Best Civil War Sites and
Museums in Cobb County
KENNESAW NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD PARK
Photo courtesy of the Georgia Department of Economic Development
As one of the biggest turning points in American history, the American Civil War will be remembered through time as the greatest single loss of human life on American soil. While America has overcome the differences that lead up to the Civil War, the lives of those who served the Union and Confederate armies are forever enshrined in spectacular monuments on great battlefields in the South.
Many great Civil War battlefields and museums reside in Georgia, with a bulk of them located in or around Atlanta, which was a major Southern metropolis even during the times of the Civil War. Any Civil War buff or history aficionado will be fascinated when visiting these great Civil War monuments in Cobb County near Atlanta.
Marietta Civil War Cemeteries – This area of Cobb County contains two Civil War cemeteries, and is one of the only places with both a Confederate and Union cemetery so close to each other. The Marietta Confederate Cemetery, holding over 3000 Confederate soldiers, was designed to house the bodies of Confederate soldiers killed in an 1863 train collision, but it was eventually filled with many soldiers that died of battlefield wounds as well. The National Cemetery is also here, which contains the bodies of 10,000 Union soldiers, with 3000 that are unknown. This cemetery was initially going to hold both Confederate and Union soldiers, but it was later decided the two opposing forces should not be buried together.
Smyrna Concord Covered Bridge – This covered bridge leading to metropolitan Atlanta is one of the only covered bridges still used by motor vehicles today. It was burned during Sherman's Atlanta campaign and was rebuilt in 1872 to accommodate traffic again.
Marietta Battlefield and Museum of History – A tribute to those who died in the Battle of Marietta and the greater Atlanta campaign of 1864 by General William T. Sherman, the Marietta Museum of History is located in the historic Kennesaw House. It contains authentic Civil War uniforms, weapons, and ammunition recovered from battlefields.
Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield Park – This park of almost 3000 acres is home to a National Battlefield where two battles took place during the Atlanta campaign of 1864. Hosting over 1 million visitors a year, this park has a visitor center with Civil War memorabilia, Cheatham Hill, and intact Confederate and Union trenches.
Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History – This affiliate of the Smithsonian in Cobb County is home to the famous steam locomotive, "The General," which was stolen by Union spies in The Great Locomotive Chase of 1862.
If you are thinking about taking a vacation to Atlanta or you are interested in Civil War history, visit the Cobb County Convention & Visitors Bureau at www.cobbcvb.com to get a free map and visitors guide, and allow them to help you plan a route through the South's best Civil War historical sites.
