Daniel J. Vermilya - The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain

Published by The History Press

Charleston, SC 29403

www.historypress.net

Copyright 2014 by Daniel J. Vermilya

All rights reserved

First published 2014

e-book edition 2014

ISBN 978.1.62584.918.2

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Vermilya, Daniel J.

The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain / Daniel J. Vermilya.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

print edition ISBN 978-1-62619-388-8

1. Kennesaw Mountain, Battle of, Ga., 1864. 2. Georgia--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Campaigns. 3. United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Campaigns. I. Title.

E476.7.V47 2014

973.7371--dc23

2014005787

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is dedicated to my grandparents:

Elmo and Edith Vermilya

Richard and Miriam Gustafson

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:17

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

There are many people who need to be mentioned and thanked for their help with this book project. Series Editor Doug Bostick has been a tremendous help in the process of writing, researching and developing this book. I am indebted to him, along with the staff and editors at The History Press. Hal Jespersen brought his expertise to bear in creating the maps for this book, and I am extremely grateful for his assistance and skill.

The staff at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park also provided assistance that was invaluable. Park Historian Willie Ray Johnson graciously opened up the park library for me, and Ranger Amanda Corman helped with securing images for the book. Historian and author Brad Quinlin lent his time and expertise in traversing Kennesaw Mountain with me, discussing the battle and campaign. I would also like to thank the staff at the Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland, Ohio; the Manuscript, Archives and Rare Books Library at Emory University; and the Atlanta History Center for their help and hospitality.

While this is a book on Kennesaw Mountain, I need to thank my colleagues and friends at Antietam National Battlefield and Gettysburg National Military Park for their help, support and friendship as well. I have worked at Antietam for four years now, and I am extremely grateful for all of my colleagues and friends there. Special thanks go to Rangers Brian Baracz and John Hoptak. Brian and his wife, Michelle, have provided invaluable help and support over the past few years, and John not only put me in touch with Doug Bostick and The History Press but also has repeatedly answered questions and provided assistance with the book-writing process. Brian and John graciously read parts of the book before its publication, as did two of my Gettysburg colleagues, Rangers Phillip Brown and Chris Gwinn.

My professors at Hillsdale College and John Carroll University also deserve mention here for their help along the way. Professor Tom Conner at Hillsdale College has been a great friend and mentor, and it was his classes and a trip to Europe to study Winston Churchill and World War II that inspired me to try my hand at being a historian. I also want to mention Hillsdale professor David Raney and John Carroll University professors Dan Kilbride and David Robson, who have all been tremendous teachers who helped me to develop further as a historian.

Without Jeff and Paula Vermilya, my uncle and aunt who live in Kennesaw, Georgia, I would not have been able to write this book. Uncle Jeff and Aunt Paula have made their home my home during my numerous trips to Georgia over the years. Jeff and I have spent many hours hiking the trails at Kennesaw Mountain over the past few years as well. Jeff, who is an Anglican priest, actually baptized me during one of my trips to Georgia. Spending time in Georgia with Jeff and Paula, along with my cousin Annie and her husband, Jonathan, was by far the best part of writing this book.

I also want to thank my dad for his unwavering support and encouragement. Through everything, Dad has always been there to help, even reading chapters of this book to provide feedback. Whenever I doubt whether I can do something, a quick call to Dad always convinces me that I can. I also want to thank my mom for her love and support as well. Mom spent many hours taking me on long history trips to Civil War sites around the country when I was younger. It was my mom who first took me to Kennesaw Mountain many years ago. From when I was a little kid, I always wanted to be a Civil War historian and write books about American history. I would never have been able to pursue those goals without my parents. Thanks, Mom and Dad.

Finally, I want to thank my wife, Alison. Her support and love have helped in more ways than can be mentioned. I could not have done this without her.

INTRODUCTION

The scene was a grand one. Atlanta, once a major hub for Southern rail transportation, was being consumed by fire. The city had been a bustling metropolis, growing rapidly over the course of the mid-nineteenth century, becoming a crown jewel in the heart of the Confederacy. Atlantas fall was one of the most significant Union victories in the American Civil War. It boosted morale throughout the North and helped to ensure the reelection of Abraham Lincoln in early November, which in turn guaranteed that the Union government would not give up the fight against the Confederacy any time soon. Now, as Union soldiers marched past the city at the start of their famed March to the Sea, they could only marvel at the destruction that was taking place. Albert Champlin of the 105th Ohio recorded an impression of the scene in his diary on the night of November 15, 1864: Night comes on and yet the city is burning; what a magnificent sight and what a work of destruction. The destroying blow [that] the rebels aimed at our government and country is falling fatally upon themselvesDearly they are paying for their folly and crime and wickedness.

This moment in time, enshrined in Champlins diary, wasand isone of the most famous incidents of the American Civil War. It stands as a moment of victory for the Union and a moment of defeat and desolation for the Confederacy. Books, paintings and movies have burned this scene into American history, and it is no doubt quite familiar to many Americans today. Yet this moment of triumph for Champlin and the thousands of other Union soldiers marching south with him had not been predestined, nor had it been easily won.

Champlins strong words regarding the Confederacy reflected the importance of what had occurred during the campaign for Atlanta. These thoughts were no doubt shared by many Union soldiers who had likewise struggled that spring and summer in a grueling duel across the mountains, rivers and forests of northern Georgia. The year 1864 was extremely brutal, and it was characterized by battlefield losses and the terrible toll they exacted on all who endured them. The back-and-forth struggle in Georgia that summer often takes a backseat to the much more famous March to the Sea that occurred after Atlantas fall. But it was the campaign for Atlanta itself that was ultimately more important for Northern victory in the Civil War. Without the Atlanta Campaign, the legendary March to the Sea would have never occurred. During the months between May and September 1864, there had been many battles foughtsome of which were won, some of which were lost and all of which changed the course of American history.