Georgia: Marietta Receives Regional  Award for Civil War Commemoration

MARIETTA, Ga. — Marietta city officials on Wednesday received the Atlanta Regional Commission’s 2014 CREATE Community Award in the Community Involvement and Collaboration category for its year-long commemoration in 2014 of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War Battles of Marietta.

Head to Marietta during the last weekend in June when a series of events hosted by the National Park Service will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.

Head to Marietta during the last weekend in June when a series of events hosted by the National Park Service will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.

The 150th Committee was a collaboration between the city and various organizations, including Marietta’s Gone With the Wind Museum, Marietta Museum of History, the Cobb NAACP, Zion Baptist Church, local historians and Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park.

The committee hosted guided tours of buildings that served as Civil War hospitals on the Marietta Square, tours of the National and Confederate Cemeteries, re-enactors, a Civil War musical at the Strand Theatre, the Sons of Union Veterans National Conference, Virginia’s Civil War HistoryMobile and a life-sized replica of the Confederate submarine CSS Hunley.

The culmination was the re-creation on Nov. 8, 2014, of the burning of the Marietta Square by General William Sherman.

With a history dating back to 1834, Marietta, Georgia, a present-day big city with small town charm located  minutes north of Atlanta and just south of the North Georgia Mountains, was the stage on which many significant events during the Civil War unfolded. Marietta was also once a proposed Capital of the Confederacy and is still home to the Marietta National Cemetery. This year marks the sesquicentennial of the fourth year of battle between the North and the South and Marietta commemoratesimportant happenings with year-round special events – many of which are taking place this summer.

Gather the whole family or embark on your own personal historical pursuits and remember this historic occasion with events like the Juneteenth annual celebration, a reenactment of the March from Marietta Square to Kennesaw Mountain, Civil War: The Musical at the Strand Theatre, a re-dedication recognizing the 100th anniversary of dedication of the Illinois monument and more. The Bleeding Gray and Blue Walking Tour, every Saturday in June, joins visitors with noted historian Brad Quinlin as he tours the Historic Marietta Square, highlighting the events and the places that served as hospitals during the Civil War.

Head to Marietta during the last weekend in June when a series of events hosted by the National Park Service will commemorate the 150thanniversary of the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain with various activities beginning with an opening ceremony on Thursday, June 26, and concluding on June 29. Each day will consist of different proceedings including cannon demonstrations, guided hikes, and a Civil War fashion show, along with Civil War medical tents, activities for children and various speakers and presentations. Check out the website for a full list of events.  www.BattleofKennesawMountain150.com

Download Marietta’s free Cannonball Trail app (iTunes or Android) and take a self-guided driving tour around Marietta and through Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield where you’re treated to historically-significant sights such as the fields where men fought and died, the cemeteries where those brave men rest eternally, the houses that commanders used as their headquarters and the city where it all took place.

Round out a visit with stops at area attractions, many of which are of historical note. Located on the second floor of the historic Kennesaw House, the Marietta Museum of History tells a rich account of the area. Also nearby, the Marietta Gone With the Wind Museum: Scarlett on the Square was established in April of 2003 and currently houses Dr. Christopher Sullivan’s privately owned collection of GWTW book and movie memorabilia.  Two blocks from the square, the Root House is one of the oldest surviving frame houses in Marietta. The home offers visitors an opportunity to experience how a middle class merchant and his family lived in the 1850s. Climb aboard the Historic Marietta Trolley Company for a one-hour, fully-narrated exploration of the city. Visit Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park where so many important events in the Civil War transpired and then come full-circle with a trip to the modern-day Marietta Square Farmers Market.

For a side of culture, take time to appreciate metropolitan Atlanta’s only museum dedicated to American art, the Marietta /Cobb Museum of Art, housed in Marietta’s first U.S. Post Office, and home to a full schedule of exhibitions and boasting a permanent collection of 19th and 20th century American art, from Warhol to Wyeth. And, don’t miss the Earl Smith Strand Theatre, an Art Deco theatre that served as a movie house on the Marietta Square from 1935-76 where you can catch a performance of “Civil War: The Musical” this summer.

Event listings

June 7

Bleeding Gray & Blue Walking Tours

Join noted historian Brad Quinlin as he tours the Historic Marietta Square. These fascinating tours will highlight events and the places that served as hospitals during the Civil War.  Every Saturday in June.

11:30 a.m.

Tours begin at the Marietta Museum of History, 1 Depot Street, Marietta, GA 30060

770-794-5710

www.MariettaHistory.org

June 8

Spirituals

Dr. Moses performs spirituals at Zion Baptist Church.

4 p.m.

Zion Baptist Church, 165 Lemon Street, Marietta, GA 30060

770-427-8749

www.ZionBaptistChurchMarietta.org

June 13-14

Juneteenth Concert and Celebration

Join the Cobb NAACP for the annual Juneteenth celebration and concert including arts and crafts, food, entertainment, and historical recreation and reading of Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth is the oldest national celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.

6-11 p.m., Friday, June 13; 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Saturday, June 14; Gospel Concert 3-6 p.m., Sunday, June 15

Historic Marietta Square

770-425-5757

www.CobbNAACP.org

June 14

Bleeding Gray & Blue Walking Tours

Join noted historian Brad Quinlin as he tours the Historic Marietta Square. These fascinating tours will highlight events and the places that served as hospitals during the Civil War.  Every Saturday in June.

11:30 a.m.

Tours begin at the Marietta Museum of History, 1 Depot Street, Marietta, GA 30060

770-794-5710

www.MariettaHistory.org

Contact: Jan Galt, Jgalt@MariettaGa.gov

June 20-21

The Civil War, A Musical Experience Weekend

Friday and Saturday, June 20-21

Earl Smith Strand Theatre, 117 North Park Square, Marietta, GA 30060

770-293-0080

www.EarlSmithStrand.org 

June 20-22

Battle Re-enactors and Encampments on Marietta Square

Battle re-enactors and encampments will take place in and around the Historic Marietta Square.

All day

Historic Marietta Square

770-429-1115

www.MariettaCivilWar.com

June 21

Bleeding Gray & Blue Walking Tours

Join noted historian Brad Quinlin as he tours the Historic Marietta Square. These fascinating tours will highlight events and the places that served as hospitals during the Civil War.  Every Saturday in June.

11:30 a.m.

Tours begin at the Marietta Museum of History, 1 Depot Street, Marietta, GA 30060

770-794-5710

www.MariettaHistory.org

June 22

Confederate Cemetery Tour by Friends of Brown Park

Living history tours at the Marietta Confederate Cemetery and City Cemetery.

1-4:30 p.m.

Marietta Confederate Cemetery, 395 Powder Springs Street, Marietta, GA 30060

770-794-5606

www.MariettaCivilWar.com

June 26-29

The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain Anniversary Events

The National Park Service commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain with various events beginning with an opening ceremony on Thursday, June 26, and concluding on June 29. Each day will consist of different events including cannon demonstrations, guided hikes, and a Civil War fashion show, along with Civil War medical tents, activities for children and various speakers and presentations. Check out the website for a full list of events.

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield, 9900 Kennesaw Mountain Drive, Kennesaw, GA 30152. Off-site parking required – check website for updated parking map.

770-427-4686.

www.BattleofKennesawMountain150.com

June 26

Kennesaw Mountain Opening Ceremonies

The opening ceremony is the official start to a weekend filled with events commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.

7 p.m.

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield, 900 Kennesaw Mountain Drive, Kennesaw, GA 30152.  Off-site parking will be required – check website for updated parking map.

770-427-4686

www.BattleofKennesawMountain150.com

June 27

Claire Lynch Band and Bobby Horton Concert

Claire Lynch is the reigning 2013 International Bluegrass Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year.  Bobby Horton is a multi-instrumentalist, seasoned performer and music historian.

7 p.m.

770-427-4686

www.BattleofKennesawMountain150.com

June 28

Rededication recognizing 100th anniversary of dedication of Illinois monument

The magnificent Illinois Monument, which stands at the crest of Cheatham Hill, was erected by the State of Illinois to honor the 480 men from that state who died on this slope.  The marble monument is thirty-four feet square at the base and the shaft rises twenty-five feet.  Atop the monument is a seven-foot high bronze soldier clutching a rifle and two women in classic Greek garb.

8:30 p.m.

770-427-4686

www.BattleofKennesawMountain150.com

June 28

Bleeding Gray & Blue Walking Tours

Join noted historian Brad Quinlin as he tours the Historic Marietta Square. These fascinating tours will highlight events and the places that served as hospitals during the Civil War.  Every Saturday in June.

11:30 a.m.

Tours begin at the Marietta Museum of History, 1 Depot Street, Marietta, GA 30060

770-794-5710

www.MariettaHistory.org

June 29

Kennesaw Mountain Closing Ceremonies

The closing ceremony is the official end to a weekend filled with events commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.

5 p.m.

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield, 900 Kennesaw Mountain Drive, Kennesaw, GA 30152.  Off-site parking will be required – check website for updated parking map.

770-427-4686

www.BattleofKennesawMountain150.com

If you go

Bring the family and experience these local Civil War attractions open year-round.

Marietta National Cemetery

The Marietta National Cemetery is the site of over 10,000 Union graves. Henry Green Cole donated the land as a joint Confederate & Union cemetery, hoping to heal ill feelings between the north and south. However, Marietta officials did not want Confederate dead buried near Yankee dead, so they formed a separate Confederate Cemetery.

Marietta Confederate Cemetery & Brown Park

The Marietta Confederate Cemetery is the final resting place for 3,000 Confederate soldiers from nearby hospitals and military operations including the Battle of Kolb’s Farm and The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain.

Kennesaw House & the Marietta Museum of History

Located on the second floor of the historic Kennesaw House, the Marietta Museum of History tells a rich account of the area. It houses the city’s extensive historical collections of photographs, artifacts and documentary information of Marietta in particular, and North Georgia in general.

Gone With the Wind Museum

The Marietta Gone With the Wind Museum: Scarlett on the Square was established in April of 2003 and currently houses Dr. Christopher Sullivan’s privately owned collection of GWTW book and movie memorabilia.

The Root House Museum

Two blocks from the square, the Root House is one of the oldest surviving frame houses in Marietta. The home offers visitors an opportunity to experience how a middle class merchant and his family lived in the 1850s.

The Historic Marietta Trolley Co.

A one-hour, fully-narrated exploration of our historic city. Experience Marietta’s rich heritage, from the vibrant Downtown Square, past grand Antebellum homes, to the battlefields at Kennesaw Mountain.           

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

On June 27, 1864, Kennesaw Mountain is the site of a major battle between the North and South. General Sherman’s troops battled those of Confederate General Johnston in one of many clashes that led to the fall of Atlanta. The park now encompasses more than 2,800 acres and features a visitor’s center, gift shop, museum and 16 miles of hiking trails.

Marietta Square Farmers Market

The Marietta Square Farmers Market is located on the Historic Marietta Square.  Hours are 9 a.m. to 12 noon every Saturday and 12 noon to 3 p.m. every Sunday, April through November, rain or shine. 60 plus vendors on Saturday and 30 plus vendors on Sunday will feature Georgia grown, made or produced vegetables, cheese, bread, eggs, fresh flowers, local honey, baked goods and milk every weekend.

Marietta / Cobb Museum of Art

The Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art is metropolitan Atlanta’s only museum dedicated to American art. Housed in Marietta’s first U.S. Post Office, the museum hosts a full schedule of exhibitions and boasts a permanent collection of 19th and 20th century American art, from Warhol to Wyeth. Besides their exhibitions the museum offers lectures, workshops, classes, and art festivals. Other social and cultural opportunities are also offered.

Earl Smith Strand Theatre

This Art Deco theatre served as a movie house on the Marietta Square from 1935-76. Recently restored and returned to its original glory, it now hosts classic films, concerts and stage productions.

Expand your experience with the Bleeding Gray and Blue walking tours every Saturday in June with historian Brad Quinlin.

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NORTH CAROLINA: N.C. Played Critical Role at Civil War’s End

As I get older I understand certain sayings. One is “How time flies!” When I recently contemplated this year, the final year of the Civil War Sesquicentennial, “How time flies!” was my first thought. Only a couple of months remain.

Kickler

Kickler

During the horrid conflict (1861-65), when brother sometimes fought brother, approximately 750,000 lives were lost. Some scholars contend that one-sixth of the Confederate dead hailed from the Old North State. Unlike today, soldiers from the same county comprised regimental companies. As a result some communities — North and South — lost a great percentage of their male population. Many soldiers returned home alive yet without an arm, leg, or several limbs. Other veterans suffered from what doctors called “shell shock” during World War I and what we now call post-traumatic
stress disorder.

In 1865, North Carolina was a primary Union target. Battles and military maneuvers had occurred before that year, to be sure. The battles of Roanoke Island, New Bern, Plymouth, and constant guerrilla warfare in the mountains are several examples.

During the war, Wilmington was a main harbor for blockade runners. Fort Fisher had ensured that the port town remained in Confederate hands and the Cape Fear River remained open to trade. In mid-January 1865, the garrison endured heavy bombardments and eventually the Union occupied the last bastion of Confederate waterways.

Union sights were set next on Goldsboro, a railroad hub connecting eastern North Carolina towns. While headquarters for this operation were moved to New Bern, Gen. William Sherman’s troops advanced through South Carolina and waged total war. By March 7, Sherman’s entire army was in the state.

On the way to Goldsboro, Union soldiers, under Gen. Jacob Cox’s command, were stopped near Kinston at Wyse Fork; Confederates had burned bridges across Southwest Creek. On March 8-10, the Battle of Wyse Fork ensued, and Kinston fell four days later. The Confederates, however, had delayed the Union advance for 10 days.

Sherman’s army advanced in two wings. Newly appointed Confederate Army commander Gen. Joseph Johnston planned with subordinates to crush one wing before Sherman’s army reunited.

On March 10, “Kilpatrick’s shirt-tail skedaddle” — a cavalry engagement —occurred at Monroe’s Crossroads. Casualty reports are contradictory, but under Gen. Wade Hampton’s leadership, Confederates almost captured Kilpatrick and controlled road access that allowed them to join Gen. William Hardee’s army.

On March 11, Sherman occupied Fayetteville and abandoned some 20,000-30,000 white and black refugees, calling them “dead weight.” Sherman then directed a general to “destroy all railroad property, all shops, factories, tanneries, &c., and all mills, save one water-mill of sufficient capacity to grind meal for the people of Fayetteville.” And he ordered the arsenal destroyed.

Heavy fighting occurred in mid-March. At the Battle of Averasboro (March 16), Confederates delayed the Union advance and allowed time for Hardee’s men to reunite with Johnston’s command. The last major battle of the Civil War occurred at Bentonville on March 19-21. A decimated, patched-together, and unpaid Confederate army almost defeated a much larger foe. Sherman, however, maintained the field.

Meantime, Union Gen. George Stoneman led a total war effort in the mountains.

Sherman’s men were in Raleigh by April 13, four days after Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant. Even so, President Jefferson Davis maintained a will to fight. Johnston, however, convinced Davis that it was best for his war-weary men to surrender.

On April 17, 18, and 26, Johnston and Sherman negotiated terms at Bennett’s farmhouse (in modern day Durham). There, Johnston secured better terms of surrender for his men than Lee did at Appomattox. Although a few mountain skirmishes occurred later in April and May, the war in North Carolina had ended.

Dr. Troy Kickler is director of the North Carolina History Project (northcarolinahistory.org).

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