Near Cartersville in Bartow County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Rowett's Redoubt
Confederate Brigadier General Francis M. Cockrell's Missouri Brigade and Brigadier General William H. Young's Brigade of Texas and some North Carolinians stormed the redoubt at 10:20 a.m.
"The fighting immediately became furious. Solid shot and shells, grape and canister from double-shotted cannon, and a hailstorm of bullets were rapidly and accurately poured into the ranks of the Confederates as they recklessly advanced ... notwithstanding their fearful losses at every step, they still advanced, faster and faster ..." Harvey M. Trimble, 93rd Illinois Regiment
The struggle for Rowett's Redoubt included fierce hand-to-hand fighting with clubbed muskets, fists, swords, and even rocks as the Confederate assault swept over the defensive position. The surviving Federal troops, about 200 men, fled to the Star Fort dragging the Napoleon with them.
After the fighting ended that day, Federal Lieutenant William Ludlow described the scene at Rowett's Redoubt. He wrote, "The trench was crowded with the dead, blue and homespun, Yank and Johnny, inextricably mingled in their last ditch. Our heroes, ordered to hold the place until the last ... had died at their posts. As the rebel line ran over them, they struck up with bayonets as the foe struck down, and rolling in the embrace of death, we found them in some cases mutually transfixed."
Our company [Company G] went over the works -- the only bayonet fight we ever were in during the war -- God grant that we may never witness another scene like that." Private B.F. Murdock, 6th Missouri Regiment
[Caption of photo on left:] A.R. Waud sketch of the assault on Rowett's Redoubt highlighting Sergeant John M. Raglund of Missouri capturing the flag of the 39th Iowa Regiment.
[Caption of left photo on upper right:] Soldiers of the 7th Illinois with their Henry repeating rifles in this Mathew Brady photograph.
[Caption of right photo on upper right:] Colonel Richard Rowett (Courtesy of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library).
Two Southern Generals
Brigadier General William H. Young
Educated at Washington College, Tennessee, McKenzie College, Texas, and the University of Virginia, William Hugh Young recruited his own company for Confederate service. Elected captain and promoted to colonel after the Battle of Shiloh, he fought with great gallantry at Perryville, Mufreesboro, Vicksburg, and Chickamauga. He was wounded at each of the latter three battles. He lost most of his foot at Allatoona and spent the remainder of the war as a prisoner at Johnnson's Island. He became a prominent lawyer and real estate operator and died in 1901.
Brigadier General Francis M. Cockrell
A native of Missouri, Cockrell studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1855. He fought with the Missouri militia and rose through the ranks to colonel. He commanded the Missouri brigade at Vicksburg where he was captured and then paroled. He was appointed brigadier general on July 18, 1863. He suffered severe wounds at Franklin, Tennessee, on November 30, 1864 and was captured in Mobile in the spring of 1865. President Theodore Roosevelt appointed him to the Interstate Commerce Commission. He died in 1915.
Erected by the Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #26 Theodore Roosevelt series list. A significant historical month for this entry is July 1864.
Location. 34° 6.94′ N, 84° 43.019′ W. Marker is near Cartersville, Georgia, in Bartow County. Marker can be reached from Old Allatoona Road, 2 miles east of Interstate 75, on the left when traveling east. The marker can be accessed from a wooden stairway beginning in the railroad cut at Allatoona. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Cartersville GA 30121, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Assault On The Star Fort (within shouting distance of this marker); The Foot Bridge (within shouting distance of this marker); Grave of the Unknown Hero (within shouting distance of this marker); Inside the Star Fort (within shouting distance of this marker); Confederate Withdrawal (within shouting distance of this marker); The Deep Cut (within shouting distance of this marker); 4th Minnesota Regimental Headquarters (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Military Service Road (about 600 feet away).
Credits. This page was last revised on April 28, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 19, 2014, by William J. Toman of Green Lake, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 640 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 19, 2014, by William J. Toman of Green Lake, Wisconsin. 3, 4. submitted on October 15, 2014, by William J. Toman of Green Lake, Wisconsin.