The Battle of Allatoona Pass

General Alexander P. Stewart [CS] advanced from the hills of west Cobb County and gained the Western and Atlantic Railroad in early October, 1864. As they moved northwest his Rebels battled the Union garrisons established by General William Tecumseh Sherman to protect his all-weather lifeline. With cavalry sweeping Stewart's front, the Confederates easily defeated Yankees stationed at Big Shanty (now Kennesaw), Moon's Station and Acworth on October 3rd. Less than 500 men defended the three garrisons.

Working through the night the Confederates tore up track for eight miles north of Big Shanty. On October 4th General Samuel French (of Stewart's Corps) received orders instructing him to advance on Allatoona Pass, fill it with "...logs, brush, rails, dirt..." then continue on to the Etowah Bridge and destroy it. As is typical with virtually all of John Bell Hood's battles after his assumption of command of the Army of Tennessee, his descriptions of the events vary greatly from the description given by the participants.

General Alexander P. Stewart [CS] advanced from the hills of west Cobb County and gained the Western and Atlantic Railroad in early October, 1864. As they moved northwest his Rebels battled the Union garrisons established by General William Tecumseh Sherman to protect his all-weather lifeline. With cavalry sweeping Stewart's front, the Confederates easily defeated Yankees stationed at Big Shanty (now Kennesaw), Moon's Station and Acworth on October 3rd. Less than 500 men defended the three garrisons.

Working through the night the Confederates tore up track for eight miles north of Big Shanty. On October 4th General Samuel French (of Stewart's Corps) received orders instructing him to advance on Allatoona Pass, fill it with "...logs, brush, rails, dirt..." then continue on to the Etowah Bridge and destroy it. As is typical with virtually all of John Bell Hood's battles after his assumption of command of the Army of Tennessee, his descriptions of the events vary greatly from the description given by the participants.

Now attention turned to Samuel French. The able Confederate commander had been repulsed repeatedly while assaulting the Star Fort. He had reason to believe a large Federal force was advancing on his position, as reported by his cavalry. And he knew that Sherman had signaled "Hold the fort, we are coming." Without much of choice, he retreated from Allatoona without a victory, without rations and without 1,000 of the men he began with.

As he withdrew, French launched an attack against a blockhouse on Allatoona Creek about 2 miles south of the pass. After setting the structure on fire, he captured four officers and 85 men who were stationed there. Fearing the approach of the Union Army, French left abruptly.

Aftermath and AfterMyth

The Battle of Allatoona Pass was the introduction of Hood's ill-fated Nashville Campaign. It would be the last great Confederate offensive of the Civil War.

Within 6 weeks Sherman would launch his "March to the Sea" from Kingston, a few miles west of Allatoona, and introduce the "Age of Modern Warfare" on the populace of Georgia. The first step in this great march would be the destruction of the track between Dalton (city history) and Marietta (city history), including the track running through Allatoona Pass.

Major General Corse would marry the niece of United States President Franklin Pierce and move to Boston, where President Grover Cleveland appointed him as postmaster of that city.

General Sherman never actually made the statement "Hold the fort for I am coming," as popularized in a hymn by that name. The communications that may have inspired the hymn follow: