Battle of Ruff’s Mill – Concord Covered Bridge Historic District

Tour of Homes – Possible Added Tour Times

Just a few hundred yards eastward on the Silver Comet Trail from the Concord Road trailhead is a side trail leading to a very important part of Cobb County history. As the twisty path winds downward toward Nickajack Creek, the impressive ruins of the Concord Woolen Mill will appear for your exploration.

Sometimes referred to as Nickajack Factory, the Woolen Mill began operations about 1847 and, along with the grist mill located at the covered bridge, this area was one of the first sites…
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Fourth of July at Ruff’s Mill: Reminiscence of a Brigadier General

The fourth of July is upon us again! As we celebrate our Nation’s origins, and the dusk settles in, fireflies come out, everyone is in a celebratory mood, and the sound of booming fireworks begin all around us, it is…
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“Hold The Fort, I Am Coming”

Last year in October, I posted about Sherman’s return to Ruff’s Mill three months after the 1864 battle there. Confederate General Hood had crossed the Chattahoochee and was determined to attack Sherman from behind, disrupting his supplies and communications, jeopardizing…
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Unearthing Cobb County’s Historic Maps

I have always been fascinated with maps. Old maps; unfamiliar maps; maps that hold lost information; maps that show secret buried treasures; maps that walk you through dark unknown caves, etc…. The best birthday party I ever attended I was…
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July 3rd, 1864 — Reconnaissance Along Nickajack Creek

The day before the Battle of Ruff’s Mill was fought, the 50th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was sent out on a reconnaissance along Nickajack creek to ascertain details of the position of Confederates in southern Cobb County. The Union Army was…
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Sherman’s Return to Ruff’s Mill in October, 1864

Many residents of Cobb County know about the Battle of Ruff’s Mill, fought in and around the mid-1800s milling community just outside present-day Smyrna. What many do not know is that Sherman’s army returned to Ruff’s Mill in October, 1864,…
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The Battle of Ruff’s Mill, July 4th, 1864

July the 4th is a special day for our country, and also for the Concord Covered Bridge Historic District. This is when the Battle of Ruff’s Mill was fought along Concord Road during Johnston’s retreat towards Atlanta. After Sherman’s failed…
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The Iron Nerve of a Soldier

THE IRON NERVE OF A SOLDIER. By H. C. Evans, Company C, Twenty-seventh Ohio Veteran Volunteer, Infantry Regiment. In the charge at Ruff’s Mills, Georgia, in which the Twenty-seventh Ohio participated, I was wounded and while lying under a tent…
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A Federal Pursuit Of A Rebel Continues 25 Years After the Civil War

On July 4th, 1864, the Battle of Ruff’s Mill took place during Johnston’s retreat from Kennesaw Mountain. This little-known battle was brief, but intense, resulting in over 140 Union casualties and an unreported number of Confederates. 25 years later, some…
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