The Atlanta Campaign opened at 3:00 AM on the morning of May 7th as McCook's Federal Brigade sounded reveille near Ringgold, and Federal troops occupied Tunnel Hill and approached Buzzard's Roost Pass, also called Mill Creek Gap. General George Thomas called the position "a slaughter pen," for Southern engineers had flooded the gap and Confederates were entrenched along Rocky Face Ridge. While General William T. Sherman probed the Confederate positions at Mill Creek, he sent the 25,000 men of McPherson's Army of the Tennessee through Snake Creek Gap to cut Confederate supply lines at Resaca, 15 miles south, and sent the 60,000-strong Army of the Cumberland under Thomas to test the defenses northwest of Dalton. Morgan's Federal Brigade crossed Mill Creek and attacked Gibson's Louisiana Brigade of Stewart's Division on May 8th, but stout earthworks, two artillery-lined redoubts, and strong Confederate positions left the Federals little chance of breaking through. In attacks from May 8th to May 11th, Gibson's Brigade lost just 29 men while Northern attackers suffered more than 200 losses. Along the railroad on May 9th, Mitchell's and McCook's Federal infantry brigades pushed deep into the gap until they reached Baker's Alabama Brigade on the low ridge east of the gap, with Stovall's Georgia Brigade continuing Stewart's defenses at the foot of the ridge, Clayton's Alabama Brigade on top of the ridge, and Standford's Mississippi Battery commanding the valley below. After initially driving in Confederate pickets, the Federals found themselves in a low pocket inside the gap, surrounded on three sides, and dug in under Confederate artillery fire. On May 10th, Sergeant Henry J. Aten of the 85th Illinois recalled that rain steadily fell and held the smell of battle smoke in the valleys as one of the heaviest rainstorms in years drenched the men, and by evening North Georgia's "Blackberry Winter" brought cold. Clearing weather came on May 11th, but Johnston's intentions remained uncertain to Sherman on Blue Mountain. After Sherman was told Johnston was evacuating Dalton, he began withdrawing forces to support McPherson, yet renewed the attacks at Mill Creek Gap to keep Johnston occupied. The result was disastrous because Stewart's forces had not withdrawn; although facing three times their number, Confederates in this sector lost only about 65 men in five days while the Federals suffered nearly 300 casualties. With the bulk of Sherman's army passing around Dalton through Snake Creek Gap, Johnston ordered Dalton evacuated on the evening of May 12th, and by daylight on May 13th the two armies were at Resaca, 90 miles from Atlanta. Sherman had maneuvered Johnston out of "Fortress Dalton" without a full-scale fight, but Johnston escaped the Federal trap to fight another day.

Photo: Brandon Fletcher

Photo: Brandon Fletcher

Photo: Brandon Fletcher

Photo: Brandon Fletcher

Photo: Brandon Fletcher