No. 464.

Report of Captain Gordon Lofland, Assistant Adjutant-General, Second Division, of operations May 1-August 12.

HDQRS. SECOND DIVISION, FIFTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
East Point, Ga., September 10, 1864.

By direction of the general commanding the division, I herewith submit a report of the operations of this division from the beginning of the late campaign to the date the present commander relieved General J. A. J. Lightburn. I have though proper to submit it in the form of a journal.

Sunday, May 1, 1864, commanded by Brigadier General M. L. Smith, the division marched from Larkinsville, Ala., at 7 a.m., reached Scottsborough at 2 p.m., and camped for the night at Dry Creek, having marched eleven miles; roads bad. Monday, May 2, broke camp at 9 a.m., halted at Mud Creek for dinner, and camped on Four-Mile Creek for the night, having marched twelve miles. Tuesday, May 3, broke camp at 7 a.m., crossed Crow Creek on bridge built by pioneer corps, camped for the night at Bridgeport, Ala., having marched fourteen miles. Wednesday, May 4, broke camp at 7 a.m., crossed the Tennessee River on railroad and pontoon bridges, and camped for the night at the springs beyond the Narrows, four miles south of Whiteside's, having marched eleven miles. Thursday, May 5, broke camp at 6 a.m.; roads bad; marched very slow, as we were retarded by the wagon train of the Fourth Division; marched thirteen miles, and camped for the night in Wauhatchie Valley. Friday, May 6, broke camp at 6 a.m., marched over the point of Lookout Mountain to Rossville for dinner; sent all the camp equipage and baggage of the division to Chattanooga for storage; marched at 2 p.m. to Gordon's Mills and camped for the night, having marched seventeen miles; roads good; passed over the old battle-ground of Chickamauga this afternoon. Saturday, May 7, marched, by way of Tavern road, to Gordon's Gap, a distance of eleven miles; camped for the night. Sunday, May 8, broke camp at 7 a.m. and marched to the entrance of Snake Creek Gap, a distance of eleven miles; country precipitous; water abundant. Monday, May 9, broke camp at 3 a.m., marched through Snake Creek Gap to Sugar Valley Post-Office, on the crossing of the Dallas [Dalton] and Resaca roads, and formed line of battle in order to hold these roads, while the Left Wing of the Sixteenth corps and the First Division of the Fifteenth Corps moved forward for the purpose of destroying the railroad bridge over the Oostenaula River at Resaca; they having failed in their purpose, were withdrawn to Snake Creek Gap. Tuesday, May 10, remained at cross-roads, skirmishing with the enemy all day. Wednesday, May 11, started for the mouth of Snake Creek Gap at 2 a.m., the cavalry holding the position at the cross-roads; arrived at the gap at daylight; worked on fortifications all day. Thursday, May 12, moved at 6 a.m. to Sugar Valley and formed line of battle on the ground occupied heretofore, skirmishing with the enemy all day. Friday, May 13, division moved in column top and formed line at the intersection of the Dalton and Calhoun and Snake Creek Gap and Resaca roads, on the right of the latter, for an advance on Resaca at 11.30 a.m. The First Division was on the left, and the Sixteenth Corps on the right; received orders to advance at 1.30 p.m. The ground was very much broken and covered with heavy timber and thick undergrowth, with the