On May 27, 1864, a fierce battle occurred at Pickett’s Mill that pitted 14,000 Federal troops under Major General Oliver Otis Howard against a Confederate division commanded by Irish-born Major General Patrick R. Cleburne, considered by many to be one the South’s finest military commanders. The intense battle was a clear-cut Confederate victory, with Union losses estimated at 1,600 and Cleburne’s at 450. However, the battle only checked the Federal advance and prevented the turning of the Confederate right flank. It did not alter the outcome of the Atlanta Campaign.
Pickett’s Mill is widely celebrated as one of the best-preserved battlefields in the nation. Georgia has sensitively preserved the 765-acre site, which has remained essentially unchanged since the Civil War. Visitors walk on roads used by both armies, see earthworks, and hike the same ravines in which hundreds of soldiers died. Well-marked trails are for walking only; running and bicycling are prohibited. Living history programs demonstrating Civil War weapons, camp life, and military drills are held frequently. A visitor center offers exhibits and a film describing the battle.