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Buck Head Creek
Civil War Georgia American Civil War
November 28, 1864
As General Sherman's infantry marched southeast through Georgia, his cavalry, under Brigadier General Judson Kilpatrick moved northeastward, on November 24, 1864, to destroy the railroad midway between Augusta and Millen, burn the trestle near Briar Creek and, if possible, release Union prisoners
confined at Camp Lawton, near Millen, while feigning a drive towards Augusta.
Confederate Major General Joseph Wheeler was fooled and concentrated his cavalry forces around Augusta. When Kilpatrick did not show, Wheeler realized his mistake and rode off in an attempt to catch his Union counterpart. On the 26th, Wheeler caught up with two lagging Union regiments, attacked their camp, chased them to the larger force and prevented Kilpatrick from destroying the Briar Creek
trestle.
Kilpatrick instead destroyed a mile of track in the area and moved southwest to join up with Sherman. Kilpatrick also discovered that the Union prisoners at Camp Lawton had been taken to other unknown sites. He encamped near Buck Head Creek on the night of the 27th. Wheeler came along the next morning, almost captured Kilpatrick, and pursued him and his men to Buck Head Creek. As Kilpatrick's
main force crossed the creek, one regiment, supported by artillery, fought a rearguard action severely punishing Wheeler and then burned the bridge behind them.
Wheeler soon crossed and followed, but a Union brigade behind barricades at Reynolds's Plantation halted the Rebels' drive, eventually forcing them to retire.
Result(s): Inconclusive (Both sides claimed victory, but Union troops quickly retreated to Louisville.)
Location: Jenkins County
Campaign: Savannah Campaign (1864)
Date(s): November 28, 1864
Principal Commanders: Brigadier General H. Judson Kilpatrick [US]; Major General Joseph Wheeler [CS]
Forces Engaged: 3rd Cavalry Division, Military Division of the Mississippi [US]; cavalry corps, Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida [CS]
Estimated Casualties: 646 total (US 46; CS 600)
 The Railroads of the Confederacy The story of the first use of railroads on a major scale
in a major war. A complex and fascinating tale, with the railroads of the American South playing the part of tragic hero in the Civil War: at first vigorous though immature; then overloaded, driven unmercifully, starved for iron; and eventually worn out
 Red Clay to Richmond: Trail of the 35th Georgia Infantry Regiment, C.S.A. The story of the
35th Georgia Infantry Regiment. Using many previously unpublished primary accounts. Follow these men as they move from their homesteads to the Confederate capital at Richmond. Details the daily life of the average Confederate soldier.It reveals the true American spirit of courage exhibited through deprivation and hardship
 Savannah A large Union army led by Sherman leaves Chattanooga and northern Georgia
camps and marches south to Atlanta and ultimately arrives at the coastal city of Savannah, laying waste to the territory through which it passes
 The Atlanta Campaign of 1864 The operations of the Union and Confederate armies from
the perspective of the soldiers and the top generals. He offers new accounts and analyses of the major events of the campaign, and, in the process, corrects many long-standing myths, misconceptions, and mistakes. He challenges the standard view of Sherman's performance.
Kindle Available
 Southern Storm: Sherman's March to the Sea The
destruction spanned more than sixty miles in width and virtually cut the South in two, disabling the flow of supplies to the Confederate army. He led more than 60,000 Union troops to blaze a path from Atlanta to Savannah, ordering his men to burn crops, kill livestock, and decimate everything that fed the Rebel war machine
 Guide to the Atlanta Campaign: Rocky Face Ridge to Kennesaw Mountain Following the
capture of Chattanooga, the Union initiated battles and operations that took it from the Tennessee border to the outskirts of Atlanta. Bloody confrontations at places such as Resaca and New Hope Church. Grant had ordered Sherman to penetrate the enemy's interior and inflict "all the damage you can against their War resources,"
 Cracker Cavaliers: The 2nd Georgia Cavalry Under Wheeler and Forrest The Second
Georgia fought in such famous campaigns as Perryville, Stones River, Chickamauga, Knoxville, Resaca, Atlanta, and Bentonville, they also participated in deadly encounters at Farmington, Mossy Creek, Noonday Creek, Sunshine Church, and Waynesboro
 The Battle of Resaca:
Atlanta Campaign, 1864
Ideal book for a Civil War buff. Take it with you if you visit the site. Written accounts from the soldiers that stormed across the hills put you in the moment. Several good maps and even pictures taken a few days after the battle help take you out of your living room and into the past
The March to the Sea and Beyond: Sherman's Troops in the Savannah and Carolinas Campaigns
This book contains an examination of the army that General William Tecumseh Sherman led through Georgia and the Carolinas, in late 1864 and early 1865. Instead of being just another narrative of the March to the Sea and Carolina campaigns, however, Glatthaar's book is a look at the individuals that composed the army. In it, he examines
the social and ideological backgrounds of the men in Sherman's army, and evaluates how they felt about various factors of the war--slavery, the union, and, most significantly, the campaign in which they were participating. The result is a fascinating look at Sherman's campaigns through the eyes of the everyday soldier. Amazon Reviewer
Sherman Invades Georgia: Planning the North Georgia Campaign Using a Modern Perspective Sherman Invades Georgia takes advantage of modern planning techniques to fully examine what went into the Georgia campaign. Unlike other studies, though, this one puts the reader squarely
into the mind of General Sherman on the eve of his most famous military undertaking—limiting the information to that possessed by Sherman at the time, as documented in his correspondence during the campaign and not in his after-the-fact reports and autobiography.
The White Tecumseh: A Biography of General William T. Sherman Utilizing regimental histories, historian Hirshon offers a sympathetic yet excellent biography of one of the more noted Civil War generals, best remembered for burning Atlanta, cutting a swath of
destruction across Georgia, then creating total destruction in South Carolina, including the burning of Columbia. Hirshon gives us an insight into how Sherman's own troops felt about him and his relationships with fellow generals, especially Grant. The author not only describes Sherman's role in the war but also details his early life and family problems. The latter part of the book deals with
his life after the war, especially with the Indians in the West as well as his relationships with Presidents Johnson and Grant.
The books are full of eyewitness accounts of battle, camp life, campaigning, and camraderie with some humor thrown in. Each book gives accounts by the soldiers themselves, and that's what makes these books so great! The books also have battle maps are divided into sections. Each section tells about a part in the campaign. At the begining of each section there is an
introduction to the campaign.
Source:
U.S. National Park Service
U.S. Library of Congress
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