Overview
The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain took place on June 27, 1864, during the Atlanta Campaign. It was fought near Marietta, Georgia, between Union forces under General William T. Sherman and Confederate forces under General Joseph E. Johnston. The battle developed after Sherman pushed south through Northern Georgia in pursuit of Johnston’s Army of Tennessee. Much of the campaign followed the Western and Atlantic Railroad, which both armies depended on for supplies.
By June 19, Johnston had withdrawn to a strong defensive position across Kennesaw Mountain. Sherman first tried to extend the Union line west and turn Johnston’s left flank. Johnston anticipated the move and strengthened that part of his line. Although Union forces defeated Confederate defenders at the Battle of Kolb’s Farm on June 22, they failed to turn the Confederate flank.
Sherman then decided that Johnston’s center was vulnerable and ordered a direct assault on June 27. After an artillery barrage, the Army of the Tennessee attacked Johnston’s right, the Army of the Cumberland attacked the center, and the Army of the Ohio attacked the left. The attacks failed against the well-entrenched Confederates. The battle ended in a Confederate victory, but Johnston later withdrew to the Chattahoochee River.
Essential Facts
- Date: June 27, 1864.
- Location: Cobb County, around Marietta, Georgia.
- Participants: United States of America (USA), Confederate States of America (CSA).
- USA Commanders: William T. Sherman, James B. McPherson, John M. Schofield, and George H. Thomas.
- CSA Commanders: Joseph E. Johnston.
- Who Won: The Confederate States won the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain.
- Campaign: Atlanta Campaign (1864), Marietta Operations (1864).
- Era: Civil War, 1864, May–August, Civil War.
Statistics
United States of America
- Casualties: 3,000 killed, wounded, captured, and missing.
- Forces Engaged: Army of the Tennessee, Army of the Ohio, and Army of the Cumberland.
- Troop Strength: Roughly 99,000 soldiers.
Confederate States of America
- Casualties: 1,000 killed, wounded, captured, and missing.
- Forces Engaged: Army of Tennessee.
- Troop Strength: Roughly 50,000 soldiers.
Significance
The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain is important to American History because it was a major battle in the Atlanta Campaign and showed the strength of Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston’s defensive position near Marietta, Georgia. William T. Sherman had often used flanking movements to force Johnston to retreat, but his attempt to turn the Confederate left flank failed after the Battle of Kolb’s Farm. Sherman then ordered a frontal assault on June 27, 1864. The attack failed and led to heavy Union losses. Although the Confederates won the battle, Johnston still retreated to Johnston’s River Line. Kennesaw Mountain marked the last major frontal assault Sherman ordered during the Civil War.
History
Federal Breakout from Chattanooga
In late November 1863, Union forces commanded by Major General Ulysses S. Grant successfully lifted Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston’s siege of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Union victories at the Battle of Lookout Mountain (November 24) and the Battle of Missionary Ridge (November 25) forced Johnston to withdraw thirty miles south near Dalton, Georgia.
Grant Promoted to Lieutenant General
After the Federal breakout from Chattanooga, President Abraham Lincoln promoted Grant to the special rank of Lieutenant General and placed him in command of all Union armies. Grant moved his headquarters to Washington, leaving his trusted subordinate, Major General William T. Sherman, in command of federal operations in the western theater.
Grant’s Umbrella Strategy
Grant’s primary military strategy was a coordinated effort to attack and defeat the two main Confederate armies in the field, Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia in the east, and Joseph E. Johnston and the Army of Tennessee in the west.
On May 5, 1864, Grant launched his Overland Campaign against Lee in Virginia. Two days later, Sherman led three armies, the Army of the Tennessee, commanded by Major General James B. McPherson; the Army of the Ohio, commanded by Major General John M. Schofield; and the Army of the Cumberland, commanded by Major General George H. Thomas, out of Tennessee in pursuit of Johnston’s army in northern Georgia.
Fighting Along the Western and Atlantic Railroad in Georgia
Throughout the summer of 1864, the Confederate and Union armies engaged in a series of battles between Dalton and Atlanta in northern Georgia. Most of the fighting occurred at places on or near the Western and Atlantic Railroad, which connected Chattanooga and Atlanta. Both sides depended on the railway for supplies throughout the campaign. In a pattern that he often repeated, Sherman used flanking movements that threatened the railway to Johnston’s rear, forcing the Confederate commander to retreat south to protect his supply lines.
Sherman Tries to Turn Johnston’s Flank
By June 19, 1864, Johnston had withdrawn the Army of Tennessee to a defensive position astride Kennesaw Mountain near Marietta, Georgia. Initially, Sherman decided that Johnston’s new line was too strong to risk a frontal attack. Instead, he attempted to extend the Union line west and turn Johnston’s left flank. Anticipating Sherman’s plan, Johnston countered by sending reinforcements to bolster his left flank. On June 22, Sherman’s troops defeated the Confederate defenders at the Battle of Kolb’s Farm, but they did not turn the Confederate flank.
Failed Federal Assault Near Kennesaw Mountain
After the Battle of Kolb’s Farm, Sherman concluded that Johnston’s center was vulnerable, believing that the Confederate commander had stretched his line too thin by committing too many soldiers to protect his left flank. Thus, Sherman ordered a major frontal assault on Johnston’s army on June 27. Following an artillery barrage, the Army of the Tennessee attacked Johnston’s right flank while the Army of the Cumberland attacked the center and the Army of the Ohio attacked the left.
Aftermath of the Battle
Each of the attacks against the well-entrenched Confederates proved futile and resulted in heavy Union losses. The Union suffered about 3,000 casualties (killed, wounded, captured/missing) compared to Confederate losses of roughly 1,000 soldiers (killed, wounded, captured/missing).
Despite the Confederate victory at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, Johnston fell back to a new defensive line (Johnston’s River Line) along the west bank of the Chattahoochee River after the battle.
Timeline
- 1863, November — Union forces under Ulysses S. Grant lifted the Confederate Siege of Chattanooga, Tennessee.
- Union forces won the Battle of Lookout Mountain (November 24)
- Union forces won the Battle of Missionary Ridge (November 25).
- Confederate forces marched southward to Dalton, Georgia.
- 1864, February 22–27 — Confederate forces won the First Battle of Dalton.
- 1864, February 25 — Union and Confederate forces engaged in the inconclusive Battle of Crow Valley, near Dalton.
- 1864, February 29 — President Abraham Lincoln promoted Grant to the special rank of Lieutenant General and placed him in command of all Union armies.
- 1864, May 5 — Grant launched the Overland Campaign against Robert E. Lee in Virginia.
- 1864, May 7 — William T. Sherman led three Union armies out of Tennessee in pursuit of Joseph E. Johnston’s army in northern Georgia, starting the Atlanta Campaign.
- 1864, May 7–13 — Union forces won the Battle of Buzzard’s Roost and the Battle of Rocky Face Ridge.
- 1864, May 13–15 — Sherman’s forces engaged the Army of Tennessee at the Battle of Resaca near Resaca, Georgia, and won.
- 1864, May 17 — Union forces won the Battle of Adairsville.
- 1864, May 20 — Johnston established new defensive lines at Allatoona Pass, about 30 miles north of Atlanta.
- 1864, May 25 — Confederate forces won the Battle of New Hope Church.
- 1864, May 26
- Confederate and Union forces entrenched near Dallas, Georgia.
- Johnston reinforced the Confederate right flank at Pickett’s Mill with soldiers led by Patrick R. Cleburne.
- 1864, May 27 — Confederate forces won the Battle of Pickett’s Mill.
- 1864, June 9 — Johnston withdrew the Army of Tennessee to a fortified position around Marietta, Georgia.
- 1864, June 14–15 — Union forces won the Battle of Pine Mountain.
- 1864, June 15–16 — Confederate forces won the Battle of Gilgal Church.
- 1864, June 19 — Johnston withdrew the Army of Tennessee to a defensive position near Kennesaw Mountain.
- 1864, June 22 — Union forces won the Battle of Kolb’s Farm.
- 1864, June 27
- Sherman ordered a major frontal assault against Johnston’s army at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain.
- The Union assault failed, handing the Confederates a victory.
- Johnston withdrew to the west bank of the Chattahoochee River, ending the Marietta Operations.
AP US History
Definition
Battle of Kennesaw Mountain (1864) — The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain was fought on June 27, 1864, near Marietta, Georgia, during the Atlanta Campaign. General William T. Sherman attacked General Joseph E. Johnston’s well-defended Confederate line after failing to turn Johnston’s left flank at Kolb’s Farm. Sherman ordered attacks by the Army of the Tennessee, the Army of the Cumberland, and the Army of the Ohio. The Confederate defenders held their positions, inflicted heavy Union losses, and won the battle, although Johnston later retreated to the Chattahoochee River.
Alignment
The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain is part of the following AP US History sections:
