An Incomplete History of the 52nd Regiment, Georgia Volunteer Infantry
Part 2: Missionary Ridge to Atlanta
September 1863 to July 1864
September 12, 1863
52nd Georgia Regiment is officially exchanged.
September - October, 1863
The 52nd Regiment is reorganized at Sweetwater, Tennessee; under new Brigade commander, General Marcellus A. Stovall.
October, 1863
Assignment: Marcellus A. Stovall's Brigade, Alexander P. Stewart's Division, John C. Breckinridge's (2nd) Corps , Army of Tennessee. The 52nd Regiment is shown as having 232 men available, 197 arms, and 39 rounds of ammunition per man.
November 23 - 25, 1863
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Following its defeat at Chickamauga, the Union army retreated to Chattanooga where it was besieged by the Confederates. By October 30th, after a month long siege, supply lines were reopened and the Union Army of the Cumberland was reinforced. On November 24, 1863, the 52nd Georgia was in the line of battle South of the city, just East of Chattanooga Creek.
On November 25th, the 52nd Regiment was on Missionary Ridge. Stewart's Division was located on the left end of the line of battle. After the defeat at Missionary Ridge, Bragg's army retreats to Dalton, Georgia where they set up winter camp.
November, 1863
Major John Jay Moore resigns his command of the 52nd Regiment. He is replaced by Rufus R. Asbury.
December 27, 1863
General Joe Johnston again resumes command of the Army of Tennessee, replacing General Bragg after his loss at Missionary Ridge.
April 30, 1864
Assignment: Marcellus A. Stovall's Brigade, Alexander P. Stewart's Division, John Bell Hood's Corps, Army of Tennessee. (Joseph E. Johnston, commanding)
May 5-11, 1864
Rocky Face Ridge
Other Names: Buzzard Roost, Mill Creek Gap, Dug Gap
52nd Regiment was deployed as skirmishers during this battle, with Stewart's (detached) Division at Dug Gap. The rest of Hood's Corps anchored the right side of the Confederate line at the northern entrance to Crow Valley.
May 14-15, 1864
Resaca
Johnston Retreats from Dalton and reinforces his line at Resaca. Hood's Corps is again on the right end of the Confederate line. 52nd Georgia Regiment was on the front line, actively engaged in the fight. They assaulted the Union lines, pushing the Yankees back to their fortifications. A strong force was discovered there, and the attacking Confederates were forced to retire. The battle is a victory for the Confederates, but Johnston is forced to retreat thirty miles after hearing that Union forces crossed the Oostanaula River five miles to his rear.
May 18, 1864
Hood's Corps are on the right side of the Confederate line, on the hills about 5 miles north of Cassville, Georgia.
May 19, 1864
The Army of Tennessee is in a defensive line on the Western & Atlantic railroad just South of Cassville.
May 20 - 23, 1864
Joseph Johnston's army has been forced to shift its line southward once again. The army of Tennessee is now on the high ground midway between Cartersville and Allatoona, on the Western & Atlantic railroad.
May 25 - June 4, 1864
New Hope Church
A.P. Stewart's Division was at the center of the Confederate line. His left flank was anchored at New Hope Church. The 52nd Regiment was engaged with the enemy for two hours, fighting on the open battleground, unprotected by the log barricades which were occupied by the remainder of Stewart's division. The Brigade held their position all day, repulsing repeated assaults on the line. Colonel Rufus R. Asbury was wounded in the battle, but was later able to return to command of his regiment.
June 6, 1864
The 52nd, along with the rest of Hood's Corps, is on the right side of the Confederate defensive works, at the base of Brush mountain. They have the north face of the mountain to their backs. Wheeler's cavalry is covering the right flank.
June 27, 1864
Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia
General Joseph E. Johnston withdrew his army to a new, previously selected position on Kennesaw Mountain. This entrenched arc-shaped line, to the north and west of Marietta, protected the Western & Atlantic Railroad, the supply link to Atlanta. The 52nd (Hood's Corps) was on the left end of the defensive line, about two miles south of Kennesaw Mountain. Sherman decided on a frontal attack against the entrenched Confederates at Kennesaw Mountain. On the morning of June 27, Sherman sent his troops forward after an artillery bombardment. The Federal troops made little headway against the determined Confederates. The fighting ended by noon, and Sherman suffered high casualties.
July 8, 1864
Johnston's Army of Tennessee is now placed on the west bank of the Chattahoochie River.
July 20, 1864
Peachtree Creek, Georgia
Joseph E. Johnston had been relieved of command by president Jefferson Davis, and John B. Hood was selected to replace him. Hood's Corps was now under the command of General B.F. Cheatham. Hood attacked Thomas with Stewart's and Hardee's Divisions after the Federals crossed Peachtree Creek. The 52nd Regiment was on the left side of the 3:00pm assault. The determined attack threatened to break the Union line at many locations. Ultimately, however, the Yankees held, and the Rebels fell back.
July 22, 1864
Atlanta, Georgia
Late in the afternoon, Hood ordered General Benjamin F. Cheatham to attack the Yankees on the east side of Atlanta with his entire corps. The 52nd Regiment was in the vanguard of this assault. They fought in the area of the Troup Hurt house. This assault is immortalized for future generations in the painting at the Cyclorama in Atlanta.
July 26, 1864
Assignment: Marcellus A. Stovall's Brigade, Henry Clayton's Division, Stephen D. Lee's Corps, Army of Tennessee. (John Bell Hood, commanding)
July 28, 1864
Ezra Church
Battle of the Poor House Georgia
Having no luck in capturing Atlanta with attacks from the north and from the east, Sherman now decided to attack from the west. He ordered General Howard to move from the left wing of his army to the right, and cut Hood's last railroad supply line between East Point and Atlanta. Hood anticipated this move and sent the two corps of Lt. Gen. Stephen D. Lee (with the exception of Stovall's Brigade) and Lt. Gen. Alexander P. Stewart to intercept the Union force. On the afternoon of July 28, these two divisions marched southward out of Atlanta, then turned west to assault Howard at Ezra Church. Lee's Corps crashed headlong into Howard's Federals, and later in the afternoon Stewart's Corps joined the battle also. After six separate assaults on the Federal lines, the Confederate casualties numbered 2,500. The Federals lost only 700. Howard failed, however, in his attempt to cut the railroad. Luckily for the men of the 52nd Regiment, they had been left behind in the trenches Northeast of Atlanta.
July 29 - August 25, 1863
Siege of Atlanta
August 31-September 1, 1864
Jonesboro, Georgia
Hood ordered General Hardee to rush his corps down to Jonesboro, with Lee's Corps following, and attack at first light on the 31st. Hardee's attack didn't begin until 2:00 p.m., giving the Yankees time to entrench. The 52nd Regiment was onthe left side of the Confederate assault. They approached to within 40 yards of the enemy's entrenchments, but failed to dislodge him. Lee's Corps was ordered to return to Atlanta early in the morning of September 1st.
September 2, 1864
Hood evacuates Atlanta.
September 4 - 14, 1864
10 days armistice between the armies around Atlanta, in order for William T. Sherman to evict all civilians from their homes in Atlanta. The 52nd is encamped at Lovejoy's Station.
PART 3 - Franklin, Tennessee to Bentonville, North Carolina