Sherman’s 1864 Campaign for Atlanta

12th Civil War Forum Battlefield Conference
March 27-30, 2008

There’s still time to get one of the remaining seats on the bus for the Civil War Forum’s annual gathering (as of this post, two weeks to go, and ten seats open on a 55-passenger bus).


This year we have another stellar lineup of guides and speakers to cover one of the war’s critical campaigns. Civil War Forum conferences remain an unparalleled bargain—the most authoritative guides, two full and two half days of tours, three dinner presentations, and two lunches—for significantly less than for-profit tours (see registration info below).

Contact: David Woodbury: civilwarforum@mac.com http://community.netscape.com/civilwar

EVENING EVENTS: As repeat attendees know, and newcomers will discover, we begin gathering in the hotel conference room each evening (Thurs., Fri., Sat.) for an informal reception between 6:00-7:00 p.m. This is a great time to have a glass of wine or Rebel Yell, mingle with your fellow attendees, check out the donated raffle items, and study maps of the forthcoming tours. At 7:00 p.m. we’ll sit down to a catered buffet, before enjoying a talk by one of our featured speakers.

EVENING SPEAKERS:
-> Thursday: Dr. Steven Woodworth of Texas Christian University, author of Decision in the Heartland: The Civil War in the West, Jefferson Davis and his Generals: The Failure of Confederate Command in the West, and many other important Civil War studies.
-> Friday: Dr. John Fowler of Kennesaw State University, author of The Confederate Experience Reader, and Mountaineers in Gray: Nineteenth Tennessee Volunteer Infantry Regiment, C.S.A.

[Friday will also feature a special presentation by Russell Bonds, author of Stealing the General, during our visit to the Southern Museum to see the General —the locomotive stolen by Andrews’s Raiders in the “Great Locomotive Chase”]

-> Saturday: Dr. Steven Davis, noted Atlanta Campaign historian, author of Atlanta Will Fall: Sherman, Joe Johnston and the Yankee Heavy Battalions, and numerous articles and essays, and long-time book review editor of Blue & Gray Magazine.

TOURS:
Thursday afternoon, March 27: 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m: (via carpool) Atlanta History Center. For the first hour, Director Gordon Jones will give us a private presentation in the auditorium with a display of some of the treasures from the spectacular George Wray collection, then will turn us loose to view the Turning Point gallery—he'll remain on hand to answer questions. The Wray and Turning Point collections rank with the best collections of Civil War artifacts in the nation.

Friday, March 28: 7:00 a.m: —Reseca to Kennesaw—First of all, a word of warning: this will be the longest day of the weekend. I have tried to strike a balance between seeing the critical fields of this campaign, and not running everyone ragged. That morning we'll board the bus bright and early and head straight for the battlefield at Resaca, there to meet up with local volunteers for interpretation, including Ken Padgett, president of the Friends of Reseca. We'll see the earthworks at Fort Wayne where the first shots of the battle book place, get an overview of the proposed park, and visit Snake Creek Gap—the subject of innumerable, and interminable internet arguments between detractors and defenders of Sherman and Thomas. Most of the preserved 550-acre Resaca battlefield site is un-improved, without even roads, and to see the entrenchments requires a half mile walk followed by a vigorous climb through heavy woods. Next time we visit, hopefully the access will be improved. From there we'll work our way to Pickett's Mill to see one of the most pristine Civil War battlefields in the country, and the scenes of savage slaughter. State Park historian James Wooten will be our guide for the Pickett's Mill portion of the morning. We'll have lunch at the picnic area there.

After lunch, we'll follow one of the main historic routes, heading east on Due West Road toward Kennesaw Mountain, pass Gilgal Church, and make a stop at Pine Mountain for a few words at the site of the death of Lt. Gen. Leonidas Polk. Soon after we'll stop at the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park Visitor Center, there to see a very good (20-min.) interpretive film, and spend about 45 minutes looking at what Ed Bearss says is the finest Civil War museum at any of the National Park sites. You'll be able to satisfy your bookstore fix here as well. National Park Service historian Willie Johnson will guide us for the rest of the afternoon. The museum exhibits contain a lot of text, and the majority of the artifacts on display are site related, many ID'd to participants in the battle, so we'll take our time with that. From there, we'll bus to the top of the mountain to get an understanding of the terrain, before heading over to Cheatham Hill and other points.

Saturday, March 29: —Chattahoochee River Line, Battle of Peachtree Creek, Battle of Atlanta—We are fortunate to have Charlie Crawford, highly regarded tour guide, and president of the Georgia Battlefields Association, as our guide for the full day on Saturday. Steve Davis and Gordon Jones will also be on the bus to add color commentary. Our rough itinerary for the day: we'll begin with the Fort Drive Shoupades or Vinings Hill, from which Sherman first saw the church spires of Atlanta, and visit at least one of the Chattahoochee crossing sites: Paces Ferry or Powers Ferry. We'll do a drive-by of some of the Confederate Outer Line (Loring Heights, which was part of the starting position for the Peachtree Creek assault), and also drive through Brookwood Hills to see the Confederate initial advance, then follow 28th Street to see the Stevens marker, and stop at Tanyard Creek Park for the bulk of the commentary about Peachtree Creek. Later, in the Battle of Atlanta area, we'll see the Walker monument, and stop at the McPherson monument to explain the struggle for Leggett's Hill. We'll also stop at the Carter Center and walk to the site of the Confederate breakthrough on the afternoon of 22 July 1864.

Sunday, March 30: (via carpool) Optional outing to 1) historic Oakland Cemetery to see the graves of several notable residents, including that of General John B. Gordon, and Margaret Mitchell. From there we'll head to 2) the Atlanta Cyclorama for a guided tour (including the Cyclorama painting, and the locomotive Texas – the locomotive that chased the General in the Great Locomotive Chase). At this last stop, I'll need people to pay their own entrance fee: for our group, it will be $6 per person [entry fees at Pickett's Mill, Kennesaw NBP, Southern Museum, and Atlanta History Center are including in your registration]. At approximately noon, we'll call it quits until next year.

HEADQUARTERS: Comfort Suites Hotel • Perimeter Center 6110 Peachtree Dunwoody Atlanta, GA 30328 Tel: 770-828-0330 http://www.atlantacomfortsuites.com/ Cost: $250: includes all tours, three evening dinner presentations, two box lunches, entrance to all parks and museums (except Cyclorama on Sunday morning). Does not cover your lodging.

Registration can be made by PayPal (request an invoice: civilwarforum@mac.com), or by check or money order to David Woodbury, P.O. Box 19130, Stanford, CA 94309.

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The following books by our featured speakers can be pre-ordered by email (civilwarforum@mac.com), and picked up and paid for at the conference. Authors will personally inscribe your copies. Save on shipping, get a signed copy, and enjoy the opportunity to engage the authors in discussion.

Atlanta Will Fall: Sherman, Joe Johnston, and the Yankee Heavy Battalions (American Crisis Series, No. 3), by Stephen Davis: $24.95 (pbk)

Mountaineers In Gray: The Nineteenth Tennessee Volunteer Infantry Regiment, C. S. A. by John D. Fowler: $34.00 (hardcover)

Decision in the Heartland: The Civil War in the West (Reflections on the Civil War Era) by Steven E. Woodworth (2008): $40.00 (hardcover)

Stealing the General: The Great Locomotive Chase and the First Medal of Honor, by Russell Bonds: $30.00 (hardcover)
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Some interesting resources:
Pickett's Mill State Historic Park
Ambrose Bierce on The Crime at Pickett's Mill
Russell Bonds article on Bishop Polk
Georgia Battlefields Association
Mr. Shoup's Ingenious "Shoupades"
Atlanta History Center