Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park brought us forward to the history of a divided country at war, just under 150 years ago. When Ulysses S. Grant assumed command of all Federal armies in March 1864, he ordered a coordinated offensive to destroy Confederate resistance and end the Civil War. The major efforts focused on eastern Virginia and northwest Georgia. Major General William T. Sherman, in charge of the Georgia offensive, commanded 100,000 soldiers,. Opposing them was Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston entrenched at Dalton, Georgia. Grant ordered Sherman to "move against Johnston's army, and to get into the interior of the enemy's country & resources (namely Atlanta, GA.) We learned that the devastating slaughter that took place here at Kennesaw Mountain, ultimately and thankfully ended in a draw...but Sherman was able to move on to his goal of taking Atlanta by September 1, 1864.

 

President Lincoln and his Northern Generals

Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his Southern Generals

Civil War Cannon and image of Southern General, Robert E. Lee

 

 

We also headed to Ocmulgee National Monument today. We didn't know what to expect, but we were pleasantly surprised by a wonderful individualized ranger tour of the monument. The Ocmulgee testifies to life from Ice Age hunters (10,000 years ago) through the Mississippian farmers who lived here 1100 years ago.

 

 

The beautiful  Visitor Center was completed in 1951 and is
listed on the National Historic Registry.

Ice Age Ocmulgee inhabitants of nearly 17,000 years ago

Spear point, the earliest artifact found here

Bows & Arrows developed

Hunters & Gatherers

Functional clay pottery used here

More refined cooking and farming tools

 

 

Mound builders were very intelligent and artistic

Display showing the huge baskets
that were used to carry earth great
distances to build the mounds

Well planned and placed roof structure
for the earthen mounts

Walkway to the Temple Mound

Entrance to the Temple Mound, directly opening to the east...
Engineered so that on February 22nd, and October 22nd,
the sun will rise in the east and the rays will pass through
the doorway to illuminate the Effigy Eagle & the Chief

Eagle Effigy within the Temple Mound, where the Chief would be seated

Fire bowl within the mound

 

There were a number of seats around
the inside circle of the Temple Mound

Corn Mound

The Dunham Farm is located at the front of the Ocmulgee
National Monument.  The farm was the site of a Civl War
Battle during Sherman's Atlanta Campaign.  A northern regiment
was sent to blow up the railroad bridge at the rear of the property;
however the Confederates were able to ward them off,
and prevent the burning of the bridge.