Could Dalton have been held

[atlantis]

Could Johnston have held Dalton and stopped Sherman.

 

[SWS]

If he had not misread Federal movements and had Polk's corps covering the southern approaches at the outset, perhaps. Dalton seems as perfect a natural fortress as you can hope for relative to the rest of North Georgia and it really seems to take advantage of the region's geography in terms of defense from a force advancing from Chattanooga. It's no wonder so many Confederates became instantly demoralized once they left the Oostanaula.

 

[Lampasas Bill]

Kennesaw Mountain was also a natural fortress but Sherman was able to outflank it. Could he not have outflanked Dalton as well?

 

[J. Stanley]

The problem is that Dalton can be outflanked. Sherman's original plan to open the Atlanta Campaign was to have McPherson's Army of the Tennessee undertake a long flanking march to seize Rome, a move that would place the Federals only twenty miles from Johnston's main supply line - the Western & Atlantic Railroad. It was only when A.J. Smith's detachment of XVI Corps was stuck in the Red River Campaign and XVII Corps was still furloughed and unable to make it in time that Sherman adjusted to the Snake Creek Gap plan.

Perhaps Dalton could have lasted longer with a more active defense. However, it was by no means impossible to outflank.

 

[JeffBrooks]

I have a more positive view of Joe Johnston than most people, but the failure to properly protect or even screen Snake Creek Gap was negligence of epic magnitude. Had it been properly garrisoned, there is no doubt that the Army of Tennessee could have held Dalton considerably longer than they did.

In the end, though, Sherman would have adopted a different strategy - perhaps continuing southwest as far as Rome if necessary, to outflank the Dalton line. It would have taken longer, been riskier, and perhaps resulted in higher casualties, but I don't see any realistic scenario in which Dalton could have been held indefinitely.

 

[SWS]

The defense of Rome, Ga., is definitely an underrated topic in the Georgia campaign. I don't see it discussed much at all. One website reports that [Jefferson C.] Davis told Sherman that Rome was 'the strongest fortified place I have seen in Dixie,' with at least three major forts. It seems to me that if the Union wanted to take it via the Chattooga Valley, they would have to do so at a few days' march from their base and far from any railroad under their control, all while keeping large forces near Dalton, although I suspect Taylor Ridge would screen their movements at least.

 

[atlantis]

Was there no place further north of Dalton where a credible defense could have been conducted thus allowing Dalton to remain in CS hands and stopping forward movement of Sherman.

 

[J. Stanley]

Was there no place further north of Dalton where a credible defense could have been conducted thus allowing Dalton to remain in CS hands and stopping forward movement of Sherman.

I guess there's Tunnel Hill, which was held by Wheeler's cavalry, but it's an awfully exposed position. On paper, the Chetoogeta Mountain was great for stopping an advance from the west (Ringgold Gap), but it could be outflanked from the north. Not to mention that Johnston is quite concerned about the possibility of a thrust to Rome, which is what he was constantly watching for while McPherson went to Snake Creek Gap.

The defense of Rome, Ga., is definitely an underrated topic in the Georgia campaign. I don't see it discussed much at all. One website reports that [Jefferson C.] Davis told Sherman that Rome was 'the strongest fortified place I have seen in Dixie,' with at least three major forts. It seems to me that if the Union wanted to take it via the Chattooga Valley, they would have to do so at a few days' march from their base and far from any railroad under their control, all while keeping large forces near Dalton, although I suspect Taylor Ridge would screen their movements at least.

I am not sure if Davis was being honest or if this is true at all. Albert Castel has said that Davis was looking for a second star.

But from what I've read of "Jefferson Davis in Blue", Rome does not seem especially fortified, and it makes no mention of the claim either. One book even claims the earthworks were incomplete when Davis arrived.

The three forts do not even support each other. Fort Norton, the largest fortification, was located on the east bank of the Oostanaula River to protect the route to the city from Alabama. Fort Attaway was constructed on the opposite bank and a third, Fort Stovall, was constructed on the south bank of the Etowah River.

 

[tony_gunter]

I have a more positive view of Joe Johnston than most people, but the failure to properly protect or even screen Snake Creek Gap was negligence of epic magnitude. Had it been properly garrisoned, there is no doubt that the Army of Tennessee could have held Dalton considerably longer than they did.

In the end, though, Sherman would have adopted a different strategy - perhaps continuing southwest as far as Rome if necessary, to outflank the Dalton line. It would have taken longer, been riskier, and perhaps resulted in higher casualties, but I don't see any realistic scenario in which Dalton could have been held indefinitely.

I was riding around in Snake Creek Gap this weekend. Where in the heck do you garrison it?

It was downhill almost all the way from Villanow, then opens up expansively on the southern end to the point where I had trouble figuring out when I had exited on the southern side.

Seems like a tough spot to defend from the south.

The maps from back then show a road from Redwine Cove going over the hills into the gap, but for the life of me I don't understand how such a road wouldn't just go straight down.

 

[atlantis]

I guess there's Tunnel Hill, which was held by Wheeler's cavalry, but it's an awfully exposed position. On paper, the Chetoogeta Mountain was great for stopping an advance from the west (Ringgold Gap), but it could be outflanked from the north. Not to mention that Johnston is quite concerned about the possibility of a thrust to Rome, which is what he was constantly watching for while McPherson went to Snake Creek Gap.



I am not sure if Davis was being honest or if this is true at all. Albert Castel has said that Davis was looking for a second star.

But from what I've read of "Jefferson Davis in Blue", Rome does not seem especially fortified, and it makes no mention of the claim either. One book even claims the earthworks were incomplete when Davis arrived.

The three forts do not even support each other. Fort Norton, the largest fortification, was located on the east bank of the Oostanaula River to protect the route to the city from Alabama. Fort Attaway was constructed on the opposite bank and a third, Fort Stovall, was constructed on the south bank of the Etowah River.

Would a brigade or division north of Ringgold Gap be sufficient to stop a flanking move until reinforcements arrived.
I laughed years ago the first time I came across the union Jefferson Davis, one can only image what was said behind his back.
He should have changed it to something neutral like Richard Head.

 

[tony_gunter]

I ran the numbers, the ground in Snake Creek Gap drops about 2 feet for every hundred yards until you get into Sugar Valley. It would be difficult to pick a defensive position that would serve any purpose other than briefly delaying a force moving in from the north, because you're guaranteed to be at an altitude disadvantage.

 

[SWS]

Do modern scholars such as Powell have anything to say on the subject? Maybe the Davis legend developed as a way for the Romans to assuage their possible guilt regarding the fact that their city fell without a fight in spite of its importance.

If Johnston knew of the weaknesses pertaining to SCG and Rome, it's no wonder he and his colleagues seem to have hoped for a direct confrontation at Dalton.