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Storyteller Cabin |
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Part One - Ghost Hunting |
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Part Three - The Hunt |
Hell Hole - Cultural BackgroundLike other formally rural areas in Metro Atlanta, the Pickett's Mill-New Hope-Dallas region is hearing the loud footsteps of development. New highways, gas stations, video stores and pizza joints are sprouting up like mushrooms, plowing through what were once vast acres of farmland and dense forest. Fortunately, through the efforts of local historians, what is left of the historic Civil War battlefields has a good chance of being saved.
Sherman (third from left) and some of his Generals
It was a different landscape that General Sherman and his Union troops fought their way through in the spring of 1864. Accounts of their battles describe a rugged terrain where the soldiers fought not only exhaustion and a stubborn Confederate army, but also a seemingly impenetrable forest that, despite their advanced weaponry, forced them into brutal, hand to hand combat.
Sherman was moving through Georgia with alarming speed before entering the hills of Paulding County. Deep in enemy territory, Sherman engaged in flanking maneuvers to pound through Joe Johnston's stubborn Rebel forces. But the rough terrain, poor communication, confusing maps and powerful thunderstorms constantly hindered him. At New Hope Church (site of the ravine that Union troops dubbed "Hell Hole"), Sherman would pay the price, as suprisingly strong Rebel forces drove them back in one of the most brutal battles of the war.
Old drawing of the Pickett's grist mill that the battle was fought around.
Sherman next ordered his troops to attack the Confederates' left flank in the area around Benjamin and Malachi Pickett's grist mill. Again, the thick forest was an ally to the Confederates, as it hindered support efforts for the Union troops, already under heavy fire. The Union troops retreated, then attacked again, only to be routed by Confederate troops under the command of Patrick Cleburne. Union losses were estimated at 3,000 men.
This would be the last great victory for the Confederacy. Sherman made his way back north and east along the Dallas Line, only to regroup and march back toward Atlanta shortly thereafter. This time, he would be successful and end the Civil War.
After the war, the New Hope-Pickett's Mill area remained quiet and undeveloped for many years. But like other old battlefields, the area was rumored to be haunted. Reports came in of strange moans and groans from deep within the woods around the "Hell Hole." Shadowy figures could be seen running through the forest. In the 1960s, two noted Civil War collectors encountered a vicious thunderstorm, wounded moans of agony, and horrible smells while searching for relics around the "Hell Hole." It was around the 100th anniversary of the battle.
The "Hell Hole" after the battle of 1864.
Nearly ten years later, New Hope became the site of one of the worst plane crashes in state history. On April 4, 1977, a Southern Airways DC-9 en route to Atlanta from Huntsville, Alabama crashed in New Hope, killing 63 passengers and nine residents on the ground. The probable cause was listed as loss of thrust from both engines. But more superstitious people couldn't help but notice that the plane went down in a severe thunderstorm - much like what Union troops encountered over 100 years prior in the same spot.
In the 1980s-90s, Metro Atlanta's rapid growth threatened the old battlefields. In response, a Civil War enthusiast bought the land around Pickett's Mill and sold it to the state, which turned it into a historic park. But the "Hell Hole" at New Hope was left out, and soon became nothing more than a garbage dump for local residents.
But things have started to change, as the state has recently purchased the land around the "Hell Hole," and has started clean-up efforts. And in 2000, the battlefields around New Hope and Pickett's Mill were selected for a demonstration trail for a proposed statewide driving trail following Sherman's march through Georgia.
For more information on the battles of New Hope and Pickett's Mill, you may want to visit:
Battle of Pickett's Mill
Pickett's Mill Battlefield Historic Site
And to learn about the efforts to save the Georgia battlefields, visit:
The Georgia Civil War Commission
Photographs 1 and 3 taken by George N. Barnard. Mill drawing provided courtesy of the Pickett's Mill Battlefield Historic Site.
