Tours - Driving Through History

Northwest Georgia has a rich history and culture.  While much can be learned of that history and culture through books, museum exhibits, and photographs, travel offers yet another way to explore the past.  With this in mind, the Bandy Heritage Center for Northwest Georgia will provide regional driving tours focusing on various aspects of Northwest Georgia's heritage.  Please check back frequently as we will add more tours as they become available.

The Atlanta Campaign through Northwest Georgia

The Atlanta Campaign driving tour traces the route traveled by the Union and Confederate armies as General William Tecumseh Sherman advanced towards Atlanta during the spring and summer of 1864. The tour is divided into three sections. The first covers the opening moves of the campaign, the confrontation between Sherman and Joseph Johnston's Army of Tennessee at Resaca, and the maneuvering by both armies near the Etowah River. The second section concentrates on the stalemate in the hills and valleys of Paulding County as the armies faced each other along the Dallas-New Hope Church-Pickett's Mill line. The third and final section details Sherman's costly failure to break the Confederate line at Kennesaw Mountain.

The Battle of Chickamauga

The Battle of Chickamauga was fought on September 19–20, 1863 between the Union Army of the Cumberland under Major General William S. Rosecrans and the Confederate Army of Tennessee under General Braxton Bragg. This battle was a major Union defeat, but the Confederates were unable to gain any momentum in the Western Theater as a result of their victory. The driving tour explores the major sites associated with the battle.

The Trail of Tears

The removal of the Cherokees from Northwest Georgia was one of the most infamous acts in the state’s history. Forced from their ancestral homes, the Cherokees were collected in removal forts prior to being transported to new lands west of the Mississippi River. Although little evidence remains of these forts, this tour provides a guide to their sites.

Future Tour:

• Dixie Highway