RE8ACA, ri-ea-kil, Battle of. While the armies of Generals Thomas and Schofield were threatening an advance from the north on Dal ton, Ga. (q.v.), General Sherman ordered Gen eral McPherson, commanding the Army of the Tennessee, to move southward through Snake Creek Gap and interpose between Dalton and Resaca. McPherson moved from Gordon's Springs, 8 May 1864, his advance bivouacked; that night in the Gap and next morning pushed through it, defeated a brigade of Confederate cavalry at the eastern end of it, and approached to within a mile of Resaca, on the Oostanaulw where he found the enemy in position too strong to be attacked; and being unable to find a good road by which he could quickly each the railroad, north of Resaca, and 'fearing an attack upon his own left flank, he prudently withdrew, after some severe skirmishing and took a strong position near the cast end of Snake Creek Gap. Sherman now resolved to transfer the greater part of his army to join McPherson. Howard's Fourth corps and a small force of cavalry were to demonstrate on Buzzard Roost Gap and occupy Confederate at tention north of Dalton. On the 10th Hooker's 20th corps moved through Snake Creek Gap and joined McPherson. Palmer's 14th corps and Schofield's 23d corps followed, and on the 12th the whole army ex cept Howard's corps and the cavalry with it, was through the Gap. On the morning of the 13th McPherson, preceded by General Kil patrick's cavalry, led the advance on the direct road to Resaca. Thomas, with the corps of Palmer and Hooker, was to move on McPher son's left, and Schofield on the left of Thomas. The country was covered by dense forest, and the movement of troops was difficult. Kil patrich drove the Confederate calvary to within two miles of Resaca, and was wounded, and his cavalry wheeled out of the road, allowing Mc Pherson to pass, who, encountering the Con federate pickets near Resaca, drove them in and occupied a range of bald hills, his right on the Oostanaula, about two miles below the railroad. bridge, and his left abreast the town. Thomas. came up on McPherson's left and faced Camp Creek. Schofield worked his way through dense forest and came up on the left of Thomas,, but it was noon of the 14th when these move ments were completed, at which time Howard's. Fourth corps, following Johnston from Dalton, had reached a position about a mile north of Schofield's left. Johnston abandoned Dalton about midnight of the 12th, and during the 13th formed his army covering Resaca, Polk's and Hardee's corps west of the place, facing west, and covering the railroad bridge and a trestle bridge. Polk rested his left on the Oostanaula, and Hood's corps on the right of Hardee's tended across the railroad to the Connesauga, facing to the northeast. Wheeler's cavalry was on the right, and Jackson's cavalry on the left guarded the Oostanaula from Resaca to Rome. There had been severe skirmishing on the after noon of the 13th between the troops of Mc Pherson and Polk, and it was renewed on the morning of the and in the afternoon Mc Pherson carried a bridge on Camp Creek, crossed it and secured a commanding position very close to Polk's main line and Confederate efforts to retake the were repulsed. Farther to the left Palmer's 14th
_ and Scbdfield's 23d caps became engaged with Hardee on Camp Creek; parts of Schofield's corps were repulsed with great loss, another part succeeded in making a lodgment beyond the creek. Two divi Wens of Howard's corps coming in from the north were• sent • to Schofiekl's, support, leaving Stanley's division in echelon to the left. Hooker's corps was seat to the left. Johnston had• noted the exposed position of Sherman's left and ordered Hood, with the divisions of Stewart and Stevenson to attack and turn it Late in the afternoon Hood attacked Stanley, outflanked him and was dirving him back when the advance of Hooker's Williams' divi sion, came up, repulsed Hood and drove him back to his intrenchments. Skirmishing was re sumed along the entire line on the morning of the 15th,' and Sherman ordered an • advance of Hooker on the left, and the two divisions of the 23d • corps were withdrawn from the centre and marched to the extreme left in sup port. It was after noon when Hooker ad vanced, Butterfield's and Geary's divisions on the right and centre, and Williams' on the left Hood, with the divisions• of Stevenson and Stewart, supported by three brigades from Polk's and Hardee's corps, made a simultaneous advance from his works. Stevenson on his left was struck first by Butterfield and then by Geary, before he had gone far from his works, and after a severe fight driven back to them, leaving a four-gun battery in advance of his line, which remained between the two lines until night, when it was secured by a detach ment of Geary's division. On Hood's right Stewart's. division swung to the left, drove Wil liams' skirmishers from the railroad and, cross ing, assaulted Williams' main line most vigor ously, but was bloodily •repulsed and fell back to its intrenchments. A part of Schofield's corps on Hooker's left took part in this en gagement. Hooker's ,loss • was over 1,600. On the 14th Sherman bad ordered a pontoon bridge to be thrown across the Oostanaula at Lay's Ferry, in the direction of Calhoun, and Sweeny's division of the 16th • corps was ordered tp cross it and threaten Calhoun. Sweeny crossed one brigade, drove some Con federate cavalry from the opposite bank, then hearing that the Confederates were crossing above him, he withdrew the brigade and retired his entire division half a mile to a less exposed position. On the morning of the 15th he moved back to the river and crossed it, laid a pontoon bridge and constructed works. Here he was fiercely attacked by Walker's Confederate divi sion, which was repulsed. The presence of a part of Sherman's army east of the Oostanaula determined Johnston to retreat, and that night he abandoned Resaca and marched for Calhoun. Sherman occupied Resaca on the morning of the 16th and started in pursuit. The Union loss at Resaca was about 600 killed and 2,147 wounded. The Confederate loss was about 300 killed, 1,500 wounded and 1,000 missing. Con sult 'Official Records' (VoL XXXVIII) ; Cox, 'Atlanta); Van Home (History of the Army of the Cumberland' (Vol. II); Sherman, sonal Memoirs' (Vol. II); The Century Com pany's and Leaders of the Civil War) (Vol. IV) ; Johnston, of Military •