Near Kennesaw in Cobb County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)

The Railroad War

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

— National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —

The Railroad War Marker image. Click for full size.

September 26, 2023

1. The Railroad War Marker

Inscription.
For weary Civil War soldiers, steam locomotives and railroad cars brought food, munitions, fresh troops, and letters from home. For both Union General William T. Sherman and Confederate General Joseph Johnston, control of these new "iron horses" and their precious cargo was essential to winning the war.

The Western & Atlantic Railroad, with a wood refueling station here, was a critical supply line for the Confederacy. This key rail route—still used by freight trains today—connected vital supply warehouses and rail lines in Atlanta to the outside world.

"We are lined again with home and friends by an iron roadway…"
— Sergeant Major Lyman Widney
34th Illinois Infantry

[Caption:]
Many of the Confederate Army's fortifications and tactics in the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain aimed to protect the railroad from the Union Army.

Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Railroads & Streetcars • War, US Civil.

Location. 33° 59.133′ N, 84° 34.927′ W. Marker is near Kennesaw,

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Georgia, in Cobb County. It is on Old U.S. 41 0.2 miles east of Ridenour Road Northwest, on the right when traveling east. The marker stands adjacent to the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park overflow parking lot. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1200 Old 41 Hwy NW, Kennesaw GA 30152, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Georgia’s Piedmont

and in Metro Atlanta.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Deep South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Federal 15th Corps (about 800 feet away, measured in a direct line); Peachtree Trail (approx. 0.2 miles away); Eyes for the Armies (approx. ¼ mile away); A Grim and Silent Kennesaw (approx. ¼ mile away);

September 26, 2023

2. The Railroad War Marker

Clash at Kennesaw (approx. ¼ mile away); Lining Up for Death (approx. 0.3 miles away); Georgia Monument (approx. 0.4 miles away); Brushy Mountain Line (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Kennesaw.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Clash at Kennesaw (was approx. ¼ mile away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

Also see . . . Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. National Park Service (Submitted on February 22, 2024.)

Credits. This page was last revised on June 18, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 20, 2024. This page has been viewed 276 times since then and 30 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 20, 2024. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.