"FRIENDS OF THE RESACA BATTLEFIELD"
The Friends of Resaca is a permanent group whose mission is to preserve, secure, and protect historical resources in Resaca and th surrounding areas for the purpose of increasing public awareness of all our historical heritage. You can also share in the rich heritage of The Battle of Resaca by joining The Friends of Resaca Battlefield. Only a $10.00 annual individual membership donation is requested. Please send your name, address, telephone and e-mail address to the non profit historical organization in care of P.O. Box 1098 Resaca, Georgia 30735.
The Friends of Resaca meet on the First Monday of each Quarter at 7:00 p.m.and all are welcome. Take Exit #133 go east .4 miles to Hwy 41. Go north (left) for .1 mile, turn left on Walker Street, go .2 miles the meetings are held in the Blue and gray building on the left. We hope to see you there!
The following is brought to you by The Friends of Resaca Battlefield:
DRIVING TOUR OF THE BATTLEFIELD:
Write to the Friends of Resaca for a detailed map. Also, look for historical markers along the way. But remember, most of the Historical markers are located on private property...this is a driving tour!
1. Begin tour at Hall Road (Union troops deploy for battle)
2. Proceed to Fain Brown Road (Polk's troops driven from this ridge.)
3. Polk's line withdrawn to Resaca.
4. Town of Resaca
5. Road side Park with map of area.
6 Resaca Confederate Cemetery
7. Angle in Confederate line where three Union attacks were made.
8. 0.2 Miles North west was the position of the Union 4th Corps & 13th New York Battery.
9. Hoods Line
10. Corputs Battery on hills, north of road.
11. Confederate attack on Union left.
12. Area of Union entrenched lines.
13. Nance Sprins Area of fighting on 14th & 15th of May
14. R.R. Wood Station
15. Site where Union assault began against Van Corputs Battery.
The Battle of Resaca
The Battle of Resaca which was fought on 14-15 May, 1864, was the first major battle of th Atlanta Campaign. When the smoke cleared, both of these great armies suffered about 5500 casualties. More soldiers were engaged at Resaca than at Kennesaw or Chickamauga. Located between Chattanooga and Atlanta is the small, now peaceful town of Resaca, Georgia.
Historic events that occurred in and around Resaca during the War Between the States were all but peaceful when war erupted on this Georgia soil. Early on the morning of the 13th of May, 1864, General Joseph Johnston's Confederate army is firmly entrenched north and west of Resaca. Only four days earlier, Union troops under McPherson had approached Resaca from Snake Creek Gap. Seeing that the town was already fortified, and fearing that he was out numbered, he pulled back to Snake Creek Gap. When in fact, Resaca was only lightly held, the main Confederate army was still at Dalton at that time, the town could have easily been over run.
By midday on the 13th, the entire Federal army is in position and the battle begins. Confederate troops are driven from the hills just west of Camp Creek Bridge back to their main line. Union artillery is places on these hills and they open fire on the Confederate line and also on the river bridge. The fighting continues off and on along the lines until dark.
The fighting resumes early on the 14th when Union troops attack along the angle in the Confederate line. Three attacks are made across Camp Creek but each attack is beaten back with heavy losses. Confederate Cavalry gets word to General Johnston that the Union left is open to attack. General Johnston orders the attack on the Union left. They drive the Union troops back past Nance Springs until stopped by the 5th Indiana Battery who with the help of Union reinforcements drive the Confederates back to their entrenchments. About this same time, a Union Division is sent southward to cross the OOSTANAULA River to try to get to the railroad behind the Confederate Army.
Late in the afternoon Union troops attack the Confederate left and push them back to their last line of defense on the outskirts of Resaca. Fighting ends for the day. Before noon on the 15th, another Union attack is made on the Confederate line, this time on the northern end of the line where Confederate artillery had been placed out in front of the main line. The artillery of Van Corputs battery was overrun by Union troops who were quickly driven back over the front of the earthworks by Confederate rifle fire from the main line. The artillery was left in between the lines until nightfall, when Union troops pulled the guns down the hill with ropes. Confederates again attack the Union left but suffer heavy losses. General Johnston learns that Union troops are again threatening his rear. He then states to prepare his troops to withdraw across the river. Under cover of darkness, the Confederate army retreats from Resaca and set fire to the Bridge, then they head south to fight again...The Battle of Resaca is over. The Battle for Atlanta begins...
Taken from: The Campaign for Atlanta by William R. Scaife
Also located in Resaca is the Resaca Confederate Cemetery, the oldest Confederate cemetery in Georgia and one of the two oldest in the nation. The approximately 450 soldiers buried here are honored each April with a Confederate Memorial Day service. The annual Battle Of Resaca Reenactment is held in May on a privately-owned section of the actual battlefield.
Agriculture in Georgia Lecture Series Continues Dr. Jonathan Bryant, history professor with Georgia Southern University, will present the next program in the Georgia Historical Society's 1997 Fall Lecture Series, Agriculture in Georgia. Entitles, "The Rise & Fall of King Cotton," the lecture will include slides and a book signing of Dr. Bryant's newest release, How Curious A Land: Conflict & Change in Greene County, Georgia , 1850-1885.
For more information call 912 651-2125.
US Civil War Center!
Latest information on the Sesquicentennial can be found at
http://www.cwc.lsu.edu/projects/sesquilhtm
848 SHUGART ROAD DALTON, GEORGIA 30720 PHONE & FAX:
706 275-MILL (6455)
The Prater's Mill Foundation presents a calendar of Civil War Related Events!
Prater's Mill Country Fair - held on Mother's Day weekend in May and Columbus Day weekend in October!
For information please call The Prater's Mill Foundation
The Marietta Museum of History is located on the second floor of the historic Kennesaw House in downtown Marietta, Georgia. The building was constructed by John Heyward Glover in 1850 as a four story cotton warehouse and in 1855 Dix Fletcher purchased the property and converted it into the Fletcher House hotel. On April 12th, 1862 James J. Andrews, a federal spy, along with his party of soldiers disguised as civilians, spent the night in the Fletcher House. Their mission was to steal a locomotive and burn the bridges between Atlanta and Chattanooga. the raiders commandeered a train pulled by the locomotive "GENERAL" at Big Shanty (now Kennesaw). They were pursued by the Confederates and captured just south of Ringgold, Georgia. The Federal Soldiers that took part in the raid were the first recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor.
The hotel was used by the Confederate Army as a hospital in August 1863 and was occupied by the Federal troops on July 3, 1864. In November 1864, Sherman ordered his army to put Marietta to the torch. Most of the town was destroyed, however the hotel survived with only the fourth floor being damaged. The building was reconstructed in 1867 as a three story hotel by Dix Fletcher, Mr. Francis Freyer and Mr. A.A. Fletcher ( a nephew of Dix). It was at this time that the hotel name was permanently changed to the Kennesaw House.
The Museum tells the rich history of Marietta, Cobb County and the surrounding area covering the Creek/Cherokee Indian period to the present time.
Hours of operation are Tuesday - Saturday 11:00 - 4:00
Come visit this historic building, we would love to share our story with you!
Donation $2.00
770 528-0431
#1 Depot Street
Marietta, Georgia
First Independent Brigade - made up of interested re-enactors from East-Central
Georgia. The Bridgade has three regiments...they are the 9th, 38th, and 48th
Georgia Volunteer Infantry Regiments. Please contact: Commander John Zwemer
at 706 595-1402.
The Stuart-Mosby Historical Society is an organization of members who appreciate
the courage and sacrifice of both JEB Stuart and John Singleton Mosby. The
membership year begins June 1st. For information please contact: Dr. Susan
V. Heumann 5840 Cameron Run Terrace Alexandria, Va. 22303-1847.
J.E.B.
Stuart
James Ewell Brown Stuart (USMA,1854) distinguished himself and his cavalry
brigade for acts of valor and gallantry. He was promoted to Major General
and given command of an entire division of cavalry. Major General Stuart
displayed more of his famous gallantry and determination with his multiple
raids on General Ewell's depots, his protection of the Confederate retreat
from Gettysburg, and his severe cavalry battles in the Campaign of the
Wilderness. He fought the good fight even when the odds were against him.
Lying on his back, with a fatal wound, he rallied his troops who were beginning
to retreat, "GO BACK! GO BACK! AND DO YOUR DUTY, AS I HAVE DONE MINE, AND
OUR COUNTRY WILL BE SAFE. GO BACK! GO BACK! I HAD RATHER DIE THAN BE
WHIPPED!
His troops rallied and forced the Union to withdraw for that day. Major General
JEB Stuart died the next day but not before he asked how his troops were
doing.
Written by: Cadet Michael Coerper
Portions of a Speech of General Fitz Lee at A.N.V. Banquet October 28th 1875.
Brother Confederates - I hope I may receive your pardon if I occupy a brief
portion of your time in talking to you of the Chief of Cavalry of the Army
of Northern Virginia, for my thoughts just now go out, in the language of
General Johnston, to the "Indefatigable Stuart". Today, Comrades, I visited
his grave. He sleeps his last sleep upon a little hillside in Hollywood,
in so quiet, secluded a spot that I felt indeed that no sound could awake
him to glory again. A simple wooden slab marks the spot, upon which is inscribed:
General Stuart, wounded May 11th 1864 ; died May 12th 1864. I recall his
distinguishing characteristics, which were a strict attention to his military
duties, an erect, soldierly bearing, an immediate and almost thankful acceptance
of a challenge from any Cadet to fight, who might in any way feel himself
aggrieved, and a clear, metallic, ringing voice....that same voice so often
above the roar of battle and trampling of steeds upon so many hard fought
fields --- still delightfully musical, calm and clear as of old --- only
perhaps a little more powerful. (see:
http://www.jebstuart.com/gleetribute.html)
John Singleton Mosby
John
Singleton Mosby was a Bristol lawyer when Virginia seceded in 1861. He enlisted
in the confederate Cavalry and participated in the war from First Manassas until
it's conclusion. He rode with JEB STUART on the Virginia Peninsula campaign
and also at Sharpsburg. In 1863, he was allowed to organize a group known as
"Mosby's Rangers". They were partisan rangers who went on a guerrilla rampage
in an area stretching through Virginia from Leesburg to Warrenton to Fairfax
Courthouse called "Mosby's Confederacy."
He led forays into Maryland and Pennsylvania prior to Gettysburg and in the
Shenandoah Valley in 1864. John S. Mosby was a 125 lb blond who wore a scarlet
lined gray cape that he draped over his shoulder and an ostrich plume in
his hat. He was clean shaven except during the war, when he wore a full beard.
He became known as the "Gray Ghost".
In March 1863, he and his men crept inside Union lines near Fairfax County
Courthouse an captured USA General Edwin Henry Stoughton and 100 soldiers.
Mosby and his men are credited with prolonging the war ---at least for a
little while. During the Wilderness Campaign near Fredericksburg, the Union
wasted considerable time and energy in an attempt to track down the Gray
Ghost.
In April 1865, Mosby disbanded his troops rather than surrender. He returned
to law practice and later supported his old adversary, Ulysses S. Grant for
president. It was a move that gained Mosby little popularity in the South.
He served as consul in Hong Kong and later returned to Virginia to write
his memoirs. He died in May 1916 in Washinton and was buried in Warrenton,
Virginia.
His aggressiveness and creativity were demonstrated early in life. He shot
and wounded a fellow student at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville,
then made friends with his defense counselor and the judge by explaining
his interest in studying law. That enabled him to escape th serious charges
with a six month jail sentence and a $1,000 fine.
Mosby Tour Sites: Reflections of His Military Attributes by Jim Moyer. Published in the Southern Cavalry Review, the monthly magazine of the Stuart-Mosby Society.
John Singleton Mosby was the heart and soul of the 43rd Battalion of Virginia Cavalry, "Mosby's Rangers". It was his creation, and he watched it develop until, by war's end, it was one of the better-known military units. His iron-willed discipline and piercing blue eyes played a primary role in the fruition of his command, which, as a unit, gradually began to assume many of his personal traits.
During the past 17 years, Tom Evans and I have led the Stuart-Mosby Historical Society on a variety of Mosby bus tours, featuring a multitude of Mosby historical sites. My presentation today will examine some of these sites and how they reflect the military attributes of Mosby which made him such an outstanding military leader.
Mr. Moyer included these remarks in a speech delivered at the Society luncheon held June 20, 1998 in Fairfax, Virginia, during the Annual meeting weekend. He and fellow Mosby historian Tom Evans will once again lead the society's annual fall Mosby tour in October.
GRAY GHOST VINEYARDS CIVIL WAR AUTHORS WEEKEND: Gray Ghost vineyards, located in Amissville, Virginia, on Route #211 approximately 8 miles west of Warrenton, announces that its 2nd annual Civil War Authors Weekend will be held Sat. Nov. 7th and Sun. Nov. 8th 1998 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Each day a dozen or more Civil War authors, including Society members Kenneth "Doc" McAtee, Horace Mewborn, and Jim Moyer, will participate in panel discussions and autograph sessions. Both books and Gray Ghost wines will be available for purchase.
NEW HISTORICAL MARKER TO HONOR GENERAL STUART!
The Commonwealth of Virginia's Department of Historical Resources has approved
a new roadside marker near Auburn, Virginia, to be entitled "Stuart's Bivouac".
The marker will establish the exact location of the small valley where Stuart
and 3,000 of his men made camp during the nights of Oct. 13-14, 1863, totally
concealed from the enemy. The unveiling ceremony is planned for Oct. 14th,
1998, the 135th anniversary of the event.
Contributions are being sought to support the cost of the marker. Checks and inquiries for further information should be sent to "JEB Stuart Marker Fund" P.O. Box 1218 Warrenton, Virginia, 20188.
COPIES OF "J.E.B. STUART, POEMS AND PRAYERS OF LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP contains 34 poems written by JEB Stuart during his academic days at Emory & Henry college and at West Point and early in his military career on the Texas frontier. Reproduced in its original form, just as the young JEB Stuart compiled it, the volume is complete with coffee stains and scorched edges from an encounter with a prairie fire and on a page near the book's center, the notation "my blood", dated 3/8/1855. The books are $25.00 each plus a postage and handling fee of $2.00. Checks for $27.00 should be made payable to the "Stuart-Mosby Historical Society" and sent to Dr. Susan V. Heumann, 5840 Cameron Runn Terrace #420, Alexandria, Virginia, 22303-1847. (Only a few copies remain)
18th ANNUAL MOSBY BUS TOUR:
THE Stuart-Mosby Historical Society is sponsoring its 18th annual fall Mosby
bus tour on Saturday, Oct. 3rd, 1998. The bus will leave Truro Episcopal
Church, 10520 Main Street, Fairfax City, Virginia at 9 a.m. and return to
the same location at 5 p.m. Tour leaders will be Mosby authors Jim Moyer
and Tom Evans.
This year's tour will cover sites in Washington, D.C. Maryland and Virginia never before visited on any of the previous Mosby tours. Among the sites are the D.C. Ft. McNair area where Mosby Ranger Lewis Powell was hanged with the other Lincoln conspirators, the Surratt boarding house, the Sandy Spring, Maryland store attacked by Ranger Walter Bowie shortly before he was killed, Senica Mills, and other areas along the Potomac River. The cost of the tour is $25.00 and does not include lunch, which will be at a fast-food restaurant. A space may be reserved by sending a check made out to Jim Moyer to the following address: Jim Moyer, #244 Commons Drive, Vienna, Virginia, 22180. A confirmation notice will be sent to each participant. For information please call: Jim Moyer at 703 938-5626 after 9:00 p.m.
"TO YOU, SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS, WE SUBMIT THE VINDICATION OF THE CAUSE
FOR WHICH WE FOUGHT; TO YOUR STRENGTH WILL BE GIVEN THE DEFENSE OF THE
CONFEDERATE SOLDIER'S GOOD NAME, THE GUARDIANSHIP OF HIS HISTORY, THE EMULATION
OF HIS VIRTUES, THE PERPETUATION OF THOSE PRINCIPLES HE LOVED AND WHICH MADE
HIM GLORIOUS AND WHICH YOU ALSO CHERISH. REMEMBER, IT IS YOUR DUTY TO SEE
THAT THE TRUE HISTORY OF THE SOUTH IS PRESENTED TO FUTURE GENERATIONS." -
Lt. General Stephen Dill Lee, Commander General United Confederate Veterans,
New Orleans, La. 1906
The citizen-soldiers who fought for the Confederacy personified the best
qualities of America. The preservation of liberty and freedom was the motivating
factor in th South's decision to fight the Second American Revolution. The
tenacity with which Confederate soldiers fought underscored their belief
in the rights guaranteed by the Constitution. These attributes are th
underpinning of our democratic society and represent the foundation on which
this nation was built.
Today, Sons of Confederate Veterans is preserving the history and legacy
of these heroes, so future generations can understand the motives that animated
the Southern Cause.
The SCV is the direct heir of the United Confederate Veterans, and the oldest
hereditary organization for male descendants of Confederate soldiers. Organized
at Richmond, Virginia in 1896, the SCV continues to serve as a historical,
patriotic, and non-political organization dedicated to insuring that a true
history of the 1861-1865 period is preserved. Membership in the Sons of
Confederate Veterans is open to all male descendants of any veteran who served
honorably in the Confederate armed forces. Membership can be obtained through
either direct or collateral family lines and kinship to a veteran must be
documented genealogically. The minimum age for membership is 12.
The SCV has ongoing programs at the local, state, and national levels which
offer members a wide range of activities. Preservation work, marking Confederate
soldier's graves, historical re-enactments, scholarly publications, and regular
meetings to discuss the military and political history of the War Between
the States are only a few of the activities sponsored by local units, called
camps.
In addition to the privilege of belonging to an organization devoted exclusively
to commenorating and honoring Confederate soldiers, members are elgible for
other benefits. Every member receives The Confederate Veteran, the bi-monthly
national magazine which contains in depth articles on the war along with
news affecting Southern heritage. The programs of the SCV range from assistance
to undergraduate students through the General Stand Watie Scholarship to
medical research grants.
The SCV works in conjunction with other historical groups to preserve Confederate
history. However, it is not affiliated with any other group other than the
Military Order of the Stars and Bars, composed of male descendants of the
Southern Officers Corps.
International Headquarters Sons of Confederate Veterans
P.O. Box #59 Columbia, Tennessee
38402-0059
The Friends of Civil War Paulding County, Inc. meets the 2nd Monday of each
month at 7:30 p.m. in the Paulding County Library located on East Memorial
Drive in Dallas just passed the Sheriff's Dept. Anyone interested in preserving
the historic sites and homes of Paulding County should join by faxing 770
917-1704 or e-mail SHowell1@compuserve.com The organization's motto "Protecting
our Heritage" describes the dedication of the members to save the historic
trenches and Civil War Sites in danger of being lost to overdevelopment in
the area. Picett's Mill & New Hope Church are two of the areas included
in the concerns of the Friends of Civil War Paulding County. The Friends
of Civil War Paulding County sends out an excellent newsletter to it's
subscribing members. "The Dallas-New Hope Line" is filled with interesting
articles of the past and a calendar of current events. Officers include:
President: Coley Adair, Guy Musgrove, Vice-President, Sue Ann Falco, Secretary
and Patricia Adair, Treasurer. Annual Membership Fee: $10.00 Mail to: Friends
of Civil War Paulding County, Inc. P.O. Box #861 Hiram, Ga. 30141
Institute for
Civil War Research
Dept. C 79-13 67 Drive
Middle Village, New York 11379
We specialize in researching the histories of every Civil War unit, Union & Confederate. Each history contains organizational data, higher command assignments engagement lists, maps and much more...More than 7,500 units available. Small fee of $15.00 required.
View a list of Georgia units available for
research
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