Johnston's River Line facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Johnston's Line
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 Location in Georgia (U.S. state)
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Mableton, Georgia |
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| Area | 13.1 acres (5.3 ha) |
| Built | 1864 |
| NRHP reference No. | 73000618 |
| Added to NRHP | July 5, 1973 |
Johnston's River Line, also known as Johnston's Line or The River Line, was a very strong defensive wall built during the American Civil War. It was located in Mableton, Smyrna, and Vinings, Georgia. The Confederate Army, led by General Joseph E. Johnston, used this line in July 1864. This was during the Atlanta Campaign, a major part of the war.
Even though no big battles happened here, the River Line was an amazing set of defenses. People often compare it to the Maginot Line in France, which was built before World War II. Today, you can still see parts of these old earthworks. These include special forts called "Shoupades," named after their designer, General Francis A. Shoup. The remains of the line stretch for about six to seven miles along the northwest side of the Chattahoochee River. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 5, 1973. Some parts are on private land, but visitors can find access points in Mableton and Smyrna/Vinings.
Contents
Why the River Line Was Built
In May 1864, the Union Army, led by General William T. Sherman, was moving through Georgia. Sherman was very good at outsmarting the Confederate Army. He kept forcing General Johnston's troops to retreat. By late June, Johnston's army had fallen back to Kennesaw Mountain.
Johnston knew the Chattahoochee River was a big natural barrier. It was the last major obstacle between Sherman's army and the city of Atlanta. He worried about losing many soldiers if they had to retreat across the river while being attacked. Johnston also thought this might be the last chance to defend Atlanta.
The Idea for a Strong Defense
On June 18, 1864, General Francis A. Shoup, who was in charge of Johnston's artillery, had an idea. He suggested building a strong defensive line high up on a ridge. This ridge was along the northwest bank of the Chattahoochee River. Johnston's army could fall back to this line if Sherman kept trying to go around their side (a "flanking maneuver").
Shoup imagined a defense so strong that no enemy would dare attack it directly. He also thought it would need only a small number of soldiers to hold it. This would allow most of Johnston's army to defend the river crossings. General Johnston liked the idea, and construction started the very next day.
Building the River Line
Work on the Chattahoochee River Line began on June 19. It took about two weeks to build. Many workers helped, including soldiers recovering from injuries and over a thousand people who were forced to work. Some trenches already existed near the state railroad bridge, and these were made bigger. But most of the line had to be built from scratch.
A Clever Design: The Shoupades
General Shoup's design was very unique. It included 36 arrowhead-shaped forts for infantry soldiers. These forts were called "Shoupades." They were spaced about 60 to 175 yards apart. Trenches connected these forts. Every 30 to 75 yards, there were special spots called "redans" for two artillery cannons.
Each fort had an earthen base and log walls that were 14 to 20 feet high. Inside, there were earthen walls that formed a platform. Soldiers could stand on this platform to fire over the fort's outer walls. At the back of each fort, there was an entrance called a "sally port."
From above, the whole line looked like a saw blade. The trenches connected the forts in a zig-zag pattern. This created a special shape that Shoup called a "re-entrant." Along the front of the trenches, there were walls made of sharpened logs, like a fence.
Each fort could hold up to 80 soldiers. The design allowed soldiers inside the forts to load rifles and pass them to others on the platforms. These riflemen could then create a crisscrossing pattern of gunfire. This would force attacking enemies into the "re-entrant" areas. There, cannons from the redans would fire at them. If all the forts were fully manned, the River Line would be a very tough defense to break through.
Sherman's Reaction to the Line
About a week into building the River Line, Johnston worried that Sherman might try another flanking move. He ordered Shoup to extend the line further southwest. By July 3, after the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, Confederate troops began falling back to the River Line.
When the first Confederate soldiers arrived on July 4, some, like General John B. Hood, were unsure about the design. But others, like General Patrick Cleburne, thought the defenses were excellent. General Gustavus W. Smith even said the design would make Shoup famous and named the forts "Shoupades."
General Sherman had expected Johnston to just delay him. He thought no general would invite a battle with a river behind them. But when Sherman saw the River Line on July 5, he was very surprised. He sent a message to Washington saying he needed to "study the case a little." He called it "the best line of field entrenchments [he had] ever seen." His chief engineer, Captain Orlando M. Poe, agreed, saying it was "by far the strongest [he] had yet encountered." He knew it would cost many lives to attack it directly. Sherman quickly decided to use his usual tactic of going around the line instead of attacking it head-on.
What Happened Next?
Sherman did not want to attack the River Line directly, especially after his difficult experience at Kennesaw Mountain. While half of his army faced the River Line, only small artillery fights happened each day. Instead of attacking, Sherman sent his troops north to find a way to cross the Chattahoochee River around the right side of Johnston's line.
By July 8 and 9, Union troops found crossings near Sope Creek and Roswell. Even though Johnston had claimed the River Line could be held for a month, he had no choice but to leave it. His army abandoned the River Line on the evening of July 9. This decision eventually led to his removal from command by the President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis.
General Shoup was very sad that his clever defense system was abandoned. He felt that the Confederacy's days were numbered. He believed his line could have been held by just 3,000 men against an army of 100,000.
The River Line Today
Years ago, in the 1950s, you could walk the entire length of the River Line. Today, much of it is gone due to new buildings and homes.
Out of the 36 Shoupades built, only nine remain. They are mostly earthwork foundations covered by plants. Only one Shoupade is on public land. This is a 100-acre (40 ha) area bought by Cobb County in Mableton. It includes parts of the infantry trenches and a fort. However, this land is not easy for the public to visit.
Three Shoupades and an artillery redan are on private property but have been saved by developers. You can visit two of these Shoupades and the redan at Shoupade Park in Smyrna. This park has fences and signs that explain the history. Five Shoupades were originally near this park, but two were destroyed by homeowners. Another Shoupade that you can easily visit is in Mableton, behind River Line Park. It's on private land next to the park, but the developer agreed to save it and put up a fence and sign. Other Shoupades and trenches still exist but are on private land or in hard-to-reach areas.
Other historical places connected to the River Line include the Howell Mill Dam, Hooper-Turner House, Turner-Sewell Cemetery, and the Log Cabin Community Sunday School.
