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South Carolina C.S.A.
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Resaca or McGinnis Ferry and Calhoun May 5, 1864 through May 17, 1864 Report of Ellison Capers Twenty-fourth South Carolina
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South Carolina C.S.A. |
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The appearance of the enemy in front of Tunnel Hill on the fifth of May was the signal for breaking up our encampment, and on the sixth we marched out of winter quarters. Walker’s division marched through Dalton into Crow’s Valley and took position in support of troops holding Mill Creek Gap. We were bivouacked in line and except to supply details for picket duty we were not engaged with the enemy until the ninth, when Company I of the Twenty-fourth, became involved in a sharp skirmish under the following circumstances: The pickets of the Sixty-third Georgia, Mercer’s brigade being pressed back in our front, the general directed me to forward a company to their support. I detailed Company I for the duty. Captain Wever, though quite sick and very lame, led his company gallantly against the enemy’s picket line and drove it back, regaining the ground lost. Lieutenant Tillman was slightly wounded, two of the company killed, and six other more or less severely wounded in the affair. About 9 o’clock I withdrew Company I from the front and at 10 o’clock the Twenty-fourth marched with the brigade through Dalton on the Resaca road. The march was continued rapidly all night, the brigade arriving near Resaca about 8 o’clock on the 10th. A force of the enemy since known to have been Mcpherson’s corps had marched past the left of our position at Dalton and taken possession of Snake Creek Gap. Opposite to Resaca and some mile distant from that place. On the day of the 10th, and during that night, the regiment, with the brigade was held constantly in readiness to move to the support of the troops opposing the enemy in Snake Creek Gap, but we did not leave our bivouac until early on the morning of the 11th, when we crossed Oostenaula, and marched to a point on the railroad, half way between Resaca and Calhoun. It was understood that a force had marched down the west side of the Oostenaula and that this force might cross the river and readily reach the railroad at Calhoun. The Twenty-fourth was camped on the railroad opposite Gideon’s Ford and within half a mile of the river. On the 14th the enemy was reported crossing in force at McGinnis’ Ferry, which is about a mile below Gideon’s Ford. The Sixteenth South Carolina Volunteers was in front of McGinnis’ Ferry, on the road leading from the ferry to Calhoun, the distance from the ferry to the town being a short mile. The general ordered the Twenty-fourth to march rapidly to the support of the Sixteenth., which order was promptly obeyed. Arriving near the ferry, after a rapid march of about three miles, we found the Sixteenth retiring slowly before the force of the enemy, which had crossed. Colonel McCullough, commanding the Sixteenth, reported to me a strong force in his front, with artillery. After conferring further with him I deemed it best to move at once against the force, which was then advancing into a wood in our front. Deploying and moving up to the Sixteenth which had meanwhile halted and was firing into the wood, I ordered a charge in concert with the Sixteenth. We easily drove the enemy back to the river, under cover of his artillery, which was posted on the hill on the west side, and under its fire the enemy recrossed, in our sight. Not a man was hit in the Twenty-fourth, though there were some casualties in the Sixteenth. I have no idea of the enemy’s loss, though I am satisfied our fire galled him at the river. After this affair the Twenty-fourth returned to its position opposite Gideon’s Ford, and remained on duty there, watching the river until the afternoon of the next day, the fifteenth, when the brigade was ordered back to Resaca to re-enforce the center of General Johnston’s line. The roar of battle at Resaca urged our march, and the men moved with alacrity to the duty assigned them. Arriving at the pontoon over the Oostenaula, at Resaca, we found it under the fire of the enemy’s artillery posted on an eminence immediately opposite the extreme left of our semi-circular line., the brigade being in rear of the center of the line. Gist’s brigade was in advance of Walker’s division, the Twenty-fourth leading. We were the first to pass the bridge. Officers and men behaved with steady courage, and not a man in the regiment was hurt while crossing and only seven men were wounded in the other commands of the brigade. We moved up to the rear of Cheatham’s. Here we remained for the rest of the day under fire and in reserve. No casualties (24th). About 11 o’clock at night the army left Resaca and our division recrossed the Oostenaula, marching back through Calhoun to a point south of Ootenaloga Creek, on the Rome road. The Oothkaloga flows west and empties into the Oostenaula near Tanner’s Ferry (Also called Lay’s Ferry), about two mile from Calhoun, southwest. Hardee’s corps went into bivouac early on the sixteenth, on the Rome road, with the right on the Oothkaloga, the line facing west, and covering advances from Tanner’s and McGinnis’ Ferries. The enemy had crossed in force at Tanner’s Ferry, and our pickets had been driven back until the line of bivouac was under artillery fire. About 2 o’clock General Hardee ordered General Walker to drive the enemy’s advance back by re-enforcing his pickets. The Twenty-fourth South Carolina Volunteers and the First Battalion Georgia Sharpshooter, Major Shaaff, were detailed for this duty and I was charged by General Gist with its execution. I placed Major Shaaff on the left of the Twenty-fourth and directed him to move by his left flank perpendicularly to my line, covered by a wood, and beyond by a hedge-row and arriving beyond the right of the enemy and to his rear to halt, fact to his right, and wait until I moved forward. As soon as the Twenty-fourth had advanced near enough to begin the charge I directed Shaaff to charge with a yell, coming up on the right rear of the enemy, while I assaulted him in front. As soon as the Sharpshooters got into the position described above, I ordered the Twenty-fourth forward immediately on the enemy’s line, in full view, on the elevated ground in front. The regiment marched out into the open field as if on parade, and coming under the fire of the force before us, I rode forward and ordered the charge. At the same moment almost Major Shaaff’s battalion gave a shout and came out into the field to the rear and right of our foe. Both commands behaved in the most admirable order, and the enemy, after firing wildly over us, broke into a precipitous retreat, the battery narrowly escaping capture. We took a few prisoners, the knapsacks of the cannoneers, and freed our line of the annoyance to which it had been subjected by the proximity of this force. I re-established pickets and while engaged in so doing, received the general’s order to bring the Twenty-fourth and the Sharpshooters back to the bivouac. We lost nine killed and two missing in the Twenty-fourth. I have no record of Major Shaaff’s loss, and have no report to make of the enemy’s loss but the estimate hastily formed on the field. I think the number of prisoners was about twenty., and from their reports and what I saw on the field. I estimated the enemy’s loss to be about two to our one. Major Hill, of the Twenty-fourth, being on picket duty, Captain T.C. Morgan, Company K, acted as major of the Twenty-fourth, and was severely wounded in the charge. Sergeant Major J.B. Dotterer was also severely wounded in the chest. I had the honor to receive the personal thanks of the Lieutenant - General and extend his compliments to Major Shaaff. |
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