Battle of Rocky Face Ridge

Between Chattanooga and Ostanalla, several parallel mountain ranges slice across the state in such a manner as to hamper military movements.

the most important of these was rocky face ridge which ran from near the ostinala to a point several miles north of dalton this ridge rose high above the surrounding valleys and was the barrier between johnston's army at dalton and sherman's forces at chattanooga there were three important gaps in this ridge mill creek gap west of dalton dug gap a few miles to the south and snake creek gap west of the little village of resaca near the ostinala dalton is on the eastern side of rocky face ridge the western and atlantic railroad which connected chattanooga and atlanta and served as the line of supply for both armies, crossed the Ustanala near Rusaka, ran north for 15 miles to Dalton, then turned westward to pass through Rocky Face Ridge at Mill Creek Gap, and continued on to Chattanooga.

During the winter, the Confederates had fortified the area around Dalton to such an extent that they believed it to be secure against any attack.

johnston hoped that the federals would assault his lines on rocky face ridge for he was confident that he could hurl the northerners back with heavy loss sherman however had no intention of smashing his army against what one of his soldiers called the georgian gibraltar northern scouts had found snake creek gap unguarded and the federal commander decided to send mcpherson's army of the tennessee through this gap to seize the railroad near resaca meanwhile thomas and schofield would engage the confederates at dalton to prevent their sending men to oppose mcpherson sherman hoped that when johnston discovered his line of supply in federal hands he would fall back in disorder and his army would be routed by the northerners by may sixth the federals were ready to begin the campaign sherman moved thomas and schofield toward dalton while mcpherson prepared to strike for snake creek gap johnston had not been idle he had deployed his men in strong positions to block the expected advance he had also requested reinforcements and these were on the way some coastal garrisons had been withdrawn from their posts and were being sent to join johnston more important though was the large body of troops from mississippi that was moving across alabama toward dalton these men numbering about fifteen thousand constituted the army of mississippi and were commanded by lieutenant-general leonidas polk a west point graduate eighteen twenty seven polk had resigned from the army to enter the episcopal ministry in eighteen sixty one he was bishop of louisiana and entered the confederate service where he was known as the bishop general when polk joined johnston the confederate strength would be raised to about seventy thousand before polk arrived however sherman sent thomas and schofield against johnston's position on may seventh and eighth there was heavy fighting all along the lines from the area north of dalton south along rocky face ridge to dug gap the federals made no real headway but the demonstration served its purpose for mcpherson reached snake creek gap on the evening of the eighth and found it open james birdseye mcpherson who stood at snake creek gap on the morning of may ninth with an opportunity to strike johnston a crippling blow was one of the civil war's most attractive leaders like sherman he was an ohioan and a west pointer eighteen fifty three in eighteen sixty four he was only thirty-five years old his entire adult life had been spent in the army and in the civil war his abilities had carried him from captain to major-general in slightly more than a year's time both sherman and grant looked upon him as an outstanding leader a belief shared by the confederate editor who called mcpherson the most dangerous man in the whole yankee army he was handsome with flowing hair and whiskers and he had a special reason for wanting the war to end.

when it was over he would be able to marry the beautiful girl who was waiting for him in baltimore he was courteous to men of all ranks and his adoring soldiers remembered long afterwards his habit of riding in the fields to leave the roads open for them on may ninth while skirmishing continued about dalton mcpherson led his army eastward hoping to reach the railroad near resaca and break johnston's communication with atlanta unknown to the federals there were some four thousand confederates in resaca these included the advance elements of polk's army as well as infantry and cavalry units assigned to guard the ustinalla bridges and to protect the area the northern advance met the southerners near the town mcpherson surprised at finding so large a force in his front moved with great caution late in the afternoon he became worried that johnston might rush troops southward and cut him off from Sherman.

This fear, and the fact that some of his men were without food, led him to break off the engagement and fall back to a position at Snake Creek Gap, which he fortified that night.

Between Chattanooga and Ostenala, several parallel mountain ranges slice across the state in such a manner as to hamper military movements.

The most important of these was Rocky Face Ridge, which ran from near the Ostenala to a point several miles north of Dalton.

This ridge rose high above the surrounding valleys and was the barrier between Johnston's army at Dalton and Sherman's forces at Chattanooga.

There were three important gaps in this ridge, Mill Creek Gap west of Dalton, Dug Gap a few miles to the south, and Snake Creek Gap west of the little village of Resaca near the Ostenala.

Dalton is on the eastern side of Rocky Face Ridge.

The Western and Atlantic Railroad, which connected Chattanooga and Atlanta and served as the line of supply for both armies, crossed the Ostenala near Resaca, ran north for 15 miles to Dalton, then turned westward to pass through Rocky Face Ridge at Mill Creek Gap and continued on to Chattanooga.

During the winter, the Confederates had fortified the area around Dalton to such an extent that they believed it to be secure against any attack.

Johnston hoped that the Federals would assault his lines on Rocky Face Ridge, for he was confident that he could hurl the Northerners back with heavy loss.