Pickett’s Mill Battlefield State Historic Site

🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 Georgia — Best-preserved Civil War battlefield in Georgia — on May 27, 1864, Union forces attacked the Confederate position and suffered 1,600 casualties in 2.5 hours. The Confederates were outnumbered 14,000 to 10,000 but held their fortified position. Sherman never mentioned the battle in his memoirs!

Visitor Information

About Pickett’s Mill

Pickett’s Mill Battlefield State Historic Site in Paulding County preserves one of the best-kept Civil War battlefield secrets in Georgia. On May 27, 1864, during Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign, a Union attack on entrenched Confederates at Pickett’s Mill resulted in 1,600 Union casualties in a few hours. The battlefield is remarkably undeveloped — the terrain looks essentially as it did in 1864. Ambrose Bierce, who fought here, later wrote about the experience.

Things to Do

Walking the pristine battlefield trails (terrain unchanged since 1864), visiting the museum with artifacts and period weapons, attending living history programs, and studying one of the best-preserved Civil War battlefields in America.

Getting There

Located on Mount Tabor Church Road in Dallas, Paulding County. Open Thursday through Saturday. The battlefield’s remarkably undeveloped terrain makes it one of the most atmospheric Civil War sites in America. Just 40 minutes from Atlanta. The walking trails through the dense forest follow the actual assault routes of May 27, 1864.

History & Ecology

The battle was deliberately suppressed from official records by Union General Oliver Howard — embarrassed by the costly defeat. Ambrose Bierce, who fought here, wrote about it decades later in his masterful war sketches. The forested battlefield terrain — steep ravines, dense undergrowth, and creek bottoms — is essentially unchanged since 1864, making it one of the most archaeologically intact Civil War sites in the country.

Insider Tips

Atlanta Campaign: Pickett’s Mill (May 27, 1864) was a sharp Union defeat during Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign — one of the few Confederate tactical victories of the campaign. Pro tip: The battlefield is one of the best-preserved Civil War sites in Georgia — the terrain looks much as it did in 1864. Sherman’s March: The Atlanta Campaign (May-September 1864) culminated in the fall of Atlanta — helping Lincoln win reelection.

Best Time to Visit

Spring/fall: Comfortable weather for battlefield walks. Summer: Living history programs. Year-round: Trail access. Winter: Terrain visible without foliage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was Atlanta so important?

Atlanta was the Confederacy’s railroad hub — the junction of four major rail lines that supplied Confederate armies. Capturing Atlanta cut the South’s supply lines and proved the war could be won. The fall of Atlanta (September 2, 1864) guaranteed Lincoln’s reelection — without it, a “peace Democrat” might have won the presidency and negotiated Confederate independence. Sherman’s victory was the political turning point of the Civil War.