On 15 June 1864, Daniel Butterfield's division of Joseph Hooker's XX Army Corps approached this point via the Sandtown Road, intending to attack Cleburne's Confederates entrenched at the intersection of Burnt Hickory and Sandtown roads. Because of strong resistance from Cleburne's skirmishers and the arrival of nightfall, Butterfield's effort at Gilgal Church diminished to a probing action. Planned as a coordinated mile-wide attack by three 5000-man divisions, Butterfield's, Geary's, and William's, on a front extending from Gilgal eastward to Pine Knob, the operation was intended to break the undermanned Confederate battle line and force a retreat. The failed Federal attack on 15 June resulted in more than 550 casualties in Geary's division at Pine Knob and nearly 200 in Butterfield's division at Gilgal Church.