In the early morning hours, General Johnston and the Army of Tennessee, retreat from the Smyrna Line and fell back to the last line of previously prepared fortifications before the Chattahoochee River. Known as the River Line, it was conceived and constructed by Brigadier General Francis Asbury Shoup, Chief of Artillery for the Army of Tennessee. The River Line had a new style of fortification in the line, they were called a Shoupade. They were diamond shaped forts built with two of the angles sticking out ahead of the line. The Shoupades were placed anywhere from 60 to 175 yards apart depending on the terrain and were connected by earthworks that intersected the Shoupade roughly in the center. The angled section in front of the line from two adjoining Shoupades, allowed for a crossfire on an advancing enemy. Each Shoupade could hold 80 soldiers shoulder to shoulder. They were also constructed to withstand an extended artillery barrage. The Confederates occupied this line until the night of July the 9th, when the retreated across the river.
These images are from the northern half of the river line. Tomorrow I will post images from the southern half of the river line.
Looking at the inside of one of the best preserved of the remaining Shoupades. This one now sits hidden in the woods and covered with English Ivy just a stones through away from a major expressway.
Shoupade Park, Cobb County. Remnants of one of two Shoupades in the park. There are also remnants of an artillery battery.The second Shoupade at Shoupade park fenced off and covered with brush, but you can still see its size and shape.A child’s tree house now stands guard over the remains of a large Confederate artillery battery located near the northern end of the River Line.The crossed the Atlanta Road at this point. Atlanta road, the road passing from the left to right of the image, is a period road that is still in use today.The Confederates River Line crossed the railroad tracks here along the high ground at this railroad cut.River Line Park, Cobb County. The remains of a Shoupade are fenced off and still visible and protected in this park with ball fields and walking trails.
The Federal troops continue to chase the Confederates and soon, as they approached Smyrna, they begin to encounter resistance from Confederate Skirmishers. They were pushed back to their main lines and the Federals began to entrench. Elements of Howard’s and Palmer’s Corps of the Army of the Cumberland advanced on the portion of the Confederate Smyrna Line near Smyrna Camp Ground, roughly the center of the Confederate line. They were engaging seasoned troops of Cleburne’s Division and suffered heavy losses. The second portion of the attack was made by Dodge’s Corps of the Army of the Ohio, they attacked the Confederate Left near Ruff’s Mill. There was a salient in the Confederate line near this point that was their target. This is where Hood’s and Hardee’s Corps met. Elements of Dodge’s Corps pushed the skirmishers of Stevenson’s Division out of their rifle pits and back to their main works, but suffered heavy losses during the assault. These attacks gained no ground for the Federals and only confirmed that the Confederate army was still in the line enforce.
The main Federal advantage gained this day, was Blair’s Corps being able to work its way around and behind the Confederate left flank. At that point they were closer to Atlanta than the main body of the Confederate Army. Blair’s movement seriously threatened Johnston and in the late night hours of July 4th and early morning hours of July 5th, Johnston fell back from the Smyrna Line to the last line of defense west of the Chattahoochee River, known at Johnston’s River Line.
The Smyrna Market Village now occupies the former location of the Smyrna Camp Ground, which was used as a meeting site for the Methodist Church as well as other denominations.Looking north west at the recreation of an old train depot. The railroad tracks are just out of frame to the right and the Confederate line crossed the tracks in this general area. Smyrna Campground would have been to the left just out of the frame.Looking south along the railroad tracks that head into Atlanta. Notice the reconstructed depot to the right. The Confederate lines crossed the tracks in this general area. Looking north west from Smyrna up the railroad tracks that travel out of Marietta. Notice Kennesaw Mountain in the distance approximately five miles away.Looking from the Confederate line towards Kennesaw Mountain approximately 5 miles away. The Confederate line at Smyrna followed the low ridge line that the current Concord road follows and then takes a turn to form a salient angle that followed high ground along what is now N. Cooper Lake Road.Concord Road, the Confederate line followed this high ground. This is all that remains of Ruff’s Mill. Now on private property, this brick structure dating back before the civil war was spared by the Federal Troops as it was a grist mill they could use for food production.The Concord Covered Bridge was destroyed by the Federal troops on July 4th, 1864. It was rebuilt in the late 1870’s. The stacked stone pier in the middle of the bridge is all that remains of the original structure.
General Sherman entered Marietta and established his headquarters in the Kennesaw House and ordered his forces to continue the pursuit of the Confederates and attempt to engage them no matter what the cost of men and material. They must press their advantage while the Confederates are retreating.
The Kennesaw House saw many uses during the war. Early in the war, Andrews and a few of conspirators, stayed here the night before they stole a train attempted to destroy the railroad that was supplying the Confederate Army. It was also used as a hospital at one point as well as a Sherman’s Headquarters. Now it is a museum well worth the visit.
During the attack on Kennesaw Mountain the Federals set an artillery battery containing 24 guns in total. It was located on a low rise near the base of Big Kennesaw Mountain. These images are from the 24 gun battery which is protected by the National Park.
Just in side the tree line of this low rise near the base of Kennesaw Mountain is the Federal 24 gun battery.Remnants of one of the parapet walls at the 24 gun battery.The gun notch is still slightly visible in the remnants of this parapet wall.A view looking down the line of earthworks for the 24 gun battery. Four separate emplacements are visible along this line.Looking from the rear of the emplacement in the direction the gun would have faced.
With so many locations in connection with the battlefield at Kennesaw Mountain, I am going to make several more post over the next few days with more images. There were just too many to include in yesterdays post. Today’s images will focus on Pigeon Hill.
On the morning of June 27th, Federals under the command of General McPherson attacked the Confederate line in the area of Pigeon Hill and Little Kennesaw north east of Cheatham’s Hill. The Federals quickly overran some Confederate pickets and rifle pits located ahead of the main line, but were quickly stalled by the well entrenched Confederates of French’s Division, which held Little Kennesaw and Pigeon Hill. The Confederates well entrenched with plenty of large boulders and rocks used as cover in their earthworks. At one point the Confederates were even rolling boulders and large down on the attacking Federals. French’s Division also held the advantage of the higher ground thus forcing the Federals to attack up steep inclines that had been heavily covered with entanglements by the men of French’s Division. The attacking Federals were repulsed and forced to retreat to low valley between Little Kennesaw and Pigeon Hill where they were trapped by musket and cannon fire for hours. They were finally able to retreat back to their lines after darkness fell upon the battlefield.
A monument to fallen Federals stands in a field near starting point of the Federal assault on Pigeon Hill. The hiking trail up to Pigeon Hill and Little Kennesaw follows the route that Federal soldiers took during the attack. Look to where the trail appears to end(but really turns left). You will the what are the remains of Confederate earthworks just as the attacking Federals would have seen.Remnants of Confederate Earthworks on Pigeon Hill. These are some of the first entrenchments that were encountered by the Federal assault.Remains of Confederate earthworks on Pigeon Hill near the spot where George Barnard made an image of the battlefield in the fall of 1864.A line of Confederate works on top of Pigeon Hill near the lower portion of Little Kennesaw. Notice the large boulders further down the line and the slope as goes do to the right where the Federals were trapped until nightfall.More Confederate works with large boulders included into the line.Looking down the slope the Federals tried to make an attack from. During the battle the Federals were forced to retreat further down this small valley until the could make it back to their lines under the cover of darkness.This is a period image captured by photographer George Barnard in the early fall of 1864 as he traveled to Atlanta to photograph the campaign.Here is the same location photographed by George Barnard only 150 years later. Notice the large oddly shaped stone in the foreground of each image.
The Confederates are entrenched on the Kennesaw Mountain line and have multiple artillery pieces to the top of Little Kennesaw and Big Kennesaw. It took 100 soldiers to move each cannon up the mountain. Skirmishing continues all along the line, Federal and Confederate Artillery Batteries begin dueling back and forth. General Sherman has ordered General Schofield’s Army of The Ohio to move from Lost Mountain, via the Sandtown Road, thus swinging the Federal right over Mud Creek and toward the south western portion of Kennesaw Mountain. On the evening of the 19th, Schofield reaches Nose’s Creek, about half way between Mud Creek and Kennesaw Mountain.
A cannon now sitting silently atop Big Kennesaw Mountain in the original earthworks. The park service has protected the artillery pieces and earthworks here with a split rail fence.Remnant of the period road that soldiers used to drag the cannons up to the top of Kennesaw Mountain. It took 100 soldiers to drag each cannon to the top.An artillery piece sits atop Little Kennesaw Mountain in what is called “Fort McBride”.Earthworks and cannon at Fort McBride, Little Kennesaw Mountain.Looking down the barrel of a big gun. Ft. McBride, Little Kennesaw Mountain.Part of Kennesaw Mountains extensive trail system snake behind the parapets and cannons where Confederate soldiers once fought bitterly against the attacking Union Army.
War Was Here 