Second Addendum Archeological Survey for the Dallas Battlefield Trail, Phase II, Paulding County, Georgia

This second addendum phase I archaeological survey was conducted for Keck and Wood and the City of Dallas, who propose to construct the Dallas Battlefield Trail within the boundaries of the City of Dallas using funding from a Federal Aid project with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), PI 0012885. The project will complete a 10 ft-wide paved trail from the Chattahoochee Tech Spur of Silver Comet Trail to Phase I of the Dallas Battlefield Trail at Orphan Brigade Road. The trail will then continue from the first phase of the battlefield trail on City owned property and connect to Sara Babb Park. Portions of the multi-use trail may be 8 ft wide and contain pedestrian level/boardwalk sections in order to conform to the adjacent mountainous terrain. The total length of the trail as proposed measures approximately 4.5 km (2.8 miles).

Phase I of the Dallas Battlefield Trail project concerned the construction of a trail from Orphan Brigade Road 0.42 miles east to a point just across Griffin Creek. The current project, Phase II of the proposed trail, occurs in two segments on either side of the Phase I portion, a southern segment within the urban setting of Dallas and the northern segment in a wooded tract that stretches from Orphan Brigade Road to Sara Babb Park. The southern portion of the proposed trail occurs within the urban environment along the roads and railroads near town and will be constructed on soils that have been heavily impacted and deflated. Road construction, utility installation, and other types of development have occurred in these areas. The northern portion of the proposed trail lies on wooded undeveloped tracts south of Sara Babb Park. The trail crosses Griffin Creek before ascending around several knolls before crossing a small intermittent drainage and ending at a previously graveled parking lot within the park.

Much of the area of potential effects (APE) for the trail was previously surveyed in 2012, 2015, and 2017 (Owens 2012a, Owens 2015, and Owens 2017). In 2012, an archaeological study was undertaken for the Phase I portion of the trail (PI 0010907) extending from the parking area/trailhead at the eastern end of Orphan Brigade Road 0.42 miles east to a point just across Griffin Creek and included the 100 ft expanded survey corridor (ESC). The survey had negative findings. In 2015, the first archaeological survey for the current project (PI 0012885) was conducted and included much of the southern and northern segments of the trail, both extending from each end of the Phase I portion of the trail. This survey area also included the ESC.

Similarly, no archaeological material was identified. In 2017, an addendum archaeological survey was conducted for an 0.277-acre easement along Cotton Loop Road and included a corresponding ESC. This survey also failed to identify any archaeological material. The 2015 and 2017 surveys were based on a concept layout for the trail, but changes to the alignment and design occurred outside of the previous survey coverage since that time as project plans were further developed. This includes a longer pedestrian bridge over the railroad tracks in the southern segment, switchback near Griffin Creek, and a small parking lot in Sara Babb Park. In addition, the archaeological survey was misaligned along the northern end of the proposed trail. Consequently, the present study is being conducted.

Archaeological site 9Pa587, the Battle of Dallas, encompasses nearly the entire length of the proposed trail except for the northern terminus near Sara Babb Park. The site boundaries for 9PA587 were developed by Edwards-Pitman Environmental in a Phase I archaeological survey report for a road widening project for the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) that is currently in progress and has not been reviewed by SHPO (PI No. 0013702). The site is recommended eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) under Criteria A and D (Woodliff 2018). The Battle of Dallas, also known as the Battle of New Hope Church and the Battle of Pumpkinvine Creek, occurred during the Atlanta Campaign of 1864 between May 28 and June 1. The battle involved Union troops under the command of Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman and Confederate troops under the command of Gen. Joseph E. Johnston for a total of 120,000 soldiers. The first Confederate attack in the late afternoon of May 28, 1864 resulted in the capture of three cannons. An immediate counterattack by the Union troops drove back the Confederates despite reinforcements. Although ongoing skirmishes and sharp shooting continued through the next day, Sherman eventually bypassed Johnston’s line and reached the rail lines at Allatoona Pass where he was able to get reinforcements and supplies before advancing toward Atlanta. Although the battle was hailed a Union victory, an estimated total of 5,400 soldiers were killed, including 2,400 Union soldiers.

The archaeological survey involved surface investigations, shovel testing, and metal detecting in order to locate any cultural material within the portion of the current area of potential effect (APE) that was not previously surveyed. The project areas were visually inspected which allowed the crew to search for cultural material and features on the exposed ground surfaces. The visual inspection resulted in the identification of a precontact lithic scatter near Sara Babb Park, identified as 9PA591. The site could not be fully delineated within the second addendum survey area, and therefore its eligibility for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) under Criterion D remains unknown. The portion identified within the second addendum survey area lacks significant data potential and integrity since artifacts were limited to the ground surface and represent a small range of artifact types. Except for the northern end of the proposed trail route near Sara Babb Park, the proposed trail also falls almost entirely within the boundaries of an archaeological site previously identified as 9Pa587, the Dallas Battlefield. No artifacts associated with the battlefield were identified during the current survey. The Dallas Battlefield is currently recommended eligible for the NRHP in a report pending review by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). Cypress Cultural Consultants agrees that 9PA587 is eligible for the NRHP under Criterion A and D; however, the portion of site 9PA587 that falls within the current APE lacks significant deposits and features and evidence of compromised integrity within the APE was observed during these surveys.