Fundraising At Kennesaw Nears Success
By Joe Kirby

MARIETTA, Ga. - During a fall that saw charitable giving go through the roof because of the events of Sept. 11, many worthy causes around the country reported a decrease in such giving. But that wasn't the case here. Spokesmen for the Kolb's Farm Coalition report they have virtually met their $30,000 fund-raising goal set this summer to protect a vital component of Kennesaw Mountain battlefield.

"The overwhelming feeling is surprise and appreciation for how quickly this has gone," Coalition member Bob Hovey said.

"Our success in obtaining $30,000 in pledges and contributions, starting from scratch, in 120 days has to be some kind of record. It demonstrates the huge interest that our neighbors have in the Kolb Farm project."

The ad hoc group formed earlier this year to fight plans to build a gas station/convenience store a stone's throw from a log cabin that figured prominently in the Battle of Kolb's Farm, which took place five days before Sherman's main assault on Kennesaw Mountain.

The cabin is on a busy crossroads corner in the southeastern corner of Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. The property in question is just across the street, and is the only corner of the intersection not in the park.

The group's efforts persuaded Racetrac Petroleum to withdraw its rezoning petition from before the Cobb County Board of Commissioners, but it still could come up at any time. Meanwhile, the Coalition spent the summer and fall trying to meet the $30,000 challenge goal set by the commission. The commission has promised to fund part of the purchase price for the four-acre site if the Coalition can come up with the $30,000.

The commission will receive some $2.8 million from the state this year that it must spend to acquire and/or protect greenspace, and the Coalition has been heavily lobbying the five commissioners to earmark a substantial part of that to acquire the Kolb tract.

A preliminary market analysis by county staff gave the land a value of $486,000, compared to the $685,000 being asked by its owners.

The Coalition found a variety of ways of garnering funds and pledges. It manned a fundraising table at the headquarters of the battlefield park's visitor center, held a yard sale, set up collection jars in businesses and netted checks of as much as $1,000 from four nearby homeowners associations.

Others donating included the Sons of Confederate Veterans and at least one local political candidate. Also, the Civil War Preservation Trust of Washington, D.C., has announced it will make up the difference in achieving the $30,000 goal, an amount expected to be about $5,000 or so.

Another key player was the Georgia Battlefields Association.

"They made a $5,000 pledge when we were just getting started," Hovey said. "It gave us a real boost at a critical juncture."

The Battle of Kolb's Farm took place June 22, 1864, as Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood was shifting his corps from the extreme right to the extreme left of Joe Johnston's army. During the move, Hood believed he had outflanked Sherman and rashly ordered an assault without properly reconnoitering.

The charge was a disaster that killed or wounded about 1,000 of his men at the cost of just 350 or so Federals. It would not be the last time that Hood's men paid the price for his over-aggressiveness. The Kolb cabin briefly was used as a headquarters by Union Gen. Joe Hooker, who was one of Sherman's corps commanders, and fighting later swirled across it and the property now in question.