extremity. The command pushed on, the cavalry in advacne, till within about three miles and a half of the town, when Kilpatrick evcountered considerable infantry force, in charging which he was wounded and obliged to leave the field.* Up to this point, from the time of a junction with him, his conduct for boldness and activity in scouting and clearing away the enemy's outposts is most highly commended. As will be seen subsequently, as soon as his wound was healed he returned to the field and participated with the same coumn in one of the most important operations of the war. Immediately upon the charge of Kilpatrick, General Dodge deployed his skirmishers, under charge of Colonel Patrick E. Burke, Sixty- sixth Illinois, who, with very little delay, gallantrly drove back the rebel advance to the works around Resaca, and developed an artillery fire from his guns in position in the forts. In view of the enemy's works at several points, General cPherson deployed the Fifteenth Corps upon the right, and the Sixteenth Corps upon the left, of the Resaca road, after which he pushed forward a division of Generla Dodge, with instructions to drive back the enemy ad break the railroad. The best idea of his operations may be gained from General McPherson's letter of May 9, 10.30 p. m, to General Shrman. He says:

General Dodge's command moved up and skirmished with the enemy at Resaca tihis afternoon. While that was going on one company of mounted infantry, Lieutenant- Colonel Phillips' regiment, succeeded in reaching the railroad near Tilton Station, but was forced to leave without damaging the track. They tore down a portion of the telegraph wire. The enemy have a strong position at Resaca naturally, and, as far as we could see, have it pretty well fortified. They displayed considerable force, and opened on us with artillery. After skirmishing till nearly dark, and finding that I could not succeed in cutting the railroad before dark, or getting to it, I decided to withdraw the command and take up a position for the night between Sugar Valley and the entrance to the gap.

Herre follow the reasons for retiring: first, the exposed position; second, General Dodge's command without rations. The general thought that if he had had a division of good cavalry he could have broken the railroad at some point. Generla Garrard had just arrived at La Fayette, with horses fatigued and short of forage, and wished to remain there until his forage train came up from Chattanooga. The losses during the skirmish were 6 men killed and 30 wounded, with a greater damage infkicted upon te enemy. We captured 25 prisoners. Not having succeeded in getting upon the railroad, the command fell back to the intersection of the Dalton and Rome and Resaca roads, in Sugar Valley, taking up a strong position. Though the railroad had not been reached, still the mountain ridge, which Johnston regarded as so complete a barrier, was passed. It seems that the rebel general had dispatched a brigade of cavalry at 10 p. m. of the night before, with orders to take possession of and hold Snake Creek Gap. He was a little too late. May 10 and 11, a new position, niarer the gap and naturlly stronger, was selected and occupied. On the 12th and 13th the lines were moved forward on the Resaca road to the cross- roads, two miles from the town. As soon as the lines were formed, major- General Logan pushed forward a strong skirmish line, driving the enemy before him. The enemy's skirmish fire was kept up, but he made no considerable stand till the advaced line had reached an open field. Beyond these fields, 700 or 800 yards distant, a ridge appeared, running nearly in a north and south direction. The enemy had taken position on this ridge, having artillery and infantry and slight

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*Kilpatick was wounded May 13. Lieutenant- Colonel Phillips, commanding Dodge's advance May 9, was wounmded that day.

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