Tours
GBA is proud to have Ed Bearss, National Park Service Chief Historian Emeritus and the nation's premier historic guide, lead annual tours each Spring. Click here to read a tribute to Ed Bearss in the Smithsonian Magazine, November 2005.
Future Tours
2011: Augusta, Washington, and Revolutionary War sites
While no battles were fought at Augusta, it was still an important site for its powder works and arsenal. We’ll also go to Washington, Georgia, where Robert Toombs lived and both Varina and Jefferson Davis passed through at the end of the war. We’re also considering a visit to Kettle Creek, site of a Revolutionary War battle.
2012: Back to Savannah
We’ll go back to Savannah, which we last visited in 2002. We’ll visit some sites that we didn’t see then, as well as revisit some of the important nearby sites, in the 150th anniversary year of the shelling and surrender of Fort Pulaski.
Previous Tours
Mar 11-14, 2010: Fall 1864
We managed to dodge the most of the rain and had a great tour that covered the period from late September to mid November 1864, when Hood led his army against the Federal supply lines and Sherman pursued Hood. We were pleased to show Ed Bearss—by his actual count—eight sites that he hadn’t seen before. In all, we visited Palmetto, Campbellton, Rockmart, Cedartown, Cave Spring, Rome, Resaca, Tilton, Dalton, Ship’s Gap, LaFayette, Gaylesville, Cedar Bluff, Kingston, and Allatoona Pass. As always, we thank the local historians and guides who added so much to our knowledge and enjoyment.
Click here to read a Rome News Tribune article about our visit to Rome.
Click here to see some photos from the 2010 tour.
Mar 12-15, 2009
We covered a lot of ground to follow the Federal cavalry operations, and we finished with the climatic Battle of Jonesboro.
Friday took us to Newnan, Brown’s Mill, and Lovejoy’s Station. As usual, the local preservation organizations provided great support. We were even hosted by the chair of the Henry County Board of Commissioners at Nash Farm.
On Saturday, we started at Sunshine church, then followed the Federal troopers as they tried to get back to Atlanta. This took us to Athens, where Don Parr was the superb local guide, and we had a great meal at the T.R.R. Cobb house.
For all the cavalry actions, David Evans was an unequalled guide and added immeasurably to our understanding of events and the people involved.
Sunday morning was rainy, but we were still regaled by Ed Bearss’ recounting of the two day fight at Jonesboro. We finished with a visit to Rough and Ready.
Click here to see some photos from the 2009 tour.
March 13-16, 2008
We were pleased to have Ed Bearss healthy and back with us for the 2008 tour. On Friday, March 14, we covered the Battle of Atlanta while we endured occasional rain. The touring concluded at Oakland Cemetery, which was hit hard by a tornado six hours after our visit. Dinner that night was at the Atlanta Cyclorama, and we got a good view of the tornado that passed to the north, even driving through the debris on the return to the hotel. On Saturday, March 15, we covered the city defense line, the Battles of Ezra Church and Utoy Creek, and the trench digging contest of August 1864. Our Sunday excursion was a walking tour of downtown Atlanta, seeing the sites of many of the George Barnard photos of September 1864. Viewing the damage from Friday night’s tornado added to the tour. Click here to see some photos from the 2008 tour.
March 15-18, 2007
When Ed Bearss broke his arm on February 27, we hoped that he might make it to Atlanta to lead our tour; but the doctors cautioned Ed not to risk any further injury to his arm, so we improvised with local guides. We still made it to the mill sites that the Federals destroyed as they approached the Chattahoochee River: New Manchester Mill (now in Sweetwater Creek State Park), Sope Creek Paper Mill (in the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area), and the Roswell Mill. We saw where the Federals crossed the river: The fish dam near Isom's Ford, Sope Creek, the Shallow Ford at Roswell, Power's Ferry, and Pace's Ferry. Saturday was spent exploring the Confederate Outer Defense Line and the Battle of Peachtree Creek. On Sunday, we followed the approach of the Army of the Tennessee as it marched from Roswell to Decatur, then west towards Atlanta, precipitating the July 21, 1864, fighting at the bald hill. We finished at the Augustus Hurt/Howard House, just as the Battle of Atlanta was about to begin. Click here to see some photos from the 2007 tour.
March 2–5, 2006
We had good weather and Ed Bearss' incomparable knowledge
and insights for our three days in Cobb County. We
followed the action from June 1 to July 5, 1864. Friday's
stops included the end of the Dallas-New Hope Line,
Pine Mountain, Ector's sector, Gilgal Church, the Kennesaw
Mountain National Battlefield Park Visitors Center,
the top of Big Kennesaw, the 24 gun battery, and Brushy
Mountain. Friday's dinner was at the Southern
Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History. Saturday's
travels took us to Kolb's Farm, the Oatman House, Pigeon
Hill, Cheatham Hill, Ruff's Mill, the Concord Woolen
Mill, Smyrna, and the Marietta City Museum. We
capped off the tour with a Sunday morning trip along the
Chattahoochee River Line, stopping at a Confederate 8
gun anchor fort and three Shoupades as well as two
Federal battery sites and McCrae's Hill, now known
as Vinings Overlook. Click
here to see some photos of the 2006
tour.
March 10-13, 2005
Ed Bearss just keeps getting better! Ed led us to sites which included Rome (where GBA received royal treatment complete with red carpet and a police escort), Adairsville, Kingston, Cassville, Cooper Ironworks, Euharlee, New Hope Church, Pickett's Mill, Dallas, and Allatoona Pass. Click here to view some photographs of the event.
March 18-21, 2004
Ed Bearss led another memorable tour. We saw where the Great Locomotive Chase ended, Ringgold Gap, where the Atlanta Campaign began, Tunnell Hill, Prater's Mill, Varnell, Crow Valley, Mill Creek Gap, Dug Gap, Resaca, Rome Crossroads, and Calhoun. Click here to view some photographs of the event.
February 20-23, 2003
Our third tour was in February 2003, again led by Ed Bearss. We toured sites in central Georgia, including Andersonville, Columbus, Macon, Griswoldville, Milledgeville, Dublin, and Irwinville relating to Wilson's Raid, Stoneman's Raid, the March to the Sea, and Jefferson Davis's capture. Click here to view some photographs of the event.
February 2002
GBA's second tour was in February 2002. The incomparable Ed Bearss led a three-day tour of sites in the Savannah area, including Fort Pulaski, Fort Jackson, Fort McAllister, the prison camp near Millen, cavalry actions at Buckhead Church and Waynesboro, the Federal siege line and Confederate defense lines. The Coastal Heritage Society hosted a dinner at the Savannah History Museum. Click here to view some photographs of the event.
April 2001
GBA's first tour for members was in April 2001. Guide Jeff Dean led a one-day tour of battlefields at Allatoona Pass, New Hope Church, Pickett's Mill, and Dallas.
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