Pigeon Hill Research Paper

Three brigades near Pigeon Hill, Little Kennesaw and Big Kennesaw was the main assault force of the Army of Tennessee. On the right was Lightburn’s Brigade on his left, attacking the northern side of Burnt Hickory Road against the slopes of Pigeon Hill was Smith’s brigade. On Smith’s Left was Walcutt’s brigade that was aiming for the ground between Pigeon Hill and Little Kennesaw. These three brigades consisted of a total of 5500 men. The Day before the battle Smith’s division had camped northwest of Kennesaw Mountain, in order to get to their position on time they had to march many miles in the night. That evening Willis told his men to be ready for the assault the following day. It was not until one hour before the assault on the 27 that …show more content…
The land was heavily wooded so the Army of Cumberland was going to make an assault on an area they knew very little about. The 125th Ohio would serve as skirmishers and Newton’s division was going to make the advance. Seven batteries from the 4th corps began shelling the Confederate lines at 8:00 a.m.Cleburne’s confederates prepared for battle, their line stretched to the south of Dallas Road. Confederates amassed an imposing array of earthworks in front of Cleburne’s line. According to Lieutenant Colonel Fullerton the men were not ready for the assault at 8:00a.m. so the Union began their assault a hour later. As soon as Wagner’s men advanced past the protection of the Union lines they met deadly fire from Confederate soldiers and artillery cannons. When the Union reached the Confederate barrier some of the soldiers tried to remove the obstacles in their path, this didn’t last long because men were shot down while trying to remove the impediments. Despite the difficulties Wagner’s men continued onward into a storm of Confederate fire. Shortly after 9 a.m. Kimball was placed on Wagner’s left flank to have his brigade help Wagner in this desperate situation. Behind the 36th and 74th Illinois was under heavy fire as well. Small portions of Kimball’s brigade made it close to the Confederate line. By 10 a.m. Union soldiers were retreating from the battlefield putting them under …show more content…
In the initial reconnaissance there was no impediments, though when the Union soldiers got there the Confederates had set up obstacles. The heavy fire of the Confederates hit the Union soldiers slowing down their advance. The Union hid behind cover and were pinned down by the overpowering Confederate fire. The Union realized that they should fall back. “When Mitchell’s command fell back from Cheatham’s line, one of the confederates described the field of battle as “frightful and disgusting scene of death and destruction… During the war all four years of the war I don’t remember ever to have seen the ground so completely strewn with dead bodies”(Vermilya 129) McCook’s brigade had a similar experience when they launched an attack. McCook’s brigade moved downhill and then crossed John Ward Creek. In McCook’s assault there was no cover to hide behind because of the open slope. The intense fire of the Confederates was littering the ground with the bodies of dead Union soldiers. McCook’s men were able to get close to the enemy trenches, but McCook was shot. McCook was brought to safety, though he died later, and Harmon took up command. His command was short lived because of a bullet to the head, so command was assumed by Dilworth. The men started falling back as the confederate reinforcements arrived. Many of the Union soldiers lost their lives. Geary’s men advanced and took the