Posted on 06/28/2014 7:20:39 PM PDT by fella
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) - A letter recently donated to the libraries at the University of Georgia gives an eyewitness account of the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain during the Civil War.
The letter is from Joseph Short to his wife, Nancy. It is part of the collection of William Joseph and Nancy Wallis Short family papers recently donated by Roger Rowell to UGA’s Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain began at 8 a.m. on June 27, 1864. By noon it was over, and Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman had lost the battle and 3,000 of his soldiers. But his army outflanked the Confederate Army after a five-day standoff and forced it to retreat to Smyrna. Sherman continued to head to Atlanta.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
How much better would our nation be, if the South had won, then a few years later we had reunified under stronger states rights?
I am not advocating slavery. That was a horrible stain on our nation, however, the abuse of power of the all powerful national government has enslaved us all.
I think I recall this battle being called “the battle above the clouds”. It gave whole new meaning to “having the high ground”.
CC
According to the Gone With The Wind, the citizens of Atlanta could hear the battle clearly; Kennesaw is about 25 miles from Atlanta.
The Battle Above the Clouds was at Lookout Mountain about Chattanooga. It was a Union victory.
My GGrandfather lost 3 Brothers at Chickamauga which was part of the same series of battles but a Confederate victory. The Confederates charged the Union lines several times before finally breaking through. It was a bit of a Pyrrhic victory in that the South lost a lot of men.
I believe that “The Battle Above the Clouds” was Lookout Mountain, Tn.
I remember visiting the site of the Battle of Cheatham Ridge which was part of the Kennesaw Mountain battles. This was back in the 60s.
It was a very one sided Confederate victory.
When I first glanced at the thread, I thought it was talking about the Black Sox scandal, but it is something a lot more serious than that.
I wonder how Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis got his name?
The mountain anchored the lines, but most of the fighting was on lower ground to the south between Pigeon Ridge and Cheatham Hill.
I couldn’t agree more!
I stand corrected, gentlemen.
CC
His father fought in the battle, for the north. Almost lost his leg.
CC
I had another GGrandfather who was a Methodist Circuit Rider during the war. He spent 1864 and 1865 at Doctortown Mission in SE Georgia.
This was right on the Altamaha River and there was a Confederate camp there to defend the railroad trestle. Interestingly it was the only place I know of where Sherman was repulsed every time he attacked it. The trestle was still standing in the 1930s.
I had distant relatives who fought for the north. I’ve been unable to figure out what their units were, other than that they were Michigan infantry units. My direct-line ancestor and one of his sons served in the continental army during the revolution. I see that ancestry in the south is keenly studied and many people I’ve met from the south seem to know their families history well. that is not as true for northerners for some reason.
CC
The information is probably there but you will have to find it. Both sides actually kept pretty good records tho there will always be a few missing people.
Is there a link to the letter mentioned in the article. I’ve not found it in the article. I’d like to read it if possible. I have an interest in learning more about that battle.
Ancestry.com has a pretty good base of civil war rosters available. You could probably access it a local library if you don’t want to subscribe.
His father was wounded there fighting for the invaders during the War of Secession.
It's a lot different for the ones who are being invaded than it does for the invaders. The former has more reason to remember while the latter has more reason to forget.
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