Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield is just one of many national park sites set aside to honor the battles that shaped our nation.  Across the United States, the National Park Service preserves dozens of historic battlefields, forts and military landscapes.  These places were chosen not only for the events that happened there, but also for the stories they continue to tell.

Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield stands as a reminder of the human cost of the Civil War.  The battle there was fought on June 27, 1864, it was one of the bloodiest engagements of the Atlanta Campaign.   General Sherman, and the Union forces, led a direct assault on the Confederate Line commanded by General Johnston.  The steep slopes and well-constructed Confederate positions created an almost impenetrable defense.

Sherman’s attack failed, with over 4.000 Union casualties in just a few hours.  The Confederates held their ground here, but victory was temporary.  Sherman realized the futility of this frontal assault and turned to the flank to continue his march towards Atlanta.  

The battlefield today is a landscape where walkers and hikers follow trails once marked by smoke and sacrifice.  In the Visitor Center, you can watch a film that explains why we remember this place, telling the story behind the battle and the soldiers who fought here.

Across the country, more than two dozen major battlefield parks and 60 related historic sites (which I will be sharing more of later) are protected within the national park system.  They span every era of conflict on American soil, from the Revolution to WWII.  Together, they form a vast classroom where we can walk the ground and understand the human cost of the freedoms we enjoy. Kennesaw Mountain is one chapter in this larger story.  All these preserved battlefields deserve to be protected, preserved and remembered for future generations.