ARMY OPERATIONS 



73 



cross Camp Creek and carry a hill and a line of 

 rifle-pits on the enemy's extreme left, in front 

 of Resaca, which was effected with slight loss. 

 As the position was one which would enable 

 the Federal General to pour a destructive en- 

 filading fire upon the rebel works, and also to 

 command the railroad and trestle bridges across 

 the Oostanaula, a desperate effort was made 

 soon after dark to retake it. Heavy columns 

 of infantry with fixed bayonets moved up to 

 the very crest of the hill, but recoiled under 

 the steady fire of the Federal troops, and finally 

 retired in confusion. At 10 p. M. the fighting 

 terminated for the day. The result of the day's 

 work was on the whole satisfactory to Gen. 

 Sherman, as the Federal lines had nowhere been 

 permanently forced back, while on their left and 

 centre the rebels had lost positions of import- 

 ance. 



The night of the 14th was occupied by both 

 armies in strengthening their positions, and the 

 morning of the loth opened with heavy skir- 

 mishing along the Federal centre, under cover 

 of which troops were massed for an assault 

 upon two fortified hills commanding each other, 

 on the enemy's extreme right, which were con- 

 sidered the key to the whole position. For this 

 purpose Gen. Hooker's corps had been shifted 

 to the extreme left, and Gens. Howard's, Scho- 

 field's, and Palmer's troops moved to the right 

 to fill up the gap occasioned by the withdrawal 

 of Gen. Hooker. Shortly after 1 o'clock in the af- 

 ternoon Gen. Hooker sent forward Butterfield's 

 division as the assaulting column, supported by 

 the divisions of Gens. Geary and Williams, and 

 after several unsuccessful attacks the enemy 

 were driven from a portion of their lines, and 

 a lodgment was secured under the projecting 

 works of a lunette, mounting four pieces of 

 artillery. So severe, however, was the fire 

 from rifle-pits beyond and on either side of this 

 work, forming the inner rebel line, that further 

 advance was impossible, and the Federal troops 

 were fain to seek such shelter as was available, 

 and content themselves with holding the posi- 

 tion they had gained. Toward the close of the 

 afternoon Gen. Hood's corps made a deter- 

 termined but unsuccessful effort to dislodge 

 them, and subsequently, under cover of the 

 darkness, a number of rebel prisoners were 

 brought up, the ends dug out of the works, 

 and the guns hauled out by means of ropes, 

 under a destructive fire from the rebels. As 

 soon as a breach was made our forces rushed in 

 and captured the lunette after a desperate en- 

 gagement. The guns seized were twelve- 

 pounders. The flags of the 35th and 38th 

 Alabama regiments were captured, with over 

 two hundred prisoners. "While these opera- 

 tions were in progress the enemy's attention 

 was occupied by heavy skirmishing along the 

 whole line. 



During the night the enemy quietly aban- 

 doned Resaca, leaving behind a four-gun bat- 

 tery and a quantity of stores, and by dawn were 

 well on their way to Kingston, thirty-two miles 



south on the railroad. Gen. Thomas's troops 

 immediately occupied the town, and succeeded 

 in saving the road bridge, but the railroad 

 bridge, the most costly structure of the kind 

 between Chattanooga and Atlanta, was de- 

 stroyed by the enemy, with the exception of 

 the stone piers. The total Federal loss in the 

 two days' fighting was between 4,000 and 5,000 

 killed and wounded, upward of 2,000 of the 

 latter being so slightly injured that they were 

 returned to duty in two or three weeks. The 

 rebel loss was stated by themselves at 2,500, 

 which is probably not far from the mark. 

 Fighting for the most part behind earthworks, 

 and having the advantage of position, they 

 necessarily suffered less than their opponents. 

 Beside the eight guns and the stores already 

 mentioned, they left about 1,000 prisoners in 

 the hands of the Federals. According to Gen. 

 Sherman nothing saved Gen. Johnston's army 

 at Resaca but the impracticable nature of the 

 surrounding country, which made the speedy 

 passage of troops across the valley from Snake 

 Creek Gap an impossibility. This fact enabled 

 the rebel army to reach Resaca from Dalton 

 along comparatively good roads, constructed 

 beforehand by the foresight of their general. 

 The latter was nevertheless severely criticized 

 for this second abandonment of what was con- 

 sidered a defensible position, notwithstanding 

 that the Richmond newspapers explained that 

 his peculiar forte consisted in drawing an enemy 

 after him, and then overwhelming him by a 

 sudden attack. They also endeavored to de- 

 rive consolation from a reputed caution of Gen. 

 Scott to a Federal commander: "Beware of 

 Lee advancing, and watch Johnston at a stand ; 

 for the devil himself would be defeated in the 

 attempt to whip him retreating," \vhich was 

 extensively quoted in the Southern papers. 



Soon after the discovery of Gen. Johnston's 

 retreat, the cavalry divisions of Gens. Stoneman 

 and McCook were thrown forward in pursuit, 

 and during the 16th the army was occupied in 

 crossing the Oostanaula. Gen. Thomas made 

 the passage at Resaca, Gen. McPherson at 

 Lay's Ferry, a few miles to the southwest, 

 while Gen. Schofield, moving to the left of 

 Thomas, crossed the Conasauga and Coosawat- 

 tee, which unite near Resaca to form the Oos- 

 tanaula. In this order the army marched south- 

 ward on roads parallel to the railroad, finding 

 no trace of the enemy until reaching the neigh- 

 borhood of Adairsville, thirteen miles below 

 Resaca, where Xewton's division of the 4th 

 corps had a smart skirmish with the rebel rear 

 guard, who had posted their sharpshooters in 

 an octagon cement building called " Graves 

 House," for the purpose of delaying the ad- 

 vance. By the aid of artillery they were driv- 

 en out, and on the 18th the 4th corps reached 

 Kingston, four miles beyond which place the 

 enemy were again discovered in considerable 

 force on open ground. At Cassville, five miles 

 east of Kingston, they were known to have 

 constructed strong works; and on the 19th, iu 



