The Atlanta Campaign, a Virtual Tour (Kennesaw Mountain)

On June 9th Federal troops pushed down the railroad as far as Big Shanty (now Kennesaw) and Sherman established his headquarters there in the top of a cotton gin from which he could view Kennesaw Mountain. He wrote, "Kennesaw, the bold and striking twin mountain, lay before me. To our right, Pine Mountain, and behind it in the distance, Lost Mountain. On each of these peaks the enemy had his signal stations. The summits were crowned with batteries, and the spurs were alive with men busy in felling trees, digging pits, and preparing for the grand struggle impending." Over the next two weeks, despite incessant rain, the Union armies pushed Johnston's troops steadily back, first from the Brushy Mountain line, then from Gilgal Church and Lost Mountain, Mud Creek, and finally to the famous Kennesaw Mountain line. This six mile long series of formidable entrenchments extended over Big Kennesaw and Little Kennesaw Mountains on the Confederate right, Pigeon Hill, and Cheatham Hill, to the Confederate left on the flatlands beyond. On June 22, Hood, thinking he could turn the Union right, launched a disastrous assault on Hooker's position near the Union center at Kolb's farm. The only thing that saved Hood from total annihilation was the fact that Hooker timidly neglected to follow up his success with a counter-attack. Sherman was by this time totally frustrated with the slow progress of his armies, and decided to attempt a full frontal assault on Johnston's positions, hoping to crush the Confederate center. After days of artillery barrages, Thomas sent five brigades forward to attack Cheatham's Hill on the morning of June 27th. Three were concentrated on a salient later known as the "Dead Angle" where brigade commander Gen. Daniel McCook was killed attempting to rally his men. The well entrenched rebels mowed down the Yankees in droves, with Federal casualties at the Dead Angle reaching 824. An attack by McPherson on the entrenchments near Pigeon Hill resulted in similar losses, and Sherman's assaults sputtered out by noon. The Federal army had lost 3,000, including seven regimental and two brigade commanders, and the Confederates lost only 600. Sherman uncharacteristically aggressive attacks had been disastrous. He would have to return to his masterful flanking maneuvers to get beyond the Kennesaw line.