Civil War in Georgia: Week 5, a bloody repulse
On May 25, 1864, Federal troops — swinging wide to the right, or west, of their supply line, the Western & Atlantic Railroad — collided with their Confederate counterparts near Dallas at the Battle of New Hope Church.
The rough, wooded terrain made navigation difficult for the Northerners. Maj. Gen. Joe Hooker’s troops advanced in column formation, instead of the traditional lines of battle; their resulting narrow front received the brunt of Confederate artillery fire. During the battle, which ended in a horrendous thunderstorm, the Confederates held.
Federal Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman again would try his hand the following day at Pickett’s Mill, as he believed he could move troops around Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston’s right flank.
Blue and gray faced one another along a six-mile front, as Maj. Gen. O.O. Howard, the Federal officer assigned to slide to the left, encountered great difficulty moving through the thick underbrush. Howard ordered Brig. Gen. Thomas J. Wood to move his troops to the extreme left of the Federal line, placing them in a position to lead the attack on the Confederate-held high ground.
Prior to launching their assault, Thomas and Howard reconnoitered the area in their front, observed an open field, and realized their troops would have to cross with little cover; the discovery forced them to reposition their forces once more. Several officers turned to the compass in an attempt to guide their men, whose forward progress slowed to a snail’s pace. Once in position, Brig. Gen. William B. Hazen led the attack. His troops advanced with their colors furled, so the thick briars and underbrush would not destroy their regimental flags.
Maj. Gen. Patrick Cleburne, the Southern officer tabbed to block the Federal flanking maneuver, led his men brilliantly. The Confederates held their position while inflicting heavy casualties. Darkness fell upon the field of battle, as the crack of muskets continued in the calm normally associated with nightfall. The retreating Federals stopped to construct earthworks; they knew too well the morning might bring a renewed assault upon their position, and they prepared to spend another sleepless night in the trenches.
Confederate Brig. Gen. Hiram Granbury used his time to review the day’s action. His troops had successfully repulsed the attacks and suffered minimal casualties, and the morale of his men reached a zenith. Evaluating the status of his soldiers, Granbury questioned the need to halt the battle simply because the sun had set. Upon receiving the approval from Cleburne to “clear his front,” Granbury initiated an all-out charge on the blue coats.
The startled Federals — especially those still positioned close to the Confederate line — fired one volley and then began running toward the rear with Granbury’s men close on their heels. After capturing several prisoners, the Southerners returned to their line. Cleburne summarized the evening’s action best: “It needed but the brilliance of this night attack to add luster to the achievements of Granbury and his brigade in the afternoon.”
Sherman had had enough of this Paulding County “Hell Hole” and started withdrawing his forces to reestablish contact with his supply line. As the Federals moved out of the trenches after two days of battle, the boys in gray made one last attack at Dallas, where they faced a repulse. Rainfall ended the month of May, with both armies tending to the wounded from the battles at New Hope Church, Pickett’s Mill and Dallas. More fighting awaited them in June, in Cobb County.
Michael K. Shaffer is a Civil War historian, author and lecturer. He can be contacted at: www.civilwarhistorian.net
For more on the Civil War in Georgia, follow the AJC: http://www.ajc.com/s/opinion/ and http://www.myajc.com/s/battleofatlanta/
