A Stroll on the Mountain

This has been a busy week and the temperature so warm that I have not finished the second part of our tour to the Paramount Pictures Studio. A couple of days ago we had to get up at dawn to drive to Atlanta for a doctor’s appointment. It is not often that we see the sun rise over Atlanta on a dusty morning.




Then today I had to get my driver’s license renewed. We made a stop on the road to take the picture of this wonderful old tree starting to bud out.



It was such a lovely day that as we drove by the mountain we decided to stop and drive slowly to the top. The last time we tried to walk up the mountain was last year in January, but it was hazardous because of the ice covering the snow. There has been no snow this year. Below is a picture of the road to the top of the mountain taken in January 2011.



I like living close to a mountain. In Paris I lived on a hill going toward Montmartre and, in suburban Paris, on the forest hill near St Leu la Forêt. In San Francisco I lived also on three hills, first Nob Hill then one near 17th Street and then Mint Hill. Now we live in West Cobb County which is northwest of Atlanta. We are only 5 miles from Kennesaw Mountain. It is a National Battlefield Park. I have driven on the road in front of the mountain or the one in the back of the mountain for decades – twice a day while going to work, seeing deer and even foxes at dawn or dusk. Now that we are retired we can stop and enjoy the mountain any time. This is what we did. Below is a vintage postcard of the mountain.



This is what I found out for those interested in geology: Kennesaw Mountain is nestled in the Piedmont geologic province of north-central Georgia. This province was formed between one billion to 300 million years ago through a series of mounting building events in the Precambrian to the early Paleozoic times. The name Kennesaw is derived from the Cherokee Indian "Gah-nee-sah" meaning cemetery or burial ground. The park is a 2,923 acre preserve for a Civil War battleground of the Atlanta Campaign. There are over 18 miles of maintained interpretive trails and a 1.5 mile road going to the summit of the mountain. We drove as it was quite warm and my knees were hurting. Once there after admiring the view we did take a stroll. We could see the Atlanta skyline in the distance, about 20 miles away (about 32 kms.)



From the other side of the overlook I could see the terminus of the Appalachian Mountains.




There were several people resting on the benches – some wearing apparel as if it were the middle of July. We talked to a gentleman with a cute little dog named Solveigh (the owner was originally from Norway.)



A great Civil War battle was fought on Kennesaw Mountain between the Confederates from the South and the Northern Union soldiers. It started almost 150 years ago on June 27, 1864 exactly. Union General Sherman sent his troops forward but the Confederates were dug in and his attack was futile. The Confederates won the battle and Sherman’s army suffered high casualties. I’ll have a post some time on this battle, but today we are just enjoying the mountain. Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield was authorized for protection by the War Department in 1917. Historic earthworks, monuments and cannon emplacements are preserved here.



There are many interpretative panels. People come from everywhere to visit Kennesaw Mountain.

Click on the picture to see better

We strolled on the path going higher on the mountain.

The cannons that were dragged to the peak of the mountain by the Confederates are still there.



Even just strolling up this path we cannot forget the battle. A historical marker explained about the cannons (the Northern Union troops suffered 3000 casualties that day.) Below are more cannons I passed by.



I sat on a bench for a while and tried to photograph two large birds riding the wind but, I missed them.



I could hear the whistle of a freight train below and looking at the sky – a helicopter was flying by.




There were no helicopters by this mountain in 1864, but the sky was the same, some of the trees, too. I thought that for someone who hates wars since I was a child in World War II where my father was badly injured (which changed our lives) it is ironic that our current house is less than 5 miles from such a historic battlefield and I see it almost daily.

If I had rubies and riches and crowns
I’d buy the whole world and change things around
I’d throw all the guns and the tanks in the sea
For they are mistakes of a past history - Bob Dylan

There are so many beautiful boulders and rocks dotting this hill. I wish I was a poet and could do the landscape justice by describing it with romantic imagery.




Before joining my husband I stopped to snap more early blooms on a couple of trees.




We looked some more at the panoramic view, the acres of land and open fields below. Reading the historical markers we could imagine how it would have been to watch Sherman’s army with its 100,000 men, 254 guns and 35,000 horses trying to assault the mountain. Then we slowly drove back down.




Down by the Visitor’s Center many trees were in full bloom. It has been like spring this week with temperatures around 81 degrees F or 27 centigrade which is unusual as spring does not start until next week. Our azalea bush in front of our kitchen window has been blooming profusely.





The ground is covered with violets. Even our herb planters are still green from last summer.




We stopped for a while by a small lake. Below is a vintage postcard of Kennesaw Mountain and a small lake.



I am not sure if this is the one we saw as now there are quite a few houses around it.



After we arrived home the clouds grew darker and it looked like it might rain.



As I started to write this post I could hear the cannons grumbling faraway and the sky in front of my window was turning red.




But no, the mountain was peaceful. It was just the distant sound of thunder. Now, the cannons are silent and the echo of the soldiers and horses is gone. There is just the mountain.

Day is done,
Gone the sun,
From the lakes, from the hills,
From the sky.
All is well,
Safely rest
Go to sleep, peaceful sleep
Safe in sleep.
Fare thee well; Day has gone,
Night is on.

(anonymous lyrics from Taps – circa 1862.)