Allatoona Pass, Circa 1864
The Battle of Allatoona Pass was fought October 5, 1864 and was considered one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. Confederate artillery began its bombardment of the heavily fortified Federal forts at Allatoona Pass at 6:30 a.m. General French’s Confederate force consisted of 3,276 men, compared to General Corse’s Federal command of 2,025. By mid-afternoon, the Confederate assault was over and the Union army still held Allatoona Pass. Casualties on both sides were high, a total of 1,603 men killed, wounded or missing. The casualty rate at Allatoona Pass would ultimately prove to be the highest of any battle in the Civil War for the time engaged.
The Civil War Sites Advisory Commission established by the U.S. Congress advises that there were about 10,500 Civil War armed conflicts ranging from major battles to minor skirmishes. The Commission identified 384 such conflicts which represented the primary military campaigns and operations of the Civil War. The sites on which these conflicts occurred are found in 25 states and the District of Columbia.
Our work continues to draw much attention. Inquiries have been made by the National Park Service through the American Battlefield Protection Program in Washington DC and the 10,000 member Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The US Army Corps of Engineers, locally and in Mobile, have been and continue to play a major role in our preservation efforts; without them, this project would not have been possible. In addition, both the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Georgia Civil War Commission and the Georgia Division Re- enactors Association, Inc have provided valuable input, and desire to stay abreast of what we are doing.Twelve and one-half years after signing an agreement with the Corps of Engineers to improve and maintain the battlefield at Allatoona Pass Battlefield, the Etowah Valley Historical Society (EVHS) on October 6, 2007 officially turned its duties there over to the Red Top Mountain State Park and will continue to work in an advisory capacity to help raise funds to erect monuments in the park area.
The Etowah Valley Historical Society is proud to do our part in preserving our nations battlefield sites for future generations. Our continuing mission is to highlight the history of Allatoona Pass and make it more accessible to the public.
Our work continues to draw much attention. Inquiries have been made by the National Park Service through the American Battlefield Protection Program in Washington DC and the 10,000 member Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The US Army Corps of Engineers, locally and in Mobile, have been and continue to play a major role in our preservation efforts; without them, this project would not have been possible. In addition, both the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Georgia Civil War Commission have provided valuable input, and desire to stay abreast of what we are doing.Twelve and one-half years after signing an agreement with the Corps of Engineers to improve and maintain the battlefield at Allatoona Pass Battlefield, the Etowah Valley Historical Society (EVHS) on October 6, 2007 officially turned its duties there over to the Red Top Mountain State Park and will continue to work in an advisory capacity to help raise funds to erect monuments in the park area
Allatoona Pass, Circa 2000
The Etowah Valley Historical Society is proud to do our part in preserving our nations battlefield sites for future generations. Our continuing mission is to highlight the history of Allatoona Pass and make it more accessible to the public.
Trails and interpretive signs have been constructed so that visitors may enjoy the beauty of the area while learning more about the battle. A complete preservation plan for the battlefield and surrounding area is available for viewing in the EVHS office. To learn more about the Civil War Battle of Allatoona Pass, see Allatoona Pass Battlefield the official website of Allatoona Pass.
Georgia is home to 28 of these battlefield sites, however, many in Georgia and nationally have been lost to development in whole or in part. The Allatoona Pass Battlefield is one of our nations 348 premier battlefield sites. In fact, the Commission placed Allatoona Pass in the top 149. Few, if any, Civil War sites contain more original landmarks, earthworks, and undisturbed physical features.With encouragement from the National Park Service‘s American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) staff, EVHS applied for and received a $20,000 grant in March 1995 to fund a comprehensive preservation plan for the Allatoona Battlefield. The ABPP is a National Park Service initiative that provides technical assistance and small amounts of funding to national and state parks, state and local government, and non-profit groups working to save threatened battlefields on American soil.
The Secretary of the Interior created the ABPP in 1990 in response to the late 1980s preservation crisis over the near destruction of 540 acres of historic land adjacent to the Manassas National Battlefield Park in Virginia. Allatoona Battlefield is listed as one of fifty top priority sites of the ABPP. In 1995, EVHS entered into an agreement with the US Army Corps of Engineers to highlight the history of Allatoona Pass through a trail system with interpretive signs. Since then, EVHS members and non-members have devoted hundred of hours clearing brush and trees and preparing the site for the thousands of anticipated visitors.
Trails and signs were completed in the spring of 1996, and the Corps of Engineers expanded the parking lot at the south end of the Pass.
