Pickett's Mill

[C. Cash]

Today is the anniversary of the Pickett's Mill Battle on May 27, 1864. Always hoping to learn more about the battle from others here. Here is my little area of research which I have oft posted. About 1/3 of the battle proper, fought by Wheeler(JT Wheeler/Ashby's Brigade of Humes Div. and Allen's Brigade of Kelly's Div) against Hazen's left, seems to have been omitted in modern depictions of the battle. https://www.westerntheatercivilwar....s-tennessee-cavalry-brigade-at-pickett-s-mill

 

[BronxYankee]

I live in the Atlanta area and took a tour of the Pickett's Mill battlefield in Dallas, GA in 10/2020. Rough terrain but was worth the visit. I posted pictures in the Atlanta Campaign Form.

 

[C. Cash]

I live in the Atlanta area and took a tour of the Pickett's Mill battlefield in Dallas, GA in 10/2020. Rough terrain but was worth the visit. I posted pictures in the Atlanta Campaign Form.

One really has to walk the terrain in full vegetation to understand the battle. Also good to see in winter where the lay of the land is more visable.

 

[RedRover]

Ambrose Bierce, on the "Crime at Pickett's Mill,"

You can read it here:
Bierce: Crime at Pickett's Mill; Google Books

 

[C. Cash]

Ambrose Bierce's Map of Pickett's Mill. Bierce says he was at the right of Hazen's line and states the Confederates had created a narrow open space by cutting down the trees in front of them. It was through this open space that he witnessed "the dead line" where the Federals were slaughtered as they were shot down in rows. Hazen said he stood at "B": where the ravine opened up to the west of the cornfield.

 

[Buckeye Bill]

* Photos from 2014.....

 

[C. Cash]

* Photos from 2014.....

Great pics.....thank you. They have one of the original howitzers from Key's Battery there now. Sobering to know it is mere yards from it's original position in 1864, firing down the ravine.

 

[Yankeedave]

Hazen's Brigade. My ancestor served with them but missed Pickett's Mill being k.i.a at Chickamauga.

 

[C. Cash]

That is sad about your ancestor. Brave men. My ggGrandfather Monroe Cash and gggUncle Stephen Ford were in Co. B of the 5th Tenn. Cav. above(Ashby's Brigade led by JT Wheeler). They fought Hazen's center and left. But don't know if my guys were on sick call, detached service, a horseholder or in the battle proper. Probably will never know.

 

[Yankeedave]

Same for Wheeler et al. Good morning Cash.

 

[C. Cash]

The two Cavalry Commanders who held the Confederate Right alone against Hazen from 4:35-5:30/40, before Cleburne sent in Lowrey and Baucum: The "Boy General" General John Kelly and his 350 man "Division" and Colonel James T. Wheeler leading the approximately 700 men of Ashby's Brigade, Humes Division. Col. Wheeler had served under Forrest before the Atlanta Campaign. You will find nearly none of this in modern histories of the battle, which is sad. At least 231 of these roughly 1000 cavalry were casualties on the afternoon of 27 May, 1864.

 

[Belfoured]

For anybody interested, the book by Brad Butkovich, The Battle of Pickett's Mill: Along the Deadline, is excellent. Brad has also designed a conflict simulation of the battle and knows the terrain thoroughly.

 

[C. Cash]

A good book. His placement of Gen. W.W. Allen(Kelly Div) out in front of Granbury was spot on and a good start in laying out the missing 1000 cavalrymen of Kelly and Humes Division that held the Confederate right. We have accrued a mountain of evidence since Brad's book was published which re-defines the fight on Hazen's left with Wheeler's Cavalry and positioning of troops. Love him or hate him, we can longer exclude the contributions of Gen. Wheeler as well as the brigade of Col. JT Wheeler(Ashby's 700 man Brigade of Humes Div.) which fought alongside Kelly's 350 troopers on right of Granbury. For about 1 hour, these troopers held Hazen on the ridge to the west and south west of the cornfield, before Baucum and Lowrey were sent in, with these dismounted Cav. suffering over 231 caualties. Modern depictions exclude Wheeler and these 1000 cavalrymen and describe Baucum and Lowrey going to reinforce no one. There is now much evidence to the contrary.

 

[C. Cash]

Pickett's Mill map which started out as a crude sketch and about eight years of notes scribbled over it. It is not perfect. Notably Granbury's men reported being about 60 yards off the road so either they were farther in or the road originally was slightly farther South. The left of Knefler should be completely over on the North side of the cornfield...a change I made to the map in article above. No doubt there was a good bit of back and forth through that Northern section of Cornfield. Baucum would lose 101 men over that ground.
Many questions still to be answered no doubt.

 

[Yankeedave]

Nice map Cash.

 

[C. Cash]

Thank you Sir.. I will periodically re-read the narratives to see if there is something I've missed. There is always something new and much still to be uncovered about this 3-4 hours battle. We need to also need to establish the road system with some degree of certainty as nearly every modern map differs.

 

[C. Cash]

A battle map drawn soon after of the positions at 5:30 after the Confederate Right pushed through the Northern section of cornfield.

 

[C. Cash]

Another mostly unknown General on the direct front/right of Granbury, General William Wirt Allen with his "Alabama Brigade" of Cavalry from Kelly's Division. He only had about 250 men but with JT Wheeler/Ashby's 700 man Brigade of Hume's Division held Hazen's center/left.

 

[C. Cash]

Please delete.

 

[C. Cash]

A series of diary entries found by Dave Powell at the Pickett's Mill Battlefield archives. To be clear, this evidence makes clear that Sam Watkins passage about "New Hope Church" is the description of Pickett's Mill and the fight of Ashby's Brigade. https://www.westerntheatercivilwar....sA4Y9qbCnqm6d_BA4JBERHKAMUh4uDW-_Gh8KCFpuLt4g