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.
Category: Georgia Battlefields
Reenactment at Resaca
Yesterday I went to Resaca for the reenactment. It took place at Chitwood Farms, which is actually on the original battlefield. Even with the rain it was a great time. I was also able to visit the new State Park, which encompasses a large part of the battlefield that parallels I-75, and includes Camp Creek Valley. Most of the Confederate positions were destroyed when the interstate was constructed. The Federal positions are still there and are mostly untouched. I was not able to hike any of the trails in the park, but I think some may lead to some earthworks. The terrain here was beautiful. The park is not actually open yet, but they allowed people to enter this weekend due to the reenactment nearby. I can not wait for it to open later this year. The park is mostly complete, but the DOT is doing construction at the exit off of I-75 and this has the entrance to the park blocked. The are also building and new bridge over Camp Creek next to the entrance. I arrived here at 7:00am and made a few images at the entrance, but the gate was closed. I came back around 3:45pm, after I left the reenactment and spent an hour looking around and making images.
I arrived at the reenactment at 8:00am. I was there in time to see the presentation of colors. After that I watched as the soldiers drilled and practiced their movements for the battle in the afternoon. This was a great time to make images, since we were allowed to walk through the battlefield while they were practicing. I also wandered around the encampments. They were separated by Union and Confederate camps and the Artillery units had their own camps as well as the Cavalry units. Everyone was very friendly and love to talk about what they were doing and why they did it. They were quick to offer a cup of coffee and I even had an offer of breakfast. I walked the “Sutlers” area and looked through their tents. I even bought a Haversack. It worked out good to carry some of my gear when it started raining. I also bought some homemade root beer. It was probably the best root beer I have ever had.
While walking through the Confederate Infantry camp I asked around for the 42 Ga. This was the unit that I had four relatives in and one of them, Milton Brownlee, was wounded here at the Battle of Resaca. I found them and introduced myself to them and told them about my relatives. A few of them knew who Milton was and they all became very reverend when discussing my ancestors and told me it was an honor to meet a descendant. They said they were honored to represent the unit and and my ancestors and hoped they made me proud. They did make me proud. Who knows, when this project is over I may even join up with them.
I wandered through some more of the camps and more Sutlers tents and then found the Photographers tent. As it was raining fairly hard he invited me to take shelter under the tent with several others. I was the only spectator in the tent, the rest in the tent were in “character”. We all talked for awhile and discussed photography, history and my War Was Here project. They were all greatly interested in my project. I wish I had meet a lot of these folks before my kickstarter campaign. I got contact information for them and later while walking around, one of them stopped me to introduce me to someone else who is doing a lot of preservation work and thought we may be able to help each other. Did not realize I was going to be networking here, but it worked out pretty good.
I claimed my spot on the hill to watch the battle. I had a great spot. Front row and “50 yard line” so to speak. I was able to catch almost all the action. Good thing I rented the 500mm lens. Anything less would not have been good enough. My gear drew a lot of attention from the spectators around me and they were all asking questions before the battle started. I explained what I was doing and they were all excited. They were soon jotting down my web address. Hope some of you are reading this now. The battle began with cannon fire and a cavalry battle, followed by infantry fighting and continued cannon fire. There were charges and retreats and the lines changes hands back and forth. Men lay on the field acting dead or wounded and the cavalry clashed with sabers drawn and held high. After an hour of raging battle, the pace slowed down and came to a stop, where all on the field bowed their heads and a pair of buglers played “Taps”. The spectators erupted with a thunderous roar and applause and thanked the soldiers for show. I know the soldiers had good time, because they were all smiles. Afterwards, some Union Cavalry came over to the spectator area to talk to the crowd and answer questions. They were representing the U.S. 2nd Cavalry and had driven in from out of state to participate in the event. I had a great time at the reenactment and I will certainly be going back next year. I think I will take the boys with me, they would love it.
My time was running short so I headed out shortly after the battle and made my way back over to the state park. I made my images and spent an hour there. I finally made it home 12 hours after I left. I had spent 9.5 hours making images during the day and rest of the time was drive time. I filled up few 16 gig memory cards and had about 2500 images for the day. Not to bad I guess, now I just have to edit and edit and edit.
150 Years Ago Today, Battle of Rome Crossroads
May 16th, 1864. In the early morning hours of the 16th, the Confederate Army slipped away across the the Oostanaula River and the supply wagons were moving south. The day before, the Union Army had established a bridgehead at Lay’s Ferry. On the morning of the 16th, the Army of the Tennessee, began it’s advance from Lay’s Ferry. Sweeny’s 2nd Division of Dodge’s XVI Corps was the leading element of the advance, the remainder of McPherson’s Army of the Tennessee followed Dodge’s Corps. They were headed toward Rome Crossroads, where the Rome-Calhoun Road and the Sugar Valley-Adairsville Road met. To meet this threat to the Confederate flank, General Johnston sent General Hardee’s Corps. Hardee’s Corp formed up in the woods south of the road and used Oothkalooga Creek to anchor the right of their line which extended westward parallel to the Rome-Calhoun Road. General Clebrune’s Division held the left of the line and General Walkers Division held the right of the line. Bate’s Division was held in reserve.
As the Federal troops approached the crossroads, Hardee’s line of battle sprinted out of the woods in a surprise attack, catching the Federal skirmishers off guard and pushing them across the road. Hardee used his artillery to target the Federal supply wagons that were following the advance. Hardee and his Southern Soldiers held fast to their position until the early hours of the morning of the 17th. This allowed enough time for the Confederate wagon trains to make it through Calhoun and move southward to Adairsville.
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, The Battle of Resaca, Day 1
May 14th, 1864 was the first day of the Battle of Resaca. This was the first large scale battle in the campaign. There were approximately 160,000 troops engaged over a two day period. Union casualties were around 3560 and Confederate casualties numbered around 2600.
General Hood attacks the Federal line north of Resaca and pushes them out of their lines and back about a mile. The 5th Indiana Battery shows up just in time and is able to support the retreating Federals, causing Hood to return to his lines and allowing the Union troops to retake their lines. There was fighting along the entire four mile long front.
Day Three of Photography is Done!
Today I went to make images in Resaca. I made images at the area off of Chitwood Rd., an area at E. Nance Springs Rd., Rooker Rd., the Confederate Cemetery, several areas along Camp Creek Valley, Snake Creek Gap, Fort Wayne, the Rail Road bridge over the river and Rome Crossroads. I will be headed back up there this weekend to photograph the reenactment on Saturday. It should be pretty cool to have a reenactment on the actual battlefield. They were up there this morning and had started to set things up. Check out there website if you interested in going.
The Battle of Resaca, 2014
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: May 10th, 1864
On May 10th, 1864, there was continued skirmishing along Crow Creek Valley and Mill Creek Gap at Buzzards Roost. General McPherson had pulled back form his attempt to take Resaca and was encamped at Snake Creek Gap. On the night of the 9th, McPherson sent a dispatch to General Sherman informing him of his inability to take Resaca. On the morning of the 10th General Sherman received McPherson’s dispatch. Needless to say, Sherman was “pissed off”, and sent a very curt reply to McPherson. I can imagine that a few days later, when they met face to face, it was not a pleasant place to be. After receiving the dispatch for McPherson, Sherman began planning a movement of the Army of the Cumberland to Snake Creek Gap to reenforce McPherson and attack Resaca.
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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