May 13, 1864

May 13, 1864

---Atlanta Campaign:  Battle of Resaca---Day 1:  After a week of skirmishing along Rocky Face Ridge, and Dug Gap, Sherman decides that there is more promising prospects farther south, toward Resaca.  McPherson’s army is pushing toward Resaca, and has been joined by Schofield.  Sherman has withdrawn from in front of Dalton and rushed down to Resaca---but Johnston has divined Sherman’s purpose and move, and is there at with his troops deployed on the hills overlooking the town as the Federals make the opening attacks on the Confederate positions.  Skirmishing as the opening probes of the battle occurs in several places, but no major actions result, as both armies jockey for position and wait for the other side to make a major move.  Johnston’s army is in a strong position, and Sherman is reluctant to attack him there.

---Battle of Spotsylvania, Day 6:  Hours before dawn, Lee’s troops pull back into the newly-fortified line across the base of the Mule Shoe salient, and skirmishing and firefights continue along that sector of the line.  In the meantime, Grant intends to shift the ground of the battle and conduct an attack beyond the far right of the Confederate right flank.  So, he order Warren’s V Corps and Wright’s VI Corps on a long, circular countermarch behind the lines to swing over to the east, behind Hancock’s and Burnside’s lines.  But the rain continues, and this movement ends up taking nearly 3 days, due to the bad condition of the roads, and the soldiers’ exhaustion.

 

Cannon at the modern-day Spotsylvania battlefield
 

---Gen. Sheridan, who is pursued by Confederate troops that try to pin him against the Chickahominy River, escapes this entanglement, and moves downstream.

 

---Alexandria, Louisiana:  At last, Col. Bailey’s dam on the Red River is completed, and the remainder of Porter’s boats in the river are able to float over the cataracts.  Porter’s fleet escapes to safety.  Gen. Banks’ troops begin evacuating the town, also.

 

---Judith White McGuire, of Richmond, writes in her journal of the news of Stuart’s death:

May 13.—General Stuart died of his wounds last night, twenty-four hours after he was shot. He was a member of the Episcopal Church, and expressed to the Rev. Dr. Peterkin his resignation to the will of God. After much conversation with his friends and Dr. P., and joining them in a hymn which he requested should be sung, he calmly resigned his redeemed spirit to the God who gave it. Thus passed away our great cavalry general, just one year after the immortal Jackson. This seems darkly mysterious to us, but God’s will be done.