Summer of 1864

JUNE

The Sounds of Battle drew closer and closer. Cannon Fire. Rifle and Musket Fire. Drums pounding out the beat. Feet thudding on the ground. Battle Yells. Screams.

Smoke and the stench of fighting filled the air.

Regardless of which side you were on, it was a horrific time.  It didn't matter if you were a civilian or a part of the military. It was pure hell.

Visualize Green Meadows Preserve and Community Garden as it is today. Then think back 150 years ago today - this area was a constant battlefield. All through the month of June, West Cobb County was a battlefield with thousands of Confederate and Union soldiers marching to and fro.

As the summer progressed, the war crept closer.

Military action
New Hope Church - May 25
Picketts Mill - May 27
Lost Mountain - June 5-9
Gilgal Church June 15 - 17
Mud Creek Line - June 17
Kennesaw Mtn - June 27


Picture a summer like this one in 2014. Lush foliage. Crops growing well. Rains coming every afternoon.

Then imagine what it looked like after the battles in 1864. Splintered and cut down trees. Torn up earth. Buildings destroyed to make fortifications. Gilgal Church was dismantled and used (as well as the pews)  to build fortifications by the Confederate Army.

As the crow flies, small battles and military actions weren't far from the Green Plantation marker in front of the house at Green Meadows Preserve.

Military Action at Gilgal Church (1.1 miles)
Due West Community (1.2 miles)
Battle of Gilgal Church (1.3 miles)
Mud Creek Line (1.6 miles)
Battle of Pine Knob (1.7 miles)
Darby Plantain  (.8 miles)
Main Confederate Battle Line (2 miles)

To visualize the movement of the various armies using current roads, zoom in to see all the Historical markers in Cobb County.

Visit Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park between June 26 and June 29 to learn more about how the Civil War impacted the civilian population, medicine was practiced on the battlefield, hear music from the era and see demonstrations of cannons and rifles being fired. Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park is having a huge series of events and programs (link to schedule)  commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain.

The City of Marietta is also having a variety of events all summer long as is the The Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History.

All clipart images proved by Classroom Clipart. Photo provided by Victor Williams.