Military Action at Gilgal Church

On 15 June 1864 Daniel Butterfield´s division of Joseph Hooker´s XX [20th] Army Corps approached this point via the Sandtown Road (Acworth-Due West Rd.) intending to attack Cleburne´s Confederates entrenched here at Burnt Hickory and Sandtown roads intersection. Due to strong resistance by Cleburne´s skirmishers and the arrival of night-fall, Butterfield´s effort here at Gilgal Church diminished to a probing action. Planned as a coordinated mile wide attack by three 5000 man divisions (Butterfield´s, Geary´s and William´s), on a front extending from Gilgal eastward to Pine Knob, it was hoped to break the undermanned Confederate battle line forcing a retreat. A failed attempt, this Federal attack on 15 June resulted in over 550 casualties in Geary´s division at Pine Knob and nearly 200 of Butterfields here at Gilgal Church.

Plaque courtesy Lat34North.com.

Original page, with additional info, here.

Photo credit: Byron Hooks of Lat34North.com.

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