Resaca, Georgia
14 May 1864

William T. Shore was a Private, Co. F, 112th Illinois Volunteer Infantry.  He had enlisted on 15 Feb 1863, at 16 years and 10 months of age.

Prior to Resaca he had been in action at Chattanooga, Nashville, and Knoxville.  At Resaca, he received a shrapnel wound in the right foot from an exploding artillery shell.  He was three weeks past his 18th birthday.

At Resaca, the 112th Illinois was part of the 1st Brigade,  3rd (Cox's) Division,  23rd (Schofield's) Corps,  Army of the Ohio.

Below are some accounts of the battle, from both sides:

  1. U.S. Order of Battle (excerpt).

  2. Description of Action.

  3. Cox's charge against the Confederate lines -- a Confederate account.

  4. Cox's Report -- from the Official Record, U.S. War Department archives.

1.  U.S. Order of Battle
             from "Battles and Leaders" (Vol. IV, p. 288-289)  (excerpt)

23rd Corps -- Major-Gen. John M. Schofield

Third Division -- Brig.-Gen. Jacob D. Cox

1st Brigade -- (Col. James W. Reilly)
112th Illinois   (W.T. Shore)
16th Kentucky
100th Ohio
104th Ohio
8th Tennessee

2nd Brigade -- (Brig.-Gen. Mahon D. Manson)

63rd Indiana
65th Indiana
23th Kentucky
103rd Ohio
5th Tennessee

Dismounted Cavalry Brigade -- (Col. Eugene W. Crittenden)

16th Illinois
12th Kentucky

Artillery -- (Major Henry W. Wells)

15th Indiana (Capt. Alonzo D. Harvey)
Battery D, 1st Ohio (Capt. Giles J. Cockerill)

2.  Description of Action
             from Friends of Resaca Battlefield

This map shows the attack by Federal troops upon the Confederate positions along Camp Creek, Resaca, May 14, 1864.

William T. Shore was in Cox's division.

Today, Interstate 75 runs directly through the area where Cox's division was engaged.  It probably runs close to the spot where William T. Shore was wounded.

Judah's division, with Palmer's Corps offering support, was not able to dislodge the Confederate center, owing to difficulty in crossing Camp Creek under intense fire.  As a result, the Confederate lines were able to shift forces to meet Cox's attack.

For full details and more maps of the battle, see the Friends of Resaca Battlefield organization's link.  Thanks to them for the map image, excellent descriptions of the battle, and for keeping our country's history alive.

Here is a close view of the Union advance against the Confederate lines.


3.  Cox's charge against the Confederate lines

A Confederate account

"The Federals attacked us repeatedly. Column after column came down in full view, and moved right toward us. Some of the enemy got within seventy-five yards of the line before our Brigade opened up. 'It was harvest time with our Brigade,' said one, 'and every available contrivance was used for reaping the field before us.'

"The fighting became so intense that when John Gordon of Company D, 4th Kentucky, fell dead, his comrades spent the rest of the day stepping over him in the melee. Only with nightfall could someone find time to take him from his place in the line.

"The new corps of sharpshooters operated somewhat in advance. Their terrible rifles soon attracted the fury of the Federal artillerymen. Before the day was out, half of the elite marksmen lay dead or wounded. Yet others, in the midst of this terrible holocaust, found time to admire pityingly a little kitten caught between the battle lines and crying in its terror. Finally, a gunner jumped the earthworks and ran forward to grasp the cat and return it safely. Thereafter the tortoise tabby was a familiar sight perched on his friend the gunner's shoulder or astride a caisson. In honor of the occasion the Brigade named it 'Resaca'." (Davis, 217-218)


4.  Cox's Report

From the Official Record,
U.S. War Department archives

Note:

Cox's division, supported by two divisions of Howard's IV Corps (just arriving from Dalton), assailed Bate's and Hindman. Their attack was delayed due to the nature of the terrain on that portion of the battlefield and to the fact that Howard's Corps was late in getting ready for battle.

By the time this portion of the Union assault got moving, Judah and Palmer were already repulsed at Camp Creek. This allowed the Confederates to concentrate their fire, in spite of the Federal's terrific artillery barrage, against Cox.

Cox's report describes how the First Brigade (William Shore's) advanced in two lines on the left of the assault, with fixed bayonets against artillery and musketry fire.  Their second line took the enemy's position, while their first line went beyond it.

Cox's report:

"The skirmish line of the division already occupied the edge of the wooded land across the open valley, some 200 yards wide, immediately in our front, when the command to advance was given and the whole division moved steadily forward, the enemy opening immediately with artillery from batteries in position down the valley on our right, and which had an oblique fire upon our lines as we passed through the low ground. After crossing the open we passed over several wooded ridges in succession, and through a deep though narrow channel of the creek, which, with its perpendicular sides, skirted by a tangled thicket, became a serious obstacle to the advancing troops. The lines were quickly reformed after passing the brook and again moved forward, steadily driving the enemy's skirmishers backward toward their works. These skirmishers were so strongly re-enforced that they were only to be driven back by the main line of our troops, who advanced, making an occasional momentary halt to deliver their fire. A short halt was made, bayonets were fixed, and the whole command charged the hill and carried the line of rifle-pits on the crest, driving the enemy back upon a second line some 250 yards from the first on our left, but approaching much nearer on our right. The first line of the Second Brigade was first in entering the works, but these were almost instantly entered by the First Brigade also farther to the left. The enemy immediately opened with both artillery and musketry from their second line, which extended far beyond both flanks of the division, and no troops being as yet in position on either our right or left, the division was halted, the Second Brigade (Manson's) occupying the enemy's works with their first line, and the First Brigade (Reilly's) occupying them with the second line, advancing the first line to the protection of a small intervening ridge between them and the new line occupied by the rebels, from which they were able to silence with their rifles a battery which was playing destructively upon the Second Brigade. No artillery had been able to accompany the division in its advance to attack, the broken nature of the ground and the physical obstacles of the creeks and thickets entirely preventing. The continuous heavy fire of the enemy caused, however, a considerable loss in both the One hundred and third Ohio and Fifth Tennessee while advancing to their position. An hour later I reported the ammunition of the whole division as being almost exhausted, and it being impossible to get wagons forward to the lines held by the command, I was notified that we would be relieved by the Fourth Corps and withdrawn temporarily to enable us to replenish the cartridge-boxes. A little after 3 p. m. General Harker's brigade, of Stanley's division, Fourth Corps, advanced under a galling fire of all arms to relieve the Second Brigade, and while preparing to effect the change Brigadier-General Manson was severely injured by concussion of a shell exploding near him, and was carried off the field." (OR No. 351)

Source:

THE WAR OF THE REBELLION: OFFICAL RECORDS OF THE UNION AND CONFEDERATE ARMIES.  Published under the direction of the Secretary of War. Washington: Government Printing Office. 1890-91.