The Battle of Ezra Church - The Confederate Attack - Fulton Co., GA
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N 33° 45.202 W 084° 26.211
16S E 737413 N 3737762
The Battle of Ezra Church - The Confederate Attack (two plaques) historic markers are located at the east end of Mozley Park, on Martin Luther King Dr, Atlanta, GA.
Waymark Code: WM7KP5
Location: Georgia, United States
Date Posted: 11/05/2009
Views: 5
The Battle of Ezra Church July 28, 1864 - The Confederate Attack
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On July 27th, Lieut. Gen. Stephen D. Lee assumed command of Hood´s former corps. Both he and Stewart directed to hold their respective corps "in readiness" and to report at Hood´s headquarters. After explaining his plan to attack Sherman´s threatening right flank, and drive it back from the railroad, Hood ordered Lee to move Brown´s and Claytron´s divisions from the eastern fortifications of Atlanta to White Hall (West End), southwest of the city, leaving Stevenson´s divisions in the lines. Stewart was ordered to follow with Loring´s and Walthall´s division, leaving French´s in place. Early the next morning, all four divisions were at White Hall. At 10:00 a.m. on the 28th, Lee ordered Brown and Clayton to move out the Lickskillet Road (Gordon Street and Road), which led from White Hall to Lickskillet (Adamsville), to the Poor House (on Gordon Street south of the main gate of Westview Cemetery). At the Poor House, Brown met Brig. Gen. Wm. H. Jackson whose cavalry division had contested Howard´s advance. His skirmishers had pressed back steadily, yet Jackson´s information indicated "the enemy´s infantry to be small". Lee also having arrived at the Poor House, he immediately ordered Brown to deploy his division on the left (southwest) side of the road, in the present cemetery Grounds. Brown deployed his four brigades with Johnston´s on the right, Sharp´s in the center, Brantly´s on the left and Manigault´s in reserve. Clayton was ordered to deploy on the right of the road, facing north. He deployed his three brigades with Gibson´s on the left, Holtzclaw´s on the right and Baker´s in reserve. Hood had ordered Lee to "move out the Lickskillet Road, attack the enemy´s right flank, and drive him from the road and the one leading from it by Mount Ezra Church (old Chapel Road)." Accordingly, Lee ordered Brown to "attack and drive the enemy to Ezra Church and hold the position" and Clayton to attack on Brown´s right. Brown´s men drove Smith´s skirmishers from Lickskillet Road and up the steep slopes to the first ridge beyond it (Anderson Park and southeastward). Finding that Logan´s right, which he was expected to turn, would overlap his own, Brown shifted his lines 250 yards to the left. Realigned, his men swept over the first ridge, driving off enemy skirmishers, charged across the intervening ground, and assaulted the Union barricades; but despite the shift to the left, Logan´s refused right was still beyond reach.
The Confederate Attack (con't)
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Dense woods screened the extent of the Union line until revealed by storms of musketry which swept Brown´s ranks, in front and on the right where Williams´ fire enfiladed Johnston´s exposed flank. On the left, Brantly pierced Lightburn´s line but was beaten off with heavy loss. In the center, oblique fire from Martin´s line decimated Sharp´s regiment, forcing them to retire. On the right, Johnston was wounded. His brigade was unable to advance beyond the first ridge until Manigault´s brigade joined it. Together, they assaulted Martin´s line, only to be forced back by devastating cross fires. After desperate fighting, Brown reformed under fire for a second attack. Again beaten back, he withdrew his shattered division to the first ridge where he remained until relieved by Walthall´s division shortly after 2:30 P.M. Ten minutes after Brown advanced, Gibson had forme his brigade and was with Clayton, conferring with Holtzclaw, who was deploying. Sudden firing brought Gibson galloping back to find that his brigade had been ordered forward by a staff officer. Unsupported, it struck Harrow´s salient and suffered a costly repulse. Baker was ordered forward and two brigades made repeated attacks on the salient, losing "one-half of their original numbers." Holtzclaw was moved to the left in reserve and was not engaged. Although Stewart had been sent to follow up Lee´s "success", he found Lee in desperate straits. Holding Loring in reserve, he ordered Walthall to deploy with Reynolds´ brigade on the right, Cantey´s (O´Neal´s) on the left, and Quarly´ in Reserve. About 2:30 P.M., they advanced over ground strewn with Brown´s wounded and dead. Learning the extent of the enemy´s line, Walthall ordered Quarly to form on O´Neal´s left, but still he was overlapped. After Walthall had lost "over one-third" of his men in vain attempts which "double the force could not have accomplished" Stewart ordered Loring to relieve him; but before Loring could move, both he and Stewart where wounded, leaving Walthall in command. Knowing the futility of further attacks, Walthall ordered Loring´s division to remain in place and withdrew his own to join it. The Army of Tennessee had suffered its third costly defeat under Hood´s command. Logan had repulsed "six successive charges", losing 562 men. Blair and Dodge, who had sent ten regiments to replace men "whose guns had become so heated a to be useless", lost 45, Hood´s estimated loss was 4,632, almost a third of his force.
Georgia Historic Commission - Georgia Civil War Centennial Commission