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brigade of Cheatham's division having already been sent to the support of Brigadier-General Cantey.
On the arrival of Hardee's corps it was fiercely attacked by the army of the Ohio, commanded by Major-General Schofield, and Palmer's corps, with the result that Gen. Geo. H. Thomas reported to the commanding general under date of May 14th, that ‘the position in front of Palmer and Schofield cannot be carried,’ adding, ‘Howard's corps is moving in on Schofield's left.’
With this force, heavy skirmishing with frequent assaults continued for three days. Failing in an attack on Cheatham's line made on the 13th, unsuccessful efforts were made to carry the line held by Cleburne and Bate during the 14th and 15th, and during this time heavy skirmishing was continuous along the line occupied by the army of Tennessee.
On the night of the 15th, Gen. W. H. T. Walker, then at Calhoun, reported that the Federal army was crossing the Oostenaula river near that place, and this forced General Johnston's retirement from Resaca.
On the 9th, Major-General Wheeler, with Brig.-Gen. Geo. G. Dibrell's Tennessee brigade of cavalry, composed of the Fourth, Col. Wm. S. McLemore; Eighth, Capt. Jefferson Leftwich; Ninth, Capt. James M. Reynolds; Tenth, Maj. John Minor; and Allen's Alabama brigade, Colonel Cook's Texas Rangers, and the Eighth Confederate regiment, encountered about 5,000 Federal cavalry near Varnell's Station.
Dismounting his command except two regiments, he routed the enemy and captured 100 prisoners, among them Colonel La Grange, commanding brigade, 3 captains and 5 lieutenants.
After the rout Colonel Cook and Colonel Prather charged into the enemy's ranks, killing and wounding large numbers.
In a dispatch of May 16th, General Sherman stated that his wounded at Resaca numbered 3,375; the number of dead, he added, ‘will not exceed the usual proportion.’
There were 1,790 Federal dead buried at Resaca, and 170 Confederates.
The latter loss was mainly on the
Atlanta, Ga. 1899.
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