In mid May, General William Tecumseh Sherman was picking his way down North Georgia. His counterpart, General Joseph E. Johnston had just reluctantly retreated from Cassville, Georgia to the Allatoona Gorge in the hopes of luring Sherman into a tight killing zone. Johnston's only worry was that the position at Allatoona was too good. Unbeknownst to Johnston, Sherman knew the position was too strong to attack head on. Sherman had spent a lot of time in the area as a young officer and had spent much time around the Etowah Indian burial mounds nearby. Sherman decided to swing west and go directly after the strategic crossroads around Dallas, Georgia.

After a few days rest, the Union forces moved south. General Joseph Hooker was in th van of the middle column and began a pursuit of a small band of Confederate cavalry which was acting as a screen for Johnston's forces to the south. "Fighting Joe" Hooker lived up to his name and went fast and hard at the Confederates under General John Bell Hood. Hooker had hoped to catch the Rebels off guard and press home and advantage. Hood had other ideas. Taking his cue from his cavalry screen, Hood had begun entrenchments and selecting defensive positions. The first of Hooker's assaults led by Brigadier General John W. Geary was thrown back when it encountered an undetected enfilade Confederate position which hit them hard. Hooker persisted with two more Divisions and the battle was enjoined.

Hood's middle was held by Major General Alexander P Stewart's Division and they bore the brunt of Hooker's onslaught for several hours in the afternoon. The battle raged with such ferocity that Johnston became worried that Stewart might relinquish the position. Stewart, a Tennessean, held firm even though some of Hooker's men got close. With a fierce thunderstorm brewing and setting in, Hooker made one last throw of the dice and pulled Geary out of reserve through dense wood to push through a perceived advantage. Stewart's artillery which had been so effective now opened up with even more canister rounds and caused the veteran Geary to claim that it was the hottest he had experienced with his command. The Union forces were praised for the courage and coolness, but the day was no to be theirs. With the drenching from the rain and the gloom of the stormy evening setting in, the Union forces settled down in their positions and awaited daylight. The battle has been called New Hope Church, but the soldiers knew it by "Hell's Hole."

The next day would bring probing for weakness all along the line, two days later, the fighting would continue near Pickett's Mill.

Ride Suggestion

Next time you are buzzing down I-75 from Chattanooga to Atlanta, jump off at Cartersville for a great little circular ride that takes in Allatoona Lake, The New Hope and Pickett's Mill Battlefields and a couple of mountainous switchback roads near Dallas, Georgia.

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Sources and Book Recommendations

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Battlefield Biker has teamed up with one of the most respected names in European motorcycle touring, Motorcycle Sport & Leisure Tours. We are in the process of developing tours for Europe in 2009 and, hopefully, the US of A.

The Battlefield Biker is proud to have linked up with such a well known and professional tour company and Peter Avard of MSL Tours is looking forward to reaching a whole new crowd of historical battlefield enthusiasts.

We will have a test ride in August / September of 2008 to the D-Day beaches. Please let me know at my contact page if you are interested in participating in the test.

Stay tuned to find out more.

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Looks like Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman are mounting up for two more long rides. I thoroughly enjoyed the LWR series and actually found that I liked the guys. Yeah, sure, there was some cheesey bits, but it was made for television, so that's natural. Good on them and I'm looking forward to the new series.
Hat tip: Bike in the Fast Lane

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Informational thread on Breakdown Insurance over at ADVrider. Short answer: check the KOA website for RV roadside services.

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