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Sfy\ ~ ir B Jr I H M VOL. I. The Battle of Kennesaw Monntain, JUNE 27, 1864. From “ The Mountain Campaigns in Georgia, or War Scenes on the W. & A.,” we copy the following descrip tion of the great Battle of Kenne saw Mountain, which was one of the most picturesque, as well as one of the most desperate battles of the great War between the States: On the 24th of June a very vigor ous attack was made upon Hardee’s position, immediately southwest of Kennesaw Mountain. On the next day a portion of Hood’s corps, on the lIK-jt'xx'S **■ ...«,- /7‘:a£t •• t. ' B^.^---' 7 ' <?■ < - < as mhMHHR sfli - -a ' '''&&*"■" ' K *.-. *.. jQaPmm^^MTO-yWMWByBw^ 7 ■'■ -’• rV ’■'****f?t x. T l *' aL gL ■ QreaffigsffJy W| r - - IB "- W V» I■: <A\u-t BATTLE OF KENNESAW MOUNTAIN, JUNE 27th, 1864, Confederate left, was likewise assault ed ; but, in each instance, the Feder ate were’repulsed. Tnese daily combats, and extensions of the Federal lines, also, made those of the Confederates so long, andsohar rassed them, that there was serious danger of the Federate breaking through at some weak point. Sher man, with his preponderance of num bers, was evidently aiming to accom plish this very result, if possible. In fact he says: During the 24th and 25th of June Gen. Schofield extended his right as far as pru dent so as to compel the enemy to thin out his lines correspondingly,with the intention to make two strong assaults at points where success would give us the greatest advant age. * * * I reasoned that if we could make a breech anywhere near the rebel The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain Number. ATLANTA, CA., JANUARY, 1886. center, and thrust in a strong head of col umn, that with the one moiety of our army we could hold in check the corresponding wing of the enemy, and with the other weep in flank and overwhelm the other s half.” —(Memoirs. Vol. 11., page 60.) At about ten o’clock in the morning of the 25th, the Confederate batteries on the crest of Kennesaw opened fire upon the Federals. The latter re plied furiously, and for an hour there was a grand artillery duel. This was renewed during the afternoon, and was a majestic spectacle ; but the damage to both sides was small. General French thus graphically de scribes the situation on this date : From the top of the mountain the vast panorama is ever changing. There are now large trains to the left of Lost Mountain and at Big Shanty, and wagons are moving to and fro everywhere. Encampments of hospitals, quartermasters, commissaries, cav alry and infantry whiten the plain here and there as far as the eye can reach. Our side of the line looks narrow, poor, and lifeless, with but little canvass in spots that contrasts with the green foliage. The usual flank extension is going on. Troops on both sides move to left, and now the blue smoke of the musket discloses the line by day trending away, for away south toward the Chattahoochee, and by night it is marked, at times, by the red glow of the artillery, amidst the spark-like flash of small arms that looks in the distance like innumerable fire-flies. After these preliminary contests, which severely tested the bravery and endurance of both armies, on the 27th of June, 1864, occurred the great and famous battle of Kennesaw Mountain, which was probably the distinctive battle between Dalton and Atlanta of the Atlanta campaign—a battle which will ever hold its position, on the page of history, as being one which con ferred imperishable lustre upon the valor of American soldiery —the at tack being made with vigor, pluck and persistence, which in themselves emi nently deserved success, and being met with such courage and fortitude as alone could have made the efforts of their antagonists futile. Os this memorable struggle the two commanding Generals summarize as follows: In the morning of the 27th, after a furi ous cannonade, the Federal army made a general assault upon the Confederate posi tion—which was received everywhere with firmness, and repelled with a loss to the as- sailants enormously disproportionate to that which they inflicted. At several points the characteristic fortitude of the North western soldiers held them under a close and destructive fire long after reasonable hope of success was gone. The attack upon Loring’s corps was by the Army of Tennes see; that upon Hardee’s by the Army of the Cumberland. The principal efforts of the enemy were directed against Loring’s right and left brigades, and the left of Har dee’s corps.—(Johnston’s Narrative, page 341.) About 9 A. M. of the day appointed the troops moved to the assault, and all along our lines for ten miles a furious fire of ar tillery and musketry was kept up. At all points the enemy met us with determined courage and in great force. McPherson’s attacking column fought up the face of the lesser Kennesaw, but could not reach the summit. About a mile to the right (just below the Dallas road) Thomas’s assaulting column reached the parapet, where Briga- dier-General Harker was shot down, mor tally wounded, and Brigadier-General Mc- Cook (my old law partner) was desperately wounded, from the effects of which he after wards died. By 11:30 the assault was in fact over, and had failed. We had not broken the rebel line at either point, but our assaulting columns held their ground with in a few yards of the rebel trenches, and there covered themselves with parapet. — (Sherman’s Memoirs, Vol. 11., pages 60 and 61.) It would be hard to attempt to go into details of this masterly combat without being betrayed into a requisi tion for very much more space than this little publication will admit. The attempt upon the Confederate right, which lay east of Kennesaw Mountain, running across the Western and Atlantic Railroad, and north of the present station, Elizabeth, to the hills, some hundreds of yards beyond, was by Logan’s corps, formed in three lines, and supported by Blair and Dodge, with their respective corps, a portion of which fronted the mountain, also, and made strong demonstrations against it, accompanying them with heavy and constant firing. They first fell upon Nelson’s (Twelfth Louisiana regiment, which occupied a strong line of rifle pics, six hundred yards in front of the main entrenchments. These held their ground, keeping up a hot fusilade, until the first Federal ranks had approached within twenty-five paces, and then hastily retired to the Confederate line of battle. The Federal troops advanced steadi ly, and soon came within musket shot NO. I.