On 14 May 1864, after heavy skirmishing early in the morning, Union armies spent the first part of the day placing their lines and establishing order before two divisions of Schofield's XXIII Corps attacked across Camp Creek, supported on their right by Palmer's XIV Corps. Cox's and Judah's divisions advanced against the angle in the Confederate line defended by Hindman's Division at the intersection of Hood's and Hardee's corps, while Carlin's Brigade of Johnston's Division, XIV Corps, attacked Hardee's Corps under Cleburne and Cheatham. About 11 a.m., Richard W. Johnson received notice that an assault would be made along the whole line once the left was in position, and about 11:30, as firing from Baird's division showed that its troops were advancing, his brigades moved forward, with Scribner's already brought up in close support. Carlin, near the creek, threw forward skirmishers, drove the enemy's skirmishers within their works, and moved his lines across the creek, but as soon as his first line emerged from the woods, Confederate infantry and artillery opened on it with terrible effect. Carlin nevertheless pushed both lines beyond the creek and nearly halfway across the open field, but the crossing had badly disordered his lines, and unable to reform them while advancing rapidly or to hold the position even if the assault succeeded, he fell back to the cover of the creek's eastern bank, where he remained all day under Johnson's direction, keeping up a desultory but effective fire. King's brigade, farther from the creek, did not advance as far and halted when Carlin's repulse became clear. Two Confederate 12-pounder guns fired on the Union advance with damaging effect until Johnson brought forward two pieces of Captain Dilger's battery to the crest of the bluff overlooking the creek; their fire silenced the Confederate guns and drove infantry from their works, exposing some of them to Union sharpshooters before they could reach cover. Carlin's Brigade failed to take the Confederate line and received no support from Hooker's XX Corps on its right because Thomas had ordered Hooker not to engage unless Palmer was driving the enemy. From the Confederate side, Cleburne's entrenched position along the ridge line gave his troops a strong view over the valley, several hundred yards wide with Camp Creek along the far western side, creating formidable ground for Union forces to cross; according to Irving A. Buck, Cleburne reconnoitered the ground on foot early that morning to the edge of Camp Creek before the wooded hill beyond was occupied by Union troops, who opened heavy fire, and in the afternoon Union forces made several attempts to charge across the open level ground but failed each time.