The Confederate Line at Ogeechee Church, No. 4 1/2 CRR
On Nov. 28, 1864, Maj. Gen. H.C. Wayne, Adj. Gen. of Georgia, with a small force (CSA) composed of the Corps of Cadets, Georgia Military Institute, Warthen`s Washington County militia company and Pruden`s battery, fell back from Millen and entrenched a line through this site to block the passage of the Little Ogeechee River by the 17th Corps of Gen. Sherman`s army (USA) which was advancing toward Savannah, destroying the railroad as it advanced.
On Dec. 3rd, Wayne was reinforced by the 1st and 2nd Georgia State Line, Toomb`s Brigade, Georgia Militia, and Baker`s North Carolina brigade. On the 4th, Anderson`s and Phillips` brigades, Georgia Militia, arrived, giving Wayne a force of 4,000 infantry. Preparations to fight at the Little Ogeechee continued and, late on the 4th, skirmishing began between the advance guard, 17th Corps, and the G.M.I. cadets. Wayne was confident that he could hold this line until he learned that the 15th Corps (USA) was preparing to cross the Great Ogeechee River behind his left and that the 20th Corps (USA) was approaching his right. To escape encirclement, he extricated his command in the night.
On the 5th, Maj. Gen. W.T. Sherman, USA, reached the Ogeechee Church (Oliver) and established headquarters in the home of Mr. Matthew Lufburrow, east of the depot, where he remained for two days to coordinate the movement of his four large columns.
124-23B Georgia Historical Commission 1958
Plaque courtesy Lat34North.com.
Original page, with additional info, here.
Photo credit: Ken Moser.