Battle of Pickett's Mill


The Battle of Pickett's Mill was fought on May 27, 1864, in Paulding County, Georgia, during the American Civil War between Union and Confederate forces. Union Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman attempted an attack on the right flank of Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston.

Battle

After the Union defeat at New Hope Church, Sherman ordered Maj. Gen. Oliver O. Howard to attack Johnston's seemingly exposed right flank. The Confederates were ready for the attack, which did not unfold as planned because supporting troops never appeared. The Confederates repulsed the attack causing high casualties.
Author Ambrose Bierce fought for the Union at Pickett's Mill as a topographical engineer under William Babcock Hazen. Bierce's short story "The Crime at Pickett's Mill" is about this battle.
Bierce reported that the battle took about 45 minutes; that the total loss was 1,400 men; one-half were killed and wounded in Hazen's brigade in 30 minutes of actual fighting.

Battlefield

The address of Pickett's Mill Battlefield Historic Site is 4432 Mt. Tabor Church Rd, Dallas, Georgia 30157. It is now preserved as a Georgia state park and includes roads used by Union and Confederate troops, earthwork battlements, and an 1800s era pioneer cabin. The area's ravine is a site where hundreds died.