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Stop in Kennesaw for Award-Winning Fun
Heading South? Don’t miss Atlanta’s historic countryside in Kennesaw, GA, home to the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History and Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. The Southern Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate, was named “Travel Attraction of the Year” by the Southeast Tourism Society and received a “Best Idea” award from the Georgia Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus, and both venues were recently voted best historic site for families by the readers of Our Kids Atlanta magazine. Kennesaw Mountain also earned a 2003 Readers Choice Award for Favorite Historic Site from Georgia Magazine.
The Southern Museum is a must-see destination for train and Civil War enthusiasts; it is the home of the world-famous locomotive, the General that was stolen by Union spies during the Civil War’s exciting Great Locomotive Chase. Led by James J. Andrews, the spies, most of who hailed from Ohio, were chased by Confederate Conductor William Fuller and stopped just before they reached the Tennessee line. Some of the spies were among the first recipients of the Medal of Honor, and the Museum has Sgt. John Scott’s medal on display. The daring raid is captured in a short film.
The Museum also houses two other permanent collections, including Railroads: Lifelines of the Civil War and Glover Machine Works: Casting a New South. The Railroads collection details how railroads were used to ship troops, weapons, and medical supplies during the war. An integral part of the Railroads collection are the James A. Liesendahl Collection and the George Wray and Family Collection, which feature a wide variety of rare Confederate weaponry, uniforms, personal items, musical instruments, and other items that illustrate life during this period of national strife.
The Glover Collection chronicles the role industry played in rebuilding the South after the Civil War. This interactive collection features the only full-scale belt-driven locomotive assembly line in the country from the Glover Machine Works, a factory reproduction with two locomotives in various stages of completion, a film, various machines and patterns, and extensive Glover archives of personal and business records.
A Smithsonian Affiliations program member, the Museum will present photographer Barbara Beirne’s Serving Home and Community: Women of Southern Appalachia, organized by the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, and developed for travel by Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) September 27 – November 23, 2003. Ms. Beirne will give guided tours at 11 AM and 2 PM the day of the opening, September 27.
Just a few miles away from the Museum lies a hallowed oasis that tells the story of the courageous struggle to prevent the Union from destroying Atlanta. Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park is one of the most popular battlefields in the country. The park’s museum recently doubled in size and brings the battle’s story to life through photographs, weapons, uniforms, and several items from the Smithsonian Institution, including a carbine manufactured in Georgia using brass collected from households in Athens, Georgia. A new film dramatizes the bitter struggle.
Kennesaw Mountain was the one of the last opportunities for the Confederates to prevent the Union from reaching Atlanta, a vital railroad center that transported troops and supplies for the South. The Union first tried outflanking Southern troops, but a fierce battle near Kolb’s farm to the southwest of the mountain on June 22, 1864 prevented this, and Union General William Sherman ultimately decided to attack the mountain five days later. Union General Joseph Hooker was believed to have established his headquarters at Kolb’s farm during the conflict.
The 2,888-acre battlefield park encompasses many of the key sites of the Kennesaw Mountain conflict, including Kolb’s Farm, Cheatham Hill, Pigeon Hill, and Big and Little Kennesaw Mountains. The Confederates had constructed miles of earthen fortifications and parapets in preparation for the battle, and about 11 miles of these earthworks still exist today within the park.
At Cheatham Hill, where some of the most vicious fighting occurred at an area known as the “Dead Angle,” visitors can see the earthworks and parapets where the Confederates hid until the Union army was in shooting range. Today, it’s hard to believe this tranquil spot was the scene of such intense fighting. Union survivors of the battle from Illinois bought the 60 acres around Cheatham Hill and donated it to the State of Illinois for the creation of the imposing marble monument that stands there today. Eventually this land was given to the National Park System, and Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park was created.
Sixteen miles of trails featuring cannons and earthworks allow visitors to experience the battle by walking in the footsteps of both Confederate and Union soldiers. Several key areas are accessible by car and a short, easy walk, such as the Illinois Monument at Cheatham Hill and Kolb’s Farm. Activity and picnic areas are also available for the enjoyment of visitors.
The Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History and Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park are just a few miles apart and easily accessible from Interstate 75, at exits 273 and 269, respectively. For more information, contact: the Museum at www.southernmuseum.org or (770) 427-2117; Kennesaw Mountain at www.nps.gov/kemo or (770) 427-4686; or the State of Georgia at www.GeorgiaOnMyMind.org or (800) VISITGA.
