Oostanaula River Bridges

Oostanaula River Bridges. The Battle of Resaca. , The original Western and Atlantic Railroad bridge over the Oostanaula River at Resaca dates from 1847. By 1862, two bridges spanned the river, one for the railroad, the other for a wagon road to Calhoun six miles south. When Federal agents led by James J. Andrews stole the locomotive “General” on April 12, 1862 at Big Shanty (Kennesaw) and subsequently attempted to burn the railroad bridge here at Resaca, it became apparent that several bridges were vulnerable. For the next two years Governor Joseph E. Brown stationed Georgia State Line troops to guard the Resaca railroad bridge while they trained at nearby Fort Wayne (a.k.a. Camp Wayne). , In early May 1864, Union Major General William T. Sherman ordered Major General James McPherson's army to proceed south through Snake Creek Gap in order to wreck the railroad at Resaca. This action would cut the supply line from Atlanta for Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston's army located at Dalton. , Only 4,000 Confederates defended the Oostanaula River bridges when McPherson's 23,000 Federals arrived west of Resaca on May 9th. Artillery fire from Fort Wayne contributed to McPherson's misjudgment regarding the strength of Confederate forces and his subsequent decision to a withdraw his army back to Snake Creek Gap. This mistake gave Johnston time to fortify positions on the hills around Resaca. By May 13th, both Sherman's combined armies of approximately 100,000 and Johnston's army of about 55,000 had arrived. The Battle of Resaca occurred on May 14 and 15, 1864., Sherman's armies attacked, much of the Confederate front on the 14th stalling with heavy Federal losses in Camp Creek Valley. Confederates countered near Nance Springs, but then stalled too. A later Federal attack pushed Confederates from hills overlooking the Oostanaula River bridges then resisted repeated counterattacks. Confederate supplies also came across the two bridges and on a pontoon bridge. Federal advances brought all three bridges under fire. Sergeant Walter Clarke of the 63rd Georgia Infantry Regiment wrote in his journal, “Exposed to heavy artillery fire while crossing pontoon bridge at Resaca.” He added later, “A solid shot from the [Federal] battery struck directly in [the company to our front], killing two and wounding a third, not more than ten feet from where I stood.” , Another attack and counterattack occurred near Nance Springs on the 15th resulting in heavy casualties and the capture of a Confederate four-gun artillery battery in hand-to-hand combat. Later that day Johnston confirmed reports of a Federal force crossing the Oostanaula River in his rear at Lay's Ferry. The Confederate army secretly withdrew overnight spreading straw over the bridges before marching across undetected then setting them afire. Sherman's armies extinguished the flames and used the wagon road bridge to pursue the Confederates toward Calhoun. Original stones in the railroad bridge abutments are still visible today. The Battle of Resaca resulted in about 6,000 casualties with no clear-cut tactical victor. Yet Sherman's strategy of flanking Johnston's smaller army forced a Confederate retreat.