Kennesaw Mountain, GA

[Battle of Kenesaw Mountain [sic], by Kurz and Allison, 1891 - Courtesy of Wikipedia]

Date(s): June 27, 1864

Location: Please click on link below for map.

Campaign(s): Atlanta Campaign (1864)

Battles in Campaign:

• Rocky Face Ridge, GA - May 7-13, 1864 C¹

• Resaca, GA - May 13-15, 1864 C¹

• Adairsville, GA - May 17, 1864 C¹

• New Hope Church, GA - May 25-26, 1864 C¹

• Dallas, GA - May 26-June 1, 1864 C¹

• Pickett's Mill, GA - May 27, 1864 C¹

• Marietta, GA - June 9-July 3, 1864 B

• Kolb's Farm, GA - June 22, 1864 C ¹

• Kennesaw Mountain, GA - June 27-July 1, 1864 B

• Peachtree Creek, GA - July 20, 1864 B

• Atlanta, GA - July 22, 1864 B

• Ezra Church, GA - July 28, 1864 B

• Utoy Creek, GA - August 5-7, 1864 C¹

• Dalton, GA II - August 14-15, 1864 D¹  

• Lovejoy's Station, GA - August 20, 1864 D¹

• Jonesborough, GA - August 31–September 1, 1864 A

Situation:

Commanders:

• Union: Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman

• Confederate: Gen. Joseph E. Johnston

Principal Forces:

• Union: Military Division of the Mississippi

• Confederate: Army of Tennessee

Description:

• On the night of June 18-19, Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, fearing envelopment, withdrew his army to a new, previously selected position astride Kennesaw Mountain.

• This entrenched arc-shaped line, to the north and west of Marietta, protected the Western & Atlantic Railroad, the supply link to Atlanta.

• Having defeated General John B. Hood troops at Kolb’s Farm on the 22nd, Sherman was sure that Johnston had stretched his line too thin and, therefore, decided on a frontal attack with some diversions on the flanks.

• On the morning of June 27, Sherman sent his troops forward after an artillery bombardment.

• At first, they made some headway overrunning Confederate pickets south of the Burnt Hickory Road, but attacking an enemy that was dug in was futile.

• The fighting ended by noon, and Sherman suffered high casualties.

Photo Gallery:²

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park	Role of battle in the Atlanta Campaign		Confederate Leaders Joseph Johnston and John Bell Hood
Union Leaders U.S. Grant - William T. Sherman - George Thomas	Other Union Leaders	Battle Flag of Cherokee Dragoons	Kennesaw Mountain Battle Map
	Engagement at Kolb's Farm	Fighting in front of Kennesaw	Attack at Pigeon Hill
Assault at Cheatham Hill	Engagement at Otley's Creek		Confederate Soldiers
Union Soldiers	Moving cannons to Little Kennesaw
		Reason Sherman targeted Atlanta
		Position of Union 15th Corps	Dueling cannons
	The fall of Atlanta
The Atlanta Campaign		Union and Confederate troop dispositions on Big and Little Kennesaw	Assault on Pigeon Hill
	Confederate earthworks
	Marker describing Union attempts to break Confederate line	Trail marker for Pigeon Hill Trail	Marker describing the Union assaults on French's position
Hardage house site	Marker discussing Confederate positions on Cheatham Hill	Description of artillery redoubt which was part of Cleburne's defenses	Confederate artillery battery on Cheatham Hill
Confederate artillery battery on Cheatham Hill	Texas monument	Martin's act of kindness
	Union and Confederate positions around the "Dead Angle"	Confederate defenders repulse main Union attack at Cheatham Hill	Position of Confederate camouflaged cannons
		Description of building Confederate earthworks at Kennesaw Mountain	Confederate earthworks
	Confederate earthworks	Confederate defenses at the "Dead Angle"
Site of Union tunnel	Federal entrenchments		Illinois monument
Monument to Union Captain Neighbour	Path of Union attack on "Dead Angle"	Path of Union attack on "Dead Angle"	Union earthworks
		Monument to Captain Fellows
Monument to Illinois soldiers who died at Kennesaw Mountain	Description of engagement at Kolb's Farm	Description of engagement at Kolb's Farm	Description of Confederate attack at Kolb's Farm
Description of Confederate attack at Kolb's Farm	Kolb log house	Kolb log house	Kolb family graves

Classification³: B

Casualties⁴:

• Union:  3,000

• Confederate: 1,000

Results: Confederate Victory

Battlefield Website:

• Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park - National Park Service

• Battle of Kennesaw Mountain - Wikipedia

• Georgia Civil War Battlefields

• Georgia's Blue and Gray Trail - Atlanta Campaign

• Atlanta: The Battle for the Heart of the South - HistoryAnimated

Recommended Resources:

¹ National Park Service summary.

² Please click on the image to enlarge it. You may copy the images if you include the following note and link with each image: "Courtesy of civil-war-journeys.org."

³ Classification:

• A - having a decisive influence on a campaign and a direct impact on the course of the war

• B - having a direct and decisive influence on their campaign

• C - having observable influence on the outcome of a campaign

• D - having a limited influence on the outcome of their campaign or operation but achieving or affecting important local objectives

⁴ Casualties are someone killed, injured, wounded, captured or missing.

Revised 02/22/2011