General Morgan L. Smith’s Division at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain

By late June of 1864, Major General William T. Sherman’s campaign to capture Atlanta had been in progress for almost two months. Sherman and his opponent, General Joseph E. Johnston, had spent that time in a series of flanking maneuvers punctuated by fighting and then repeating the process. Overall, the U.S. forces were slowly getting closer to Atlanta but they were still a long way from actually taking possession of that important city.

Brig. Gen. Morgan L. Smith

While the armies had engaged in several battles, Sherman had resisted ordering any full scale frontal assaults on fortified positions. But when Johnston set up a heavily fortified defensive line on the high ground of Kennesaw Mountain and associated ridges and hills outside of Marietta, Georgia, overlooking not only the Federal forces but also the rail line that served as Sherman’s supply line, the Union commander decided to change tactics. Believing that the Rebel defensive line was spread thin, he decided to order an attack for the morning of June 27th. The attack would include demonstrations against the Confederate right on Kennesaw Mountain, movements to the south along the Rebel left, and assaults in the center.

Brigadier General Morgan L. Smith commanded the 2nd Division of Major General John Logan’s 15th Corps. Smith’s command was assigned to assault Little Kennesaw Mountain and Pigeon Hill, a hill just to the south Little Kennesaw. Two brigades, one under the command of Brigadier General Giles Smith (Morgan Smith’s brother) and one commanded by Brigadier General Joseph Lightburn, would be joined by a brigade under Brigadier General Charles Walcutt, from Logan’s 4th Division. The plan called for Walcutt and Giles Smith to attack Little Kennesaw and Pigeon Hill, with Lightburn attacking slightly south of the Burnt Hickory Road, to the right of the other two brigades. If the road could be taken, it would open up a route into Marietta.

Brigadier General Francis Cockrell’s brigade of Missourians opposed Giles Smith on Pigeon Hill, while a brigade of Mississippians under Colonel

Gen. Francis Cockrell CSA

William Barry (commanding in the absence of Brigadier General Claudius Sears, who was recovering from battle wounds) was deployed on the south end of Little Kennesaw on the right of Cockrell. Regiments from Brigadier General Mathew Ector’s Brigade would be sent to reinforce Cockrell as the battle proceeded. Lightburn’s advance would be contested by Brigadier General Hugh Mercer’s brigade of Georgians. Confederate artillery was also positioned on Pigeon Hill. The U.S. troops would have to face all types of enemy fire while advancing uphill over rough terrain with trees and other vegetation, making this assault a very difficult task.

It proved to be impossible. Thought the Union brigades had some successes in driving off or capturing enemy pickets, the main Rebel lines held in what was some of the most intensive fighting in the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain. The brigade commanders’ after action reports provide good narratives of the action. Note that Kennesaw was sometimes spelled with one “n”.

General Giles Smith’s report on his brigade at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain:

Hdqrs. First Brig., Second Div., 15th Army Corps,
Camp Near Kenesaw Mountain, Ga., June 28, 1864.

Sir: I have the honor to make the following report of the part taken by the First Brigade, under my command, in the assault of the enemy’s works near Kenesaw Mountain, June 27, 1864:

Brig, Gen. Giles Smith

On the afternoon of Sunday, the 26th, orders were received to withdraw, at dark, from our position in front of Kenesaw Mountain, and move to the right, passing the Sixteenth Corps, and occupying a position vacated by the Fourteenth Corps. Early on Monday morning, the 27th, our assaulting column was formed, consisting of three brigades. My brigade, in the center, was formed in two lines, as follows: The Fifty-seventh Ohio, Colonel Rice, on the right; the One hundred and eleventh Illinois, Colonel Martin, on the left; the One hundred and sixteenth Illinois, Captain Windsor, in the center, in front. The second line was composed of the Sixth Missouri, Lieutenant-Colonel Van Deusen; the One hundred and twenty-seventh Illinois, Captain Little; the Fifty-fifth Illinois, Captain Augustin, in the order named, from right to left. The Second Brigade, of your division (General Lightburn’s), was on my right, and Colonel Walcutt’s brigade, of the Fourth Division, on my left. My line of battle was formed about 100 yards in front of our works, then occupied by the First and Fourth Divisions of the Fifteenth Corps, and immediately in rear of their picket-lines. The position of the enemy’s works to be assaulted was a ridge or hill on the right of Kenesaw Mountain, Colonel Walcutt’s brigade to enter the gorge or ravine between the mountain and hill, his right to overlap the left of the hill, and his left to extend over a portion of the mountain. General Lightburn’s objective point was a ridge farther to my right about 800 or 1,000 yards. The ground was wooded, with thick underbrush in many places, and held by the enemy’s skirmishers. Nothing further of the ground was known, and very little of the enemy’s position, except what could be seen from a high point in our lines over the tops of the trees. The movement commenced at 8 o’clock. The enemy’s skirmishers were steadily driven back, leaving some dead and wounded on the field. The ground over which my line of battle advanced proved even worse than was anticipated. A part of the way was low swampy ground, and so densely covered with underbrush as to compel the men to crawl almost on their hands and knees through the tangled vines. These difficulties were finely overcome, and the open ground in front of the enemy’s works gained. The hill was steep and rugged, covered with fallen trees, precipitous rocks, and abatis, rendering any advance in line of battle utterly impossible. The works, a little below the crest of the hill, were very formidable, and filled with men, completely commanding the whole slope of the hill, and, from the nature of the ground, being enabled in many places to pour in a cross-fire that no troops could withstand. My command moved gallantly up the ascent, making their way independently as best they could over all obstructions, some nearly gaining the works, but only to be shot down as they arrived. Our loss, particularly in officers, was very heavy. Colonel Rice, Fifty-seventh Ohio, not yet fully recovered from his fearful wound at Vicksburg, was shot in both legs, one of which has since been amputated. The Fifty-fifth Illinois lost Captain Augustin, commanding regiment, and Captain Porter, killed within fifteen yards of the intrenchments, and Captain Aagesen and other officers wounded. Of the One hundred and eleventh Illinois, Captain Andrews was killed and Captain Walker wounded twenty yards from the ditch, and Major Mabry struck by a ball on the leg, but not so severe as to compel him to leave the field. To gain any portion of their works seemed impossible. The ground gained was mostly held until dark, when the picket-line was established in the edge of the woods, and the men withdrawn from the side of the hill. Our pickets were soon after relieved by the First Division, and my brigade ordered to occupy the camp of the previous night.

Battle of Kennesaw Mountain by Thure de Thulstrup

Both officers and men of my command acquitted themselves nobly, and are entitled to all the credit due to brave and gallant soldiers. A list of casualties is inclosed.

GILES A. SMITH,
Brigadier- General, Commanding.

Brig. Gen. M. L. Smith,
Comdg. Second Division, Fifteenth Army Corps.

Giles Smith listed his casualties as 24 killed, 128 wounded, and two missing.

General Lightburn’s report on his brigade at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain:

Hdqrs. Second Brig., Second Div., 15th Army Corps,
Near Big Shanty, Ga., June 28, 1864.

Sir: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by [my] command in the assault upon the enemy’s works on the 27th instant:

Pursuant to orders, I marched from my bivouac at 7.30 a. m., formed in two lines in rear of a battery in Brigadier-General Osterhaus’ lines and at ten minutes past 8

Brig. Gen. Joseph Lightburn

moved forward. My advance was a part of the way through an open field under a raking fire of artillery obliquely on my right and left, also a musketry fire from the same directions. After passing through this open field, crossing a small stream into low ground covered with underbrush and interwoven with vines, through which I advanced a distance of 150 yards to another open field in my front and immediately in front of the enemy’s main works. The edge of this field was occupied by the enemy with a heavy intrenched skirmish line, which I could not see until the front line was within twenty paces of it. A few volleys were fired, and my men dashed forward with clubbed muskets and succeeded in carrying this work, and advanced 160 yards into the open field. Finding this position exposed to a complete flank fire of artillery from the left and musketry from the right, the line fell back under cover of the woods, where I remained with my command until after dark, when, by order, I withdrew to the bivouac left in the morning.

During the advance my officers did all that could be done, but the underbrush through which we advanced was so thick that it was impossible to preserve a line; the consequence was the entire line was broken (this accounts for the heavy loss in officers), which was impossible to reform in the woods, on account of the thick underbrush, or in the open field in front, on account of the raking fire to which they were exposed. Some regiments fell back and reformed in the open field in the rear, only to be broken again in advancing. I, however, reformed the line as well as I could under the circumstances, and held my position, pursuant to orders, under a heavy fire of artillery until dark.

My casualties are as follows: Commissioned officers—killed, 2; wounded, 13. Enlisted men—killed, 16; wounded, 140. Total, 171. A full list will be forwarded soon.

J. A. J. LIGHTBURN,
Brigadier- General, Commanding.

Capt. Gordon Lofland,
Asst. Adjt. Gen., Second Division, 15th Army Corps.

Sherman’s Attack on the Center at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain from Harper’s Weekly

General Morgan Smith filed this report on his division and Walcott’s brigade at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain:

Hdqrs. Second Division, Fifteenth Army Corps,
Near Kenesaw Mountain, Ga., June 28, 1864.

I have the honor to submit the following report of an assault made by a part of General Logan’s corps, under my command, upon the enemy’s works to the right of Kenesaw Mountain:

In accordance with General Logan’s order, I withdrew my division from its position to the left of the mountain after dark on the night of the 26th instant, and massed it opposite the extreme right of the mountain and a hill, which is a continuation of the same, to the right. This hill was the objective point of the assault, and my division and Colonel Walcutt’s brigade, of General Harrow’s division, was designated as the assaulting column, and 8 a. m. of the 27th the hour to advance. General Lightburn, commanding Second Brigade, of about 2,000 muskets, was directed to form in two lines and assault through a little orchard, about 400 yards to the right of the hill, and to advance as soon as he heard a brisk fire on the left. General Giles A. Smith, commanding First Brigade, of about the same strength, was directed to move at the same time in two lines directly on the hill. Colonel Walcutt, commanding the brigade of General Harrow’s division, of about 1,500 muskets, was directed to move directly for the gorge where the hill joins on to the mountain, lapping the mountain and left of the hill, feel into the gorge as far as possible, and capture the works in his front. As the enemy could not depress their artillery sufficiently to fire on him, he was ordered to advance first, and the opening of the enemy’s fire upon him was the signal for the other two brigades to advance. The line moved about 8 o’clock. It advanced steadily, with a strong line of skirmishers, but owing to the extreme density of the underbrush it was impossible for skirmishers to keep in front of their lines. Found the enemy’s line of rifle-pits about 400 yards from their main works, and killed or captured most of their skirmishers. After passing a deep, swampy ravine, the line fixed bayonets, advancing, moved steadily and rapidly for the enemy’s works, amidst a shower of shot and shell. Officers and men fell thick and fast. In addition to the steepness of the ascent, trees had been felled and brush and rocks piled in such a manner as to make it impossible to advance with any regularity. Officers and men still pushed forward. Reenforcements of the enemy were seen coming in from the right and left. Within about thirty feet of the enemy’s main works the line staggered and sought cover as best they could behind logs and rocks. Some of the Fifty-fifth and One hundred and eleventh Illinois, of General Giles A. Smith’s brigade, fell on and inside the works. General Lightburn, on the right, pressed on through a swamp, where officers and men sank to their knees, and a very dense thicket, but on account of an enfilading fire, was unable to get nearer than 150 yards of the orchard and works beyond. He, however, by coming suddenly out of the thicket and swamp, killed and wounded quite a number of the enemy and captured 2 officers and 36 men.

Colonel Barnhill, commanding Fortieth Illinois, of Colonel Walcutt’s brigade, and [Captain] Augustin, Fifty-fifth Illinois, were killed on the hill near the enemy’s works; Colonel Rice, Fifty-seventh Ohio, also wounded on the hill (leg amputated); Colonel Spooner, Eighty-third Indiana, farther to the right of the hill, was wounded (arm amputated at the shoulder); Colonel Parry, Forty-seventh Ohio, severely in the leg.

Colonel Walcutt, commanding the brigade from General Harrow’s division, moved forward promptly toward the gorge, encountered the enemy’s rifle-pits; captured about 50 prisoners; found the gorge perfectly impassable on account of the rocky and precipitous entrance. He then turned his attention to the right of the mountain, from which he was receiving a flank fire, and left of the hill; some of his brigade met their fate at the breast-works. Officers and men on the side-hill were completely covered by the second line and sharpshooters, and the artillery of Generals Osterhaus’ and Harrow’s divisions, so that I am satisfied not one prisoner was taken by the enemy. A good line of rifle-pits was made in front of General G. A. Smith’s and Colonel Walcutt’s brigades in one hour, within 100 yards of the hill in some places. At dark the men were all withdrawn from side-hill; our pickets were relieved by General Osterhaus, and I received General Logan’s order to resume the position occupied in the morning.

Accompanying please find list of casualties and reports of brigade commanders.

Your obedient servant,

M. L. SMITH,
Brigadier- General of Volunteers.

Maj. R. R. Townes,
Assistant Adjutant-General, Fifteenth Army Corps.

The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain was a Confederate victory. The Federals had about 3000 total casualties while the Confederates had around 600. However, while the frontal assaults were underway on the Confederate center, the Union 23rd Corps had been able to swing around into position to threaten the Rebel left. This allowed Sherman to return to a flanking movement a few days after the Kennesaw Mountain battle.

Related: Colonel Daniel McCook’s Brigade at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain

Sources:

Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era by James McPherson

The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain by Daniel J. Vermilya

Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies in the War of the Rebellion, Series I, Volume 38, Part 3.

The Struggle for Atlanta by Oliver O. Howard. In Battles and Leaders of the Civil War Volume IV, edited by Robert U. Johnson and Clarence C. Buel.