May 19th, 1864. General Johnston knew that Sherman had taken the bait and that General Schofield’s Corps was moving toward Cassville. Johnston deployed Polk’s Corps across the road that Schofield was traveling and deployed Hood along what would be Schofield’s left flank. At some point in the morning, Union Cavalry, that was attempting to damage the railroad, came across the end of Hood’s Line and attacked. The numbers of soldiers involved were small, but it was enough of a surprise for Hood that he reformed his lines to meet what he thought was a threat and all but abandoned the attack on Schofield. Johnston eventually ordered Polk and Hood to fall back and reform on a ridge about a mile away. The Union Army formed a line in the area that the Confederates had just moved from. They now stood facing each other with the village of Cassville between them approximately at the center of the lines. During the evening, Hood and Polk called for a meeting with Johnston to discuss what they thought would be their inability to hold their lines, due to the position of the Federal Artillery. It would induce and enfilading fire on their lines and there was not a sufficient amount of cover. Johnston relented to their argument, even though he did not agree. He order a retreat and the next day they were across the Etowah River.
Category: General Johnston
150 Years Ago Today: The Cassville Affair, Day 1
May 18th, 1864. General Johnston decided it was time to make another stand and decided to set a trap for General Sherman at Cassville. General Johnston sent Hardee’s Corps from Adairsville south toward Kingston along the main road. He sent all the supply wagon and ambulances down the main road to Kingston as well. This was the bait for the trap. They left an obvious sign that a large number men and material had traveled in the direction of Kingston. Johnston then sent Polk’s and Hood’s Corps on a less traveled road toward Cassville.
When Sherman arrived in Adairsville, he fell for the bait and believed that the majority of the Confederate Army had moved toward Kingston. Sherman then ordered Thomas’s Army of the Cumberland to follow the main road to Kingston and sent McPherson’s Army of the Tennessee on another flanking movement that would take him past Barnsley Gardens. Schofield’s Corps was sent toward Cassville with Hooker’s Corps following along Schofield’s right and slightly behind.
Johnston learned of Sherman splitting his forces and prepared to spring the trap on the next morning at Cassville.
150 Years Ago Today: Battle of Resaca, Day 2
May 15th, 1864, the Battle of Resaca rages on and General Sherman attempts to out flank the Confederate Army. Sherman has General McPherson hold the position he gained on the day before at the mouth of Camp Creek at the Oostanaula River. He then orders Sweeny’s 2nd Division, who is reenforced by Kilpatrick’s Cavalry Division, to attempt a crossing of the Oostanaula River further south at Lay’s Ferry. Sherman ordered the units on the west side of Camp Creek to hold their lines and ordered Hooker’s and Howard’s Corps, on the north of Resaca, to attack the Confederate lines.
Along the norther Confederate line, Stevenson Division was in place and Capt. Maxillian Van Den Corput’s battery, the Cherokee Georgia Battery, was in place in advance of the main line in an effort to catch the attacking Federals in enfilading fire. The battery consisted of four 12 pounder Napoleon guns. This became a hotly contested part of the line. On the night of the 14th, General Johnston learned that Sweeny had withdrawn from Lay’s Ferry and was not able to cross the river. He then ordered General Hood to attack the norther part of the Federal line. This was around 4:00pm, General Hood ordered Stevenson and Stewart to attack, but by this time in the afternoon Stevenson was already under attack by Hooker’s Corp. After the attack had begun, General Johnston was informed that Sweeny was attempting to cross at Lay’s Ferry again. Johnston, fearing that railroad near Calhoun would taken by the Federal troops and his supply line compromised, ordered Hood to cancel the attack. It was too late and Stevenson was already heavily engaged and suffered significant losses. One of the major losses was Van Den Corput’s battery, the artillery men were forced from their works back to the main Confederate Line. The area around the battery became a no man’s land. During the night, Union soldiers were able to capture the Confederate cannons by digging through the earth berm in front of them and dismantling them and with the aid of ropes, dragged them back the Union lines.
After learning of Sweeny’s crossing and the threat to his supply line, Johnston ordered a retreat from Resaca.
150 Years Ago Today: May 12th and 13th
May 12th, 1864: General Johnston begins to realize that General Sherman’s Objective is either Resaca or Calhoun. Johnston begins the retrograde movement from Dalton, by ordering the wagon trains to start heading to Resaca. He orders the infantry to move out after dark and has his Cavalry dismount and take their place. The will then cover the retreat and protect the rear of the Confederate Army.
During the morning of the 12th, a large portion of the Union Army begin their flanking movement of Dalton and follow McPherson’s route to Snake Creek Gap. Due to a thunderstorm and heavy rain the night before, the Union Army progresses slowly. The roads are choked with wagons bogged down in the mud and infantry slogging through the quagmire. This slows the Federals and allows the Confederate Army more time to reach Resaca and being digging in. During the afternoon of the 12th, General Sherman arrives at Snake Creek Gap. Upon meeting General McPherson, for the first time since his failure to take Resaca or destroy the railroad around Resaca and cut off the Confederate life line, he says “Well, Mac, you have missed the opportunity of a lifetime”. An officer standing near by said these were spoken “not ungraciously”, but General McPherson realizes it is a deserved comment for his failure.
May 13th, 1864: All the troops are in motion. Union Troops are moving toward Resaca via Snake Creek Gap. Confederate Soldiers have abandoned Dalton and started moving south. Union Soldiers move into Dalton and find it empty and that the railroad is intact. They begin to turn Dalton into a supply base and other Union troops begin to move south in pursuit of the Southerners. Wheeler’s Cavalry fights a rear guard action against Union troops that are in pursuit of the Confederates near Tilton. By the afternoon of the 13th, most of the Confederate Army is massed around Resaca and has dug in. Sherman realizes the he will not be able to get between the Confederate Army and Resaca and orders the Union Army to dig in with a line of works paralleling the Southerners works. Skirmishing takes place at various points along the line. All the pieces are almost in place for the first large scale engagement of the Campaign.
150 Years Ago Today, May 11th, 1864
May 11th, 1864, General Johnston receives word in the early morning that the Union Army is massing for an attack on Resaca via Snake Creek Gap. He telegraphs General Polk, who is Rome on his way form Louisiana to Dalton, and directs him to Resaca to assume command and reenforce the troops already there. He then sends General Hood from Dalton to Resaca and has General Cleburne prepare to move from Dug Gap to Resaca. He then directs General Cheatham to prepare to withdraw from Rocky Face Ridge and replace Clerburne at Dug Gap. Upon arrival at Resaca, General Hood finds that there is no attack imminent and there are no Federal troops within four miles of Resaca. He Telegraphs General Johnston and informs him of such. All the previous troop movements toward Resaca are put on hold.
Union observers, on the Northern part of Rocky Face Ridge, have seen part of Cheatham’s Corp start to move away from the lines at Buzzards Roost. Sherman is notified and he immediately orders the line at Buzzards Roost probed. There are enough Southern Soldiers still in the lines to repulse the attempted Reconnaissance by Force. The Union troops go to ground and must wait until nightfall to pull back. Sherman informs McPherson that he will be at Snake Creek Gap in the morning and that he is planning to have the majority of the Army follow his route to and through Snake Creek Gap. Sherman orders McPherson to strengthen his defenses in the gap. Sherman also orders Schofield’s troops to begin pulling back from Crow Creek Valley.
General Polk arrives in Resaca and with General Hood, they observe the deployment of troops and assess the situation. In the evening they go to Dalton by train to meet with General Johnston and make plans for the retreat from Dalton and the defense of Resaca. General Polk overnights with General Hood at Hood’s headquarters. General Polk, who is also the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana, baptizes General Hood.
150 Years Ago Today: Snake Creek Gap and Crow Creek Valley
On May 9th, 1864
General McPherson and The Army of the Tennessee, reached Snake Creek Gap on May 9th, thus setting up a flanking movement in an attempt to attack the Confederate rear and stop their retreat from Dalton. General Sherman had hoped that General Johnston would turn the Confederate Army away from Dalton to attack McPherson and if General Geary had successfully taken Dug Gap he would have been in a position to hit General Johnston’s flank and the remainder of the Union Army could attack the Confederate rear. What Sherman wanted and what he got, are two different things. Upon reaching Snake Creek Gap, McPherson was ordered to attack the Confederates holding the town of Resaca.
McPherson sent his skirmishers through the gap and saw a considerable and extensive line of earth works between the gap and Resaca. He also saw Southern troops and over estimated their numbers. He pulled back and did not push the attack. General Sherman was furious at the lost opportunity to decimate the Confederate Army and possibly end the campaign there and push on to Atlanta with out much of a fight. Had McPherson attacked, he would only have found a fairly small number of Confederate troops protecting Resaca, some of which were cadets from the Georgia Military Academy in Marietta. His hesitation allowed enough time for the Confederate Army to send reinforcements to Resaca.
Also on May 9th, General Sherman ordered General Schofield’s, Army of the Ohio, to attack the Confederate line in Crow Creek Valley, just north of Dalton. The Southern soldiers put up a tough fight and repulsed multiple attempts by the Union Army to take their position. Rowan’s Ga. Battery was positioned on Potato Hill and the remnants of the Battery and Infantry works are still visible today. It has been turned into a small park with a trail up the hill to the works. Here is a link for an article about the new parks. Dalton Daily Citizen
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