not then sometime in the spring.

 

[danny]

Here's a link to an older thread I made a few years back that you might find helpful:

https://civilwartalk.com/threads/kennesaw-mountain-national-battlefield-georgia.85345/

But during your visit BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL negotiating the local traffic - When the park was originally created it was completely out in the countryside; since then it has been engulfed by the Atlanta Metro Megalopolis. And although the park is more or less a compact and contiguous north-south unit there is NO park road! Instead it is entered and crossed by three east-west roads that are often choked by local traffic. It's still nice, but totally surrounded by Yuppiedom. The locals use it for everything you're NOT supposed to at Hallowed Ground: dog walking, hiking, sun bathing, etc., etc. Most of them likely have no notion at all that they are doing their various activities where men fought and died.

I avoid driving anywhere near Atlanta

 

[jepridgen]

Thank you..im hoping to visit in December or if not then sometime in the spring.

December is a good time because there's no foliage. It gives a good idea of what the view was really like without trees. I live about 10 or 12 miles from there and get to drive through it everyday heading to work. Unfortunately, suburban sprawl has surrounded it, but it is still well worth the trip. Usually between 1000 and 1500 you can avoid the joggers, dog walkers, etc., especially on weekdays. Fortunately, all the key points are easily found on Google maps.

 

[JerryD]

Strongly recommend you bring your copy of Company Aytch and read Sam Watkins account of the battle while you are. It really brings the action to life when you can stand where he and his comrades were, and you can see from his description where the Feds were coming from.

 

[rgtaylor61]

Strongly recommend you bring your copy of Company Aytch and read Sam Watkins account of the battle while you are. It really brings the action to life when you can stand where he and his comrades were, and you can see from his description where the Feds were coming from.

Great idea..I'm curious if I can see how close his Regiment was to my relatives Regiment the 12th Tennessee.

 

[jepridgen]

Great idea..I'm curious if I can see how close his Regiment was to my relatives Regiment the 12th Tennessee.

That unit was in Vaughans Brigade. They literally shared the dead angle with Maneys Brigade which was the 1st/27th Tenn's brigade. Don't know the exact order Vaughan had his regiments in that day, but they were pretty darn close for sure. The park has some pretty accurate signs set up that show the boundaries of units down to the brigade level. It really helps keep everything in order.

 

[rgtaylor61]

That unit was in Vaughans Brigade. They literally shared the dead angle with Maneys Brigade which was the 1st/27th Tenn's brigade. Don't know the exact order Vaughan had his regiments in that day, but they were pretty darn close for sure. The park has some pretty accurate signs set up that show the boundaries of units down to the brigade level. It really helps keep everything in order.

Thank you. I'm even more excited to visit now. I read Co. Aytch years ago and Watkins' remembrance of the Dead Angle was incredibly disturbing.

 

[jepridgen]

Thank you. I'm even more excited to visit now. I read Co. Aytch years ago and Watkins' remembrance of the Dead Angle was incredibly disturbing.

I cant imagine what they went through. Take the chance to walk down to the Union lines at the bottom of the hill and walk back up the assault path. Just wasn't a good place to be on that part of the field. The Dead Angle is absolutely my top spot to go and just ponder. There's also an unknown Union soldier grave just past the angle right next to the Confederate works.

 

[rgtaylor61]

I cant imagine what they went through. Take the chance to walk down to the Union lines at the bottom of the hill and walk back up the assault path. Just wasn't a good place to be on that part of the field. The Dead Angle is absolutely my top spot to go and just ponder. There's also an unknown Union soldier grave just past the angle right next to the Confederate works.

I sure appreciate your help

 

[jepridgen]

I sure appreciate your help

No problem. It's a favorite of mine. Enjoy your trip.

 

[James N.]

Great idea..I'm curious if I can see how close his Regiment was to my relatives Regiment the 12th Tennessee.

Here's a link to a more specific area of the park I featured in a later thread that you might also find helpful:

A Tour of Cheatham Hill, Kennesaw Mountain NBP, Georgia | Atlanta Campaign

Tour Stop 4 at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield lies in the heart of the park and is the most isolated and evocative part of the battlefield. This was the scene of the most desperate fighting during the Union assault of June 27, 1864 on the Confederate position at Kennesaw. The...

civilwartalk.com

The Cheatham Hill (Dead Angle) area of the park where our ancestors' units fought (mine was in Pat Cleburne's adjacent division) is actually like what you expect at a National Battlefield: a relatively short but isolated from traffic park road paralleling the Confederate lines, no annoying modern structures cluttering up the vistas, several cannon, state monuments, and historical markers, etc., etc.

 

[James N.]

That unit was in Vaughans Brigade. They literally shared the dead angle with Maneys Brigade which was the 1st/27th Tenn's brigade. Don't know the exact order Vaughan had his regiments in that day, but they were pretty darn close for sure. The park has some pretty accurate signs set up that show the boundaries of units down to the brigade level. It really helps keep everything in order.

I asked during my visit and was told that erection of the signs was the project of a local Eagle Scout troop.

 

[rgtaylor61]

Here's a link to a more specific area of the park I featured in a later thread that you might also find helpful:

A Tour of Cheatham Hill, Kennesaw Mountain NBP, Georgia | Atlanta Campaign

Tour Stop 4 at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield lies in the heart of the park and is the most isolated and evocative part of the battlefield. This was the scene of the most desperate fighting during the Union assault of June 27, 1864 on the Confederate position at Kennesaw. The...

civilwartalk.com

The Cheatham Hill (Dead Angle) area of the park where our ancestors' units fought (mine was in Pat Cleburne's adjacent division) is actually like what you expect at a National Battlefield: a relatively short but isolated from traffic park road paralleling the Confederate lines, no annoying modern structures cluttering up the vistas, several cannon, state monuments, and historical markers, etc., etc.

I cannot wait to visit..just relocated to the South so its exciting to be within driving distance of so many important places.

 

[th'anchoriticsybarite]

Last November I made my first trip to Kennesaw. It was my first foray into the world post covid!!!!!

I was tremendously impressed with the center and its displays. Compares favorably with G'burg, Antietam, Stones River, Ft Donalson, better than Chickamauga or Shiloh.

I will warn you not to make the same mistake that I made. I left the center and drove up to the top of the mountain. I walked the 50 or so yards to the summit. I saw a path which I thought ringed the peak. Instead I found myself exiting the path halfway down the mountain. I then had to walk all the way back up to the summit--a few more yards and they might have had to call an ambulance. (This 71 yr old fat guy was about ready to pass out)

Also if you have the time, check out The Southern Museum of Civil War and Railroad History. It's downtown. I really had no expectations...expected to walk around a few minutes...ho hum, ok its time to go home. Instead I was enthralled at the unusual combination of topics.

One of the best things was that they had the actual locomotive in the Great Train Race--The General, inside the museum. I guarantee you'll have a great time.

 

[DugGapRob]

Planning a one day trip (3.5 hours from my home in SC) and wanted suggestions on must see spots at the battlefield. My relative.was most likely there with the 12th Tennessee Infantry so would love to visit spots Cheatam's Corps was at. All help appreciated as its my first visit there.

Thanks for posting this. I'm headed that way next week.

So, in hindsight, do you have any recommendations for my visit.

I've been once before, but it was late and the Visitor's Center was closed.