February 26

Finally, away from the madhouse called Atlanta traffic. By the time I left Chattahoochee NRA folks were starting to get onto the roads. The park’s VC is at Island Ford. The term comes from the days when the Chattahoochee River ran unimpeded. Many areas allowed people to ford the river with very little water underfoot. The VC was built by a Georgia Supreme Court Justice, Samuel Hewlett. This was his “summer retreat”. Eventually the land and building were deeded to the NPS. But this is not the only parcel of real estate in this park. One can stop at many places along a 48-mile length of the river and be within the park’s boundaries. In between, well, just call it human opulence. The biggest house overlooking the Island Ford location is easily a $10 million residence. Atlanta is still the financial capital of the South. A couple of people were launching kayaks from the Island Ford entry point. Canadian Geese were honking out on some rocks in the middle of the river. After getting the Passport Book stamp, I headed to Sope Creek. The parking lot was full of people enjoying the trails. My purpose was to see the paper mill ruins along Sope Creek. The Marietta Paper Mill company began in 1859. They had difficulties during the Civil War due to resources for making paper. The main Atlanta newspaper had to cut back on distribution because the paper mill could not continue an adequate supply of paper. Union soldiers burned the mill, but it was rebuilt after the war. Then another fire in 1870 required more reconstruction. A wood pulp mill and a twine factory were added. But, by 1902 the company had to close the premises.

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park had a surprise for me. The Live History group was at the VC for its annual training certification. A field, past the main parking lot, was sufficiently removed from visitors to allow for safe operations. Gloria, a park volunteer, gave me an introduction as to what was happening. Once a year the group which fires cannons at annual events has to be recertified, and “new recruits” have to be trained. The group before me included men and women who have been firing the cannons for up to 30 years, and at least six rookies. Each rookie was assigned to a veteran, who demonstrated each position needed to fire the cannon. One of the seasoned folk was Jake, who is also a Park Ranger. He had originally offered me the opportunity to stand behind the group’s waiting area, telling me there would be live fire. Who can resist the chance to watch an 1800’s era cannon be fired? Granted, no actual shell or ball discharge, but plenty of smoke (see photo in Daily Trip Report section). Gloria introduced me to Don, the elder statesman for the company. He provided background on the history of this activity, and listed various dates when the team shows up for demonstrations. For Federal holidays, like July 4 and Memorial Day, the company dresses in Union Blue. When the team is at a location in the park which represents the Confederate side of things (like on the top of Kennesaw Mountain, since only the Confederates ever held that ground), Confederate Gray is the dress code. There was a mix of colors before me, because this was a training exercise. But all the clothes were wool. Don explained that wool will not burn, unlike other materials worn today. Though it is highly unlikely, there is always that small chance that during one of the firings a spark could land on a uniform.

While I was hiking to the top of Kennesaw Mountain, I could hear the boom of the cannon. I tried to imagine being in a trench, hearing the sound, and wondering if a shell was headed my way. On my way to the top a question was directed to me by Brad. He was hiking with his son, Parker. They live in Marietta and like to come to the park to hike the trails. Brad is from Nebraska. He wanted to be sure my Quest included Homestead NHP, in Beatrice, NE. I replied yes. But I also mispronounced the name of the town. For all of us who did not grow up in Nebraska, be sure to separate the “e” and the “a”, while making the “a” sound like the first “a” in “avalanche”. Folks in South Carolina and North Carolina have the same frustration when visitors do not know which is the correct pronunciation of “Beaufort”. Tar Heels say it one way, and Gamecocks another. I will let you figure it out.

Back to the battlefield. Don indicated there are nine parking lots, stretched for the 4 or 5 miles, from Kennesaw Mountain to Kolb Farm. The park has implemented a new parking policy. Every car must purchase a pass at a machine in each lot, or show an annual pass on the dashboard. Great Smoky Mountains NP is implementing this practice on March 1. Expect to see other parks which cannot regulate entry (such as at Arches NP where there is only a single road into the park) follow suit. I had started my visit at Kolb Farm. It is the last standing structure which is original to the battle. The Union was trying to turn the left flank of the Confederates, but the Rebels spied troop movement from atop Kennesaw Mountain and sent General Hood’s 13,000 men to the scene. Captured Confederate soldiers had told Union General Hooker of Hood’s plans, so Hooker was ready. Though Hood lost a lot of men and had to retreat, it caused the Union Commander, General Sherman to pause, then pull his men back, to rethink how to take Kennesaw.

From the Kolb Farm it seemed like I would “enter” the battlefield then in one minute I was “leaving”, per the road signs. Then a minute later I was back in the park, then leaving it once again. It was like I was not seeing a battlefield, rather 20th and 21st century residential and commercial land, interspersed with some “off limit” property.

When you are standing on top of Kennesaw Mountain it is easy to see how futile Sherman’s final strategy was from its beginning. But he was stubborn. He forced his commanders to run their men up the mountainsides, with every attempt being repulsed. Thousands of dead men. Finally, he listened to his subordinates. The Union forces went around the mountain and headed to Atlanta.

Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park is replete with monuments and markers. For this visit I focused on the Chickamauga battlefield, and passed on the Lookout Mountain area. Congress authorized this NMP, the first of its kind, in 1890. That shows the importance of the two battles which were fought on this land. One rebel soldier wrote that the loss of the second battle in November-1863, was the “Death Knell of the Confederacy.” The VC still has six cannon on display at its entrance. I think these are the same cannon I saw in my first two visits to the park. The park makes it known that the 200 or so cannon in the park are original to the Civil War. The carriages are not. Signs ask parents to keep their children from climbing on the cannon. A self-guided auto-tour is available, going from one major battle spot to another, or one can hike or run it if they want. I choose to use my car. September 19 and 20 were the two days of battle on this field. The second action in November was at Chattanooga, including the famous Missionary Ridge. The Confederates eventually won the first engagement, at 11:10 AM when they overwhelmed the Union forces at the Brotherton Cabin. After the battle, the Brotherton family came back to their log home to discover four of their cows had survived. They supplied milk to refugees and to wounded soldiers. As with the larger battlefields in the NPS system, blue and gray plaques dot the landscape, with text of what happened at each location and which unit was on that spot. An example is in the Daily Trip Report page. One can drive on Missionary Ridge, today a city street. Most of the land along the road is privately held, but the NPS owns a few spots. Monuments and markers tell some of the story of the units which were stationed there.