Visiting Resaca Civil War Battlefield outside Lake Dalton, Georgia by Ruth Paget
The Resaca Civil War Battlefield is about one hour north of Atlanta, Georgia along I-75. My husband Laurent and I set out to visit this small yet informative battle site that featured an inconclusive end for both armies despite the larger number of troops on the Union side.
As I read through the America’s Battlefield Trust website entry on Resaca, I saw that the reason for battle at Resaca was control of the railroad just south of Dalton for supply deliveries.
I had learned on a prior visit to the Chattanooga Battlefield in Tennessee that Union troops from the North were starving due to lack of provisions including food for the horses in the cavalry, which usually determined battle outcomes. (Cannons are also important for battle outcomes, but they are difficult to manoeuver and having them is not always a guarantee of battle victory.)
The Resaca Battlefield was on flat ground, but the cavalry forces were weak due to malnutrition, which contributed to the initial Confederate win at Resaca. Despite winning, the Confederate army was unable to maintain its victory. The battle’s outcome is inconclusive.
When Laurent and I arrived at Resaca Battlefield, I photographed the battle timeline and read that it was a two-day battle between May 13 – 15,1864 in Gordon and Whitfield counties. The Union lost 2,747 troops and the Confederacy lost 2,800 troops. It was the second bloodiest battle of the Atlanta Campaign with an inconclusive outcome.
The first Confederate cemetery in Georgia was established at Resaca. The lesson of Resaca is the importance of ensuring transportation for food and medical supplies in war time as well as times of peace.
Starvation may have contributed to what is called General William Tecumseh Sherman’s “Death March” through Georgia.
The Resaca Battlefield is well maintained with informative signs located throughout the battlefield that now resembles a golf course with its well-manicured fields.
The Resaca Battlefield outside Lake Dalton Georgia is a historical site worth visiting for history buffs when visiting Atlanta, Georgia.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
