The Beginning

The Beginning. . , On the evening of November 28th, the Union expedition, accompanied by US warships, sailed up the Broad River, but heavy fog and a dark night, coupled with poor organization and inept pilots, scattered the army's transports. The lead elements of Hatch's Coast Division landed at Boyd's Landing about 8 A.M. on November 29th. Units moving inland, because of "some mistakes in maps or blunder of guide, or both," marched in the wrong direction and missed the road to Gopher Hill (Ridgeland). By 3 A.M. on the morning of November 30th, a portion of Hatch's command had encamped near Bolan Church., While the Federals were marching and countermarching, the Confederates readied their defenses and called for reinforcements. Some 7,000 men were directed by rail to Gopher Hill. The closest units, coming from Savannah, was a mixed force of 1,400 Georgia Militia, Reserves and State Troops under Georgia General Gustavus Smith., At dawn on November 30th, Hatch resumed his march toward Gopher Hill (Ridgeland) with about 3000 men, the rest of his command was scattered along the roadway and back at Boyd's Landing. Confederate artillery and cavalry slowed Hatch's advance, allowing Smith's Georgia troops to arrive by train and join artillery cavalry units at a defensive position behind a creek, along arise known as Honey Hill. The Confederates occupied an existing battery that had been built in 1861 and dug additional entrenchments. Because Smith was a Georgia militia general and not in Confederate service, field command was assumed by Colonel Colcock.