The Washington herald., 1914-05-14

Fifty years ago toQay tne Feoerai arm,
under Gen. william T. Sherman was In
front Of the Confederate defenses ol
Resaca, Ca. to which point Gen. JOSEPH
z. Johnstoe had been forced to retire q,
result of rapid and unexpected nanh
movement of TIN Union Army from Chat.
tanooga-
This was the opening operation Of the
Atlanta campaign. which brought inte
action five distinct armies. two Confed
crate and three Federal numbering In
all nearly 100000 men. and resulted ir
the devastation of large sections oi
Georgia, the loss Of Atlanta by the Con
federates, and Sherman's march to ths
sea.
At The outset the Federals outnumberet
the Confederates by more than two II
one. Gen. Sherman had under his direc'
ton the Army of the Tennessee. Maj
Gen. James B. Mcpherson. 24.sso men; tht
Army of the Ohio. Mai. Gen. John NJ
schofield. 1852 men. and the Army of tht
Cumberland. Mai. Gen. George H
Thomas, 72,sss men, a total Of ITO. $50 men
The artillery Of the three armies totalet
1,sH guns.
Gen. Johnston, at the beginning Of ths
campaign, May 8, had at hand only ths
Army Of Tennessee tnot to be confused
with the Federal Army OF similar name)
which totaled s.. .I36 men and 140 guns. 1r
the following month he was reinforced
by the Army of Mississippi. Lieut.. Gen
Leonidas Polk. Episcopal bishop Of Louis
ians, numbering about 1900 men and 9
guns.
In spite of the great difference In nu.
merical sctrength of the two armies, tht
defensive position Of the Confederate had
somewhat neutralized the advantage OF
the Federal numbers.
Johnston's Rocky Fortress.
Gen. Johnston's army had wintered in
front, of the town Of Dalton. Ga. about
20 miles southeast of Chattanooga. It's
line lay along an abrupt, rocky ridge
called Rocky Face. whose cliffs rose like
a giant wall to bar the way south to an
enemy.
An enormous chasm cleft Rocky Face
Ridge near its northern end and allowed
the passage Of the direct road between
Chattanooga and Dalton, and a small
stream called Mil Creek This break
was known as Buxxard Roost.
The wall of rock had been strongly for.
titled by Gen Johnston At Buzzard
Roost the creek had been damned, and
q broad lake formed across the road
over which the Federals must approach.
In addition, extensive earthworks were
thrown up at that point.
Altogether the Confederates were in
such q position as to be able to hold
their own against almost any number In
q direct attack, and had trusted to the
impetuosity of Gen Sherman to shatter
his army against this unbreakable bar
rier.
But in that expectation they were dis
appointed. On May 5 Cen Sherman
-. In The AYn1V
Of the Cumberland advanced on the d.
rect road from Chattanooga to Buzzard
Roost; the Army of the Ohio moved
south from Cleveland. thirty miles east
of Chattanooga. following the railroad
and hoping to ind an open way around
the north end of Rocky Face Ridge, and
the Army of the Tennessee, which
had been stationed near Stevenson and
Huntsville, Ala, had come up to Chat
tanooga- and marched thence to Villa
now, on the left Of Gen. Thomas.
The movements of such a massive
force were necessarily slow, but by May
I the Federals and Confederates were
face to face. Gen. Schoheld was at the
Thomas at its center. and Gen. McPher-
son hidden in the woods around Villanow.
Move on Johnston's Flank.
1t did not take Sherman long to de-
eide that he could not afford to risk his
force in a direct assault. He determined
to strike Johnston a sudden blow on the
flank and If possible to cut his communi-
cations.
Giving orders to Gems. Thomas and
to occupy Johnston's attention
by heavy reconnoissances, Mcpherson
was directed to move from the vicinity
Of Villanow through Snake Creek Gap
to Resaca, fourteen miles south of Dali
ton. He was ordered to capture that
place is possible, and to destroy the rail-
road which connected Gen. Johnston's
army with its depots at Atlanta
On May S, following these instructions,
the armies of the Ohio and Cumberland
made demonstrations against the Con-
federates on Rocky Face Ridge. Gen.
Charles G. Harker's brigade of Newton's
Fourth Corps, gained a foot
hold on the knife-like edge OF the ridge
near its northern end. and slowly work.
ed its way along toward Buzzard Roost
But Gen. E. W. Pettus' Alabama brigade
met it and checked its advance with
loss.
Further south, about two miles on the
opposite side Of Buzzard Roost, Gen.
Tohn w. Geary's division Of the
Twentieth Corps CHooker's) attempted
% carry the ridge by attacking at Dug
Sap. Here. as at the point of Harker's
lttack. the natural strength of the posi-
ion so favored the Confederates that
wo very small regiments of Reynolds
Arkansas Brigade Gust arrived from
Folks Army delayed Geary's advance
Until Lieut.. Gen. William ]. Hardee. COM
handing a Confederate corps, came up