 Photo: John Phelan, CC BY 4.0 |
| Gen. Joseph E. Johnston had withdrawn from Rocky Face Ridge to the hills around Resaca Georgia. |
| The Battle |
| On the 13th, the Union troops tested the Rebel lines to pinpoint their whereabouts. |
| The next day full scale fighting occurred, and the Union troops were generally repulsed except on the Rebel right flank where Sherman did not fully exploit his advantage. On the 15th, the battle continued with no advantage to either side until Sherman sent a force across the Oostanula River, at Lay’s Ferry, towards Johnston’s railroad supply line. Unable to halt this Union movement, Johnston was forced to retire. Results: Inconclusive General Information  Location: Gordon County and Whitfield County Campaign: Atlanta Campaign (1864) Dates: May 13-15, 1864 Principal Commanders: Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman [US]; Gen. Joseph E. Johnston [CS] Forces Engaged: Military Division of the Mississippi [US]; Army of Tennessee [CS] Estimated Casualties: 5,547 total (US 2,747; CS 2,800) Open: Daily. Free admission and parking. Amenities: Restrooms and Accessibility for mobility-impaired. Phone: 706-625-3200 - Location: US Hwy 41 N. and Confederate Cemetery Rd., Resaca, Georgia 30735 |
| Visiting the Site Today |
| Resaca Confederate Cemetery, established shortly after the war by local women, and the Resaca Battlefield State Historic Site preserve parts of the ground fought over here. Though the battle itself was inconclusive, Sherman's flanking move across the Oostanaula River forced Johnston into the pattern of fight-and-withdraw that defined the rest of the campaign. |