Battle of Kennesaw Mountain Lecture at the Atlanta History Center

By Leigh Massey

In the summer of 1864, Georgia was the scene of one of the most important campaigns of the Civil War. William Tecumseh Sherman’s push southward toward Atlanta threatened the heart of the Confederacy, and Joseph E. Johnston and the Army of Tennessee were the Confederacy’s best hope to defend it. In June, Johnston managed to grind Sherman’s advance to a halt northwest of Atlanta at Kennesaw Mountain. After weeks of maneuvering, on June 27, Sherman launched a bold attack on Johnston’s lines. The Confederate victory was one of the bloodiest days of the entire campaign. And while Sherman’s assaults had a frightful cost, Union forces learned important lessons at Kennesaw Mountain that enabled the fall of Atlanta several months later.

Daniel Vermilya is a Civil War historian who works as a park ranger at Antietam National Battlefield and Gettysburg National Military Park. In 2012, he was the first recipient of the Save Historic Antietam Foundation’s Joseph L. Harsh Memorial Scholar Award. Daniel received his bachelor’s degree from Hillsdale College, where he studied both history and politics. He also holds a master’s degree in history from John Carroll University.

The lecture will take place on Thursday, June 26, at 8 p.m. the Atlanta History Center, located at 130 West Paces Ferry Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30305:  See map.

Admission for all lectures is $5 members, $10 nonmembers, and free to AHC Insiders unless otherwise noted. Reservations are required. Call 404.814.4150 or reserve tickets online at AtlantaHistoryCenter.com/Lectures.

Support: The Elson Lectures are made possible with generous funding from Ambassador and Mrs. Edward Elson.