ARMY OPERATIONS. 



continuous lines of rifle-pits with strong field 

 fortifications, particularly about the town, by 

 means of which their flanks were protected on 

 either river, and a line of retreat preserved 

 across the Oostanaula. Friday, May 13th, was 

 occupied by the troops in deploying through 

 Snake Creek Gap and getting into position in 

 Sugar Valley, a fertile tract beyond, much 

 broken by hills, which are covered by a dense 

 undergrowth, and on that account difficult of 

 approach. The movement was covered by the 

 cavalry under Gen. Kilpatrick, who, while 

 pressing the enemy toward Resaca, fell into an 

 ambuscade and received a severe flesh wound, 

 which incapacitated him for several months for 

 active duty. During the day the Federal lines 

 were advanced toward Resaca, the right under 

 McPherson resting on the Oostanaula, about 

 two miles below the town, and extending 

 thence northward so as to face it ; the centre, 

 under Gen. Thomas, closing up upon Gen. 

 McPherson's left, and the left, Tinder Schofield, 

 striking the Oonasauga near Tilton, a station 

 on the railroad about midway between Dalton 

 and Resaca. Beside the protection afforded by 

 the two rivers, both flanks of the army were 

 covered by heavy bodies of cavalry. The scene 

 of these operations was a rugged, thickly-wood- 

 ed country, abounding in steep hills and narrow 

 ravines, through one of which, directly in front 

 of the rebel lines, flows Camp Creek, a small 

 stream emptying into the Oostanaula near 

 Resaca. 



Gen. Johnston was not long in detecting the 

 object of Sherman's flanking march, and judg- 

 ing the position at Dalton to be no longer 

 tenable, he moved rapidly southward on the 

 12th, and having the shorter line of march, 

 reached Resaca with his entire force before the 

 Union army had debouched from Snake Creek 

 Gap. The divisions of Howard's corps left to 

 watch Buzzard Roost, soon after occupied 

 Dalton, which was found thoroughly stripped 

 of supplies and almost deserted, and moving in 

 the enemy's rear, effected a junction on the 

 14th with the Federal left, near Tilton. The 

 successful turning of the rebel position at Dal- 

 ton was justly considered a great step gained 

 in the movement upon Atlanta; and even among 

 the rebel troops there were many who thought 

 that if their leader could not hold for more 

 than four days a place so strongly fortified by 

 nature, he would be unable to maintain himself 

 for a long time at any of the remaining points 

 north of Atlanta, no one of which was per- 

 haps so capable of defence as Dalton. 



The night of the 13th was employed by the 

 rebels in stiengthening their already formidable 

 position by additional earthworks, and on the 

 morning of the 14th they were in complete 

 readiness for an attack, their right wing being 

 held by Gen. Hardee, their centre by Gen. 

 Hood, and their left by Gen. Polk. Skirmish- 

 ishing commenced at an early hour, and the 

 object of Gen. Sherman being to press Resaca 

 %t all points, while a force of infantry and cav- 



alry crossed the Oostanaula and threatened 

 Calhoun in the rear, the firing toward noon 

 grew heavy along the whole rebel line. The 

 Federal general had hoped to be able to turn 

 the rebel left wing, and thus cut off their re- 

 treat, but the nature of the ground rendered 

 this impossible. At 1 p. M. an attempt was 

 made by Palmer's corps, holding the left centre, 

 to break the enemy's line, and force him from 

 an elevated position in the immediate front. To 

 reach this point it was necessary to descend a hill 

 in full range of rebel artillery, ford a stream 

 thickly bordered with undergrowth and inter 

 lacing vines, and then, crossing a valley full of 

 ditches and other obstructions, to mount tho 

 opposite eminence. In the teeth of a murder- 

 ous fire of musketry and artillery, Palmer's 

 troops charged down the hill and" across the 

 creek ; but becoming speedily entangled in the 

 obstructions, and unable to find shelter or to re- 

 turn with effect the plunging fire of the enemy, 

 which caused havoc in their ranks, they were 

 forced to retire, with a loss estimated at up- 

 wards of a thousand. About the same time, 

 further to the left, Gen. Judah's division of the 

 23d corps and Newton's of the 4th corps, mov- 

 ing over comparatively level ground, succeeded, 

 after a desperate struggle, in forcing the enemy 

 to abandon an important position on their outer 

 line. Although the Federal troops were unable 

 to hold this, they succeeded in advancing their 

 line and getting their artillery into a position to 

 prevent the enemy from reoccupying the works. 

 On the extreme left, that portion of the 4th 

 corps which had arrived from Dalton, in conceit, 

 with Gen. Schofield, maintained heavy skir- 

 mishing with the rebel right, the dense woods in 

 that direction preventing the use of artillery, 

 and effectually concealing the movements of 

 troops on either side. The operations on Gen. 

 McPherson's end of the line were, during the 

 morning, of the same character. 



At about 3 o'clock in the afternoon Gen. 

 Johnston, perceiving that no serious impression 

 had been made upon his lines, quietly massed a 

 heavy force on the road to Tilton, with a view 

 of turning the Federal left flank, held by Stan- 

 ley's division of the 4th corps. The attack was 

 delivered with -impetuosity and in such over- 

 whelming numbers, that Stanley's troops, after 

 a stubborn resistance, were forced in confusion 

 from a hill upon which they were posted. The 

 rebels rushed on with loud yells across an open 

 field west of the hill, and for a few moments 

 matters wore a critical aspect. Fortunately, 

 however, the movement of the rebel right had 

 been early detected, and Hooker's corps sent 

 from the centre to reenforce the Federal left. 

 The timely arrival of a portion of his troopa 

 checked the rebel advance, and the scattered 

 division of Stanley having been partially rallied, 

 the rebels were at dusk driven back within their 

 lines with severe loss. Meanwhile Gen. Mc- 

 Pherson, taking advantage of the enemy's oc- 

 cupation with this movement, ordered Logan's 

 (15th) corps, with a portion of the 16th, to 



