Having regained the Western and Atlantic Railroad the Union Army takes Acworth on June 2, 1864. For the next month William Tecumseh Sherman would try to capture Marietta in a series of battles known as the Marietta Operations. Included battles and skirmishes:

• Lost Mountain
• Pine Mountain
• Brush(y) Mountain
• Burnt Hickory
• Noonday Creek
• Gilgal (Golgotha) Church
• Mud Creek
• Olley's Creek

On June 18 the Confederate line ran north to south from Kennesaw Mountain to Peter Kolb's farm. The Union line was less than a mile west.

A frontal assault on Johnston's entrenched position would be expensive in terms of lives. Sherman decided to try the flanking movement that had worked so well further north. Sensing the movement, Hood attacked Hooker's XX Corps in the vicinity of Kolb's (or Culp's) Farm without orders on June 22 (Battle of Kolb's Farm). The move prevented Sherman from turning the Rebel flank, but the 1,000 Confederate dead was an exceeding high cost.

For 5 days the Union Army organized under the watchful eyes of the Confederates. Supply wagons and men stretched as far the eye could see. On Monday, June 27, 1864, Sherman launched The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, a full frontal attack on the entrenched Rebel line. It would be the worst defeat of the Federal forces during the Atlanta campaign.

Further Union Army movement after the battle finally exposed Johnston's flank. During the night of July 1-2 the Confederate commander withdrew to fortified positions between Marietta and Atlanta. The battles for Kennesaw were over. Now Sherman turned his attention to Atlanta.

Ken Burns' Civil War

The Atlanta Campaign
Prelude
Opening Curtain
Sherman leaves his lifeline
A formidable foe
The battles for Atlanta
Chronology

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