Published in 1890, The Mountain Campaigns in Georgia—a slim volume devoted to telling the story of the battles fought in the war’s western theater along the Western & Atlantic Railroad—boasted a number of detailed illustrations by leading artists of the day, including Alfred R. Waud and Thure de Thulstrup. Waud, boasted the book’s author, had “personally visited all of the battlefields depicted,” and all of the sketches were “drawn with scrupulous regard to historic accuracy….” The Mountain Campaigns in Georgia‘s battle sketches, most of them drawn from the Confederate perspective, are presented below in the order they appeared in the book and accompanied by the original captions.
“Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, On the line of the Western & Atlantic Railroad, near Marietta, Ga., June 27, 1864.”
“The First Gun at Chickamauga, September 18, 1863. The Confederates opening fire upon the Federal cavalry, who had begun the destruction of Reed’s Bridge.”
“Longstreet’s Soldiers Debarking from the Trains Below Ringgold, September 18, 1863. They hastened from here into the Battle of Chickamauga, which was already raging.”
“Cleburne’s Repulse of Sherman at Missionary Ridge. Opposite Boyce Station, on the Western & Atlantic Railroad. November 25, 1863.”
“Battle of Ringgold, Ga. On the line of the Western & Atlantic Railroad. November 27, 1863.”
“The Snow-Ball Battle. On the line of the Western & Atlantic Railroad, near Dalton, Georgia. March 22, 1864. A grand mock battle between several divisions of Confederate soldiers.”
“Battle of Mill Creek Gap. On the line of the Western & Atlantic Railroad, near Dalton, Ga. May 9, 1864. Johnson’s and Butterfield’s Federal divisions assaulting portions of Bate’s and Stewart’s Confederate divisions.”
“Battle of Dug Gap. On Rocky Face Ridge, west of Dalton, Ga., and three miles from the Western & Atlantic Railroad. May 8, 1864.”
“Battle of Resaca, GA. On the line of the Western & Atlantic Railroad. May 15, 1864. The attempt against Gen. Hindman’s position by a portion of the Army of the Cumberland.”
“Battle of Lay’s Ferry. Near Calhoun, Ga., on the Western & Atlantic Railroad. May 15, 1864. Jackson’s brigade of Confederates assaulting the greater part of Sweeny’s division of Dodge’s corps.”
“Battle of New Hope Church—’The Hell Hole.’ May 25, 1864. ‘New Hope’ … from the bloody fighting there for the next week, was called by the soldiers ‘Hell Hole.'”
“Battle of Pickett’s Mill—First Volley from the Confederates. Near New Hope Church, west of the Western & Atlantic Railroad. May 27, 1864.”
“The Confederates Storming the Federal Outer Line of Works at Allatoona. On the line of the Western & Atlantic Railroad, October 5, 1864. Capture of the colors of the 39th Iowa Regiment.”
“Battle of Allatoona, Ga. At Allatoona Pass, on the Western & Atlantic Railroad. October 5, 1864. The message signaled from Kennesaw Mountain to these heights, gave rise to the famous gospel hymn, ‘Hold the Fort, for I am coming!'”
“The Truce in the Midst of the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain. On the line of the Western & Atlantic Railroad, near Marietta, Ga. June 7, 1864. The Confederates and Federals rescuing the Federal wounded from the burning timber.”
“Capture of De Gress’s Battery by the Confederates. A single line of Confederates (of Hardee’s corps), with no support, stormed the works and captured this magnificent battery. July 22, 1864.”
My wife and I visited the battle sites between Chattanooga and Jonesboro some years ago. What’s impressive, for the most part, is the rugged terrain of northwest Georgia. Kennesaw Mountain alone is worth touring.