'So much potential': Resaca battle park has promise for county, Civil War visitors to region

A section of the Blue Battlefield Trail near I-75 (All photos by Picket)

Resaca Battlefield Historic Site put on its soft opening last weekend. The curious drove past replica defensive fortifications at the gate and down a road bordering a scenic valley and forested hills.

The peaceful scene that greeted them belied the fact that the May 1864 Battle of Resaca in northwest Georgia was the second-bloodiest of the Atlanta Campaign.

Ten cars came Friday, 20 on Saturday and about 30 on Sunday. Gordon County Administrator John King and Ken Padgett, head of the Friends of Resaca Battlefield, pointed out the first visitors were a Michigan family.

The Civil War park, which will have its grand opening ceremony this Friday at 3 p.m., in some ways carries the mantra, “If you build it, they will come.”

County officials and the friends group want the site to be an educational, recreational and historic beacon for local residents, travelers and Civil War buffs. The park contains significant remnants of earthworks, including an impressive length of trenches visible on the Red Battlefield Trail (Signs point out metal detectors are banned and artifacts cannot be removed).

And they would like to see the quiet Exit 320 interchange on I-75 and the town of Resaca get an economic boost.

Ken Padgett of the Friends of Resaca Battlefield

“There is so much potential,” King said earlier this week during an interview at the site’s picnic and restroom pavilion.

A big advantage is the park is right off Interstate 75 between Atlanta and Chattanooga, Tenn. (Construction of the interstate decades ago did destroy parts of the battlefield). While there are no signs or billboards noting the new venue on I-75, Gordon County officials are working with the state to have one installed.

For now, they are largely depending on websites, local media and groups and word of mouth to publicize the park. (They don’t know how the Michigan family learned of the site.)

Gordon County may benefit from a bit of synergy.

Just to the north is Whitfield County, which is believed to have the most surviving Civil War fortifications in the country. The Civil War Trust is working to buy and preserve a 309-acre tract there where Confederates built defensive works on Rocky Face Ridge before they slipped south to Resaca as Federal forces pushed on toward Atlanta. Whitfield officials plan to open a park, perhaps next year, according to CNHI newspapers.

Gordon and Whitfield counties are southeast of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, which draws nearly 1 million visitors annually.

Section of trenches on Red Battlefield Trail

Jim Ogden, historian with the federal park, said he can now direct those interested in the Atlanta Campaign to a well-preserved site between Chickamauga and Pickett’s Mill or Kennesaw in suburban Atlanta.

“In addition to recently developed access at a couple more Dalton area sites, with the opening of the Resaca battlefield, there's now a lot more from that first epoch of the campaign for one to visit,” Ogden wrote in an email. “This also means, for Civil War round tables or other history-based groups, particularly if they'll do a little walking, there's now … enough in the Tunnel Hill-Dalton-Resaca area to make a multi-day tour of just that part of the campaign. With a good guide and a willingness to walk, there's potentially a day now at Resaca by itself.”

For now, the Resaca battlefield site will be open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

The park contains most of the battlefield on the early afternoon of May 14, 1864. Late-afternoon action is on the east side of the interstate. Chitwood Farm, site of an annual Battle of Resaca re-enactment, is a couple miles east of the new I-75 park.

While the battle was a stalemate, Confederates withdrew and Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman continued his eventually successful march on Atlanta. 

Ogden said the new historic site illustrates the growing strength of Rebel fortifications and the importance of Federal flanking attacks and movements.

“Confederates manning the fortifications one sees in the park turned back several Union assaults,” he said. “This is not just reflective of the course of the Battle of Resaca itself but also of the larger Atlanta Campaign: W. T. Sherman would use his larger army to maneuver against Joe Johnston's flanks to force him out of positions that were seemingly ever more fortified as the campaign extended week by week.”

I spent several hours Monday at Resaca Battlefield Historic Site. A word to the wise: Bring plenty of water and good walking shoes. The 1.-2 mile Red Battlefield Trail on the south end is hillier than you’d expect, but the experience was enjoyable. I saw several deer at the top.

The 2.6 Blue Battlefield Trail on the northern side of the 483-acre park has a whole different feel. On its east side, you do walk through some hills that held Confederates, but as you walk counterclockwise much of it features gorgeous meadows in the valley that separated the two armies. The west side of the trail is where the Union brigades prepared for assaults. 

Bridges cross Camp Creek and other small streams. Butterflies flitted about and I saw a large snapping turtle as I neared the pavilion to conclude my hike.

The site features many state-produced interpretive panels, with some geared toward children (though they would be of interest to most anyone). King would like to see more of them along the trails.

Several include a helpful inset of a Battle of Resaca map made years ago by the late historian Bill Scaife. I wished those carried a “You are here” designation to better orient myself when looking at the park map and Scaife’s order of battle.

Wayside stops and loop trails offer plenty of opportunities to put the battle into perspective (though I wish a few had not been so jammed with text). King said three part-time park managers at the site and nearby Fort Wayne can help visitors with further questions on the battle.

Local residents began pushing for the park in the 1990s and the state acquired the property. The Friends of Resaca Battlefield organized support and raised money. Georgia appeared poised to build the visitors center after an October 2008 groundbreaking.

The Department of Natural Resources realized it did not have the money to finish the project. 

Frustrated, Gordon County stepped in and took over, agreeing to do the construction and staff and maintain the facility. But in March 2010, citing costs and inherited permit problems, Gordon County punted on building the site. The state agreed to take the project back, with the caveat that the county would operate it once the work was done. State budget woes put an end to plans for a visitor's center/museum and film.

Things have come together over the past year. Improvements have been made to signs and trails and a widening project on Ga. 136 at Interstate 75 has been finished, allowing for better access to the site.

Exit 320 is one of the least-developed I-75 interchanges in Gordon County. There’s only a large truck stop on the east side to offer refreshments to park patrons.

“It is not going to be a flip-the-switch to economic impact,” King said of the opening.

John King

Still, he touts in development possibilities and efforts toward building a more educated workforce. He cites the area’s schools and a new college and career academy in nearby Calhoun. (Gordon County is known for its floor-covering industry).

While King acknowledged there was some opposition to the project, particularly a few years ago during the economic slowdown, he said residents are starting to get on board.

“It’s very exciting,” he said. “(We originally thought) the baby was ugly, but it belongs to us. It's not an ugly baby. It’s beautiful. We are very proud of it.”

He wants to focus now on the opportunities the site will bring, and asks that groups and individuals help raise awareness and pitch in to make the historic site a success.

“We have always focused on getting to this point,” King said. “This is not the end of the campaign. It is just the beginning.”

• Facebook photo gallery of the new park

Big doings this month in NW Georgia: Opening of Resaca historic site, annual re-enactment

Site includes large open field with walking trails (Gordon County)

Next week’s formal opening of Resaca Battlefield Historic Site in northwest Georgia will be the culmination of a two-decade campaign by local residents and officials to establish the park.

The 3 p.m. May 13 grand opening will include speeches, a ribbon cutting, the firing of an honor volley by re-enactors, tours and a song about the 1864 clash during the Atlanta Campaign. The ceremony comes one day before the 152^nd anniversary.

Gordon County, which will maintain the 483-acre site following its construction by the state of Georgia, has touted seven miles of walking trails and interpretive markers.

The site initially will be open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Charlie Crawford, president of the Georgia Battlefields Association, which has played a part in the preservation, called the Friends of Resaca Battlefield the driving force to protect the property and open it to the public.

(Georgia Battlefields Association)

“Every battlefield is a teaching tool.  A battlefield with easy access, the remnants of wartime earthworks, open vistas and interpretive signage is a better teaching tool,” Crawford said. “This will bring more visitors to the site, resulting in economic benefit to the town and the county.  More importantly, visitors will better understand what happened at Resaca. People with a more accurate knowledge of history tend to be better citizens.” 

   

Resaca Battlefield Historic Site, off Exit 320 of Interstate 75, will feature well-preserved trenches from both sides and most of the battlefield on the early afternoon of May 14, 1864. Late-afternoon action is on the east side of the interstate.

While the battle was a stalemate, Confederates withdrew and Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman continued his eventually successful march on Atlanta. The fighting at Resaca demonstrated that the outnumbered Confederate army could only slow, but not stop, the advance of Union forces.

(Picket)

An annual re-enactment, left, is held on a different portion of the battlefield, at Chitwood Farm. This year’s event is scheduled for May 20-22.

Before the state completed work on the site earlier this year, local advocates have been frustrated by false starts, permit problems, negotiations by state and local governments, construction delays and a massive road project at the interstate interchange at Resaca.

But that now appears to be in the past.

According to the Friends of Resaca Battlefield: "With the addition of the Resaca Battlefield Historic Site to a long list of key areas including, Fort Wayne Historic Site, the Resaca Confederate Cemetery, the WPA Roadside Park, the conservation easement property, and the State’s oldest annual Civil War Reenactment held the third weekend in May, we are looking for Gordon County to become a national tourist destination."

Interstate 75 actually runs through the middle of the Resaca battleground, making the Civil War site literally just an exit ramp away. Exit 320 currently has no hotels and little fanfare. 

Sarah Husser with the Gordon County Convention & Visitors Bureau cited the park’s historical significance and preservation.

“Residents can enjoy the site for educational (field trips) and recreational purposes and (the site) will attract visitors to our community, resulting in increased expenditures and a positive economic impact,” she said.

It's official: Resaca battlefield park transferred to Ga. county; will open in spring

(Georgia Battlefields Association)

An historic site that will use hiking trails and interpretive signs to tell the story of the Battle of Resaca during the Federal army’s push toward Atlanta reached a crucial milestone this week.

Gordon County in northwest Georgia on Tuesday evening formally accepted transfer of the completed site from the state Department of Natural Resources.

Ken Padgett, a leader of the Gordon County Historic Preservation Commission and Friends of Resaca Battlefield, told the Picket that a May 13 grand opening is set, with a soft opening expected in late March or early April.  

Resaca Battlefield Historic Site, off an exit of Interstate 75, will feature well-preserved trenches from both sides and most of the battlefield on the early afternoon of May 14, 1864. Late-afternoon action is on the east side of the interstate. While the battle was a stalemate, Confederates withdrew and Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman continued his eventually successful march on Atlanta.

Padgett said he expects the site to be open initially on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. There will be staff on hand, but no interpretive center.

The Gordon County Board of Commissioners’ acceptance of operations and maintenance of the park is welcome news for park advocates. For two decades, supporters of the site have been frustrated by false starts, permit problems, negotiations by state and local governments, construction delays and a massive road project at the interstate interchange at Resaca.

County Administrator John A. King told the Picket on Thursday a lot of work remains for the park to open, and the window for the “soft opening could possibly shift in either direction.”

King said officials are considering a traffic counting system as well as video surveillance options.

The Friends of Resaca said the vote was the culmination of a 20-year, "exhausting" effort.

"With the addition of the Resaca Battlefield Historic Site to a long list of key areas including, Fort Wayne Historic Site, the Resaca Confederate Cemetery, the WPA Roadside Park, the conservation easement property, and the State’s oldest annual Civil War Reenactment held the third weekend in May, we are looking for Gordon County to become a national tourist destination."

Resaca battlefield site: NW Georgia county still hoping for a May grand opening

Pavilion at new Resaca historic site (Georgia Battlefields Association)

Storm cleanup, work on trail markers and the installation of corrected interpretive markers are among the items Georgia officials have been completing as they prepare to hand off operation of the new Battle of Resaca historic site.

The Department of Natural Resources had hoped to finish work on the site by the end of October, but work on the punch list continued until early this year.

Mary Kathryn Yearta, director of public and government affairs for the department, told the Picket last week that crews were cleaning up from storms over the Christmas holidays (the 500-acre property off Interstate I-75 in Gordon County is in a flood plain).

“Some of the trails and roads had debris and were washed out due to the large amount of rainfall we received,” she said. “After the storm cleanup, the work done on the property by DNR will be complete.”

The DNR and Gordon County are slated to meet this month about setting up a final review prior to county commissioners accepting a transfer of Resaca Battlefield State Historic Site for operation and maintenance, said county Administrator John A. King.

“During our last visit, we noticed that the new entrance sign looked very nice, and all of the trails that we observed were in the best condition that we have seen so far. Some of the trail markers needed attention; and several of the interpretive signs, which had been slated for correction, were still pending installation,” King told the Picket. “The county is pleased with the progress that DNR had made on the site, and we are continuing to discuss a soft opening this spring that would precede a grand opening in May.”

Marker for the 103rd Ohio (Georgia Battlefields Association)

Charlie Crawford, president of the Georgia Battlefields Association, said visitors to the site will see well-preserved trenches from both sides and most of the battlefield on the early afternoon of May 14, 1864. Late-afternoon action is on the east side of the interstate. 

On May 13-15, 1864, Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman’s army and Gen. Joseph E. Johnston’s Confederate Army of the Tennessee bloodied each other at Resaca. There was no clear winner, but Sherman continued his march toward Atlanta, which he took several months later.

Opening the park has not been easy. For two decades, supporters of the site have been frustrated by false starts, permit problems, negotiations by state and local governments, construction delays and a massive road project at the interstate interchange at Resaca.

Ken Padgett, a leader of the Gordon County Historic Preservation Commission and Friends of Resaca Battlefield said he is anxious for the project to be completed and acceptable to Gordon County. “Enough delays,” he said.

The park will have trails and signs, but no interpretive center, when it opens.

State finalizing work on Resaca battlefield, will turn it over to NW Georgia county

Ed Bearss discusses Confederate trenches at Resaca (GBA)

John A. King may have put it best when talking about the protracted birthing of a historic site that will interpret the Battle of Resaca during the Atlanta Campaign.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said the Gordon County administrator. “Sometimes, good things take a while.”

That “while” refers to a 20-year campaign to build and open a park just off I-75 in northwest Georgia. Supporters have been frustrated by false starts, permit problems, negotiations by state and local governments, construction delays and a massive road project at the interstate interchange. Officials had hoped Resaca Battlefield State Historic Site would be open well before May 2014 for the battle’s sesquicentennial – but that didn’t happen.

Now there's good news.

David Clark, chief engineer for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, recently told the Picket that final items of additional construction should be completed by the end of the month, with a transfer of the operations and maintenance to Gordon County after that.

Ken Padgett, a leader of the Gordon County Historic Preservation Commission and Friends of Resaca Battlefield, said, “It looks like we are close, but the final punch list (to do list) is in the very near future and hasn’t been agreed upon as yet.”

King says the county will need a few months to inspect the site, ensure all infrastructure is ready and have it up and running. He said he’d like to see it open by May 2016 for the battle’s 152nd anniversary. Officials may be able to provide some access before a grand opening.

Master plan for the historic site (DNR)

Old GBA map shows visitors' center that was dropped

Initially, King said, the 505-acre park will be open from 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. on the weekends.

“What a wonderful place to go on a Saturday afternoon and walk with your family,” he said.

The state has provided infrastructure, including a 2.2-mile road to the center of the site and walking paths.

“There is a lookout pavilion at end of the road, parking and roadside stops along the way with parking,” said Clark. “Further, there is interpretive signage in several locations to inform visitors of the historical significance of the site. There are and over 5.5 miles of trails, mostly in the woods.”

The state dropped plans for a visitors' center during the economic slowdown a few years back.

King said county officials will ensure the site is preserved and, in conjunction with other facilities -- including Fort Wayne and the Resaca Cemetery -- educate visitors and schoolchildren about the Civil War’s significant impact on Gordon County.

Pavilion and trail at new site (Photos: Georgia Battlefields Association)

“We see it as a lot of different opportunities. Not only does it reinforce the value of the historical significance of site, it gives us opportunity to promote greater tourism, community development and recreation.”

Charlie Crawford, president of the Georgia Battlefields Association, said visitors will see well-preserved trenches from both sides and most of the battlefield on the early afternoon of May 14, 1864. Late-afternoon action is on the east side of the interstate. The GBA helped pay for a conservation easement in 2010 that protects the site.

On May 13-15, 1864, Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman’s army and Gen. Joseph E. Johnston’s Confederate Army of the Tennessee bloodied each other at Resaca. There was no clear winner, but Sherman continued his march toward Atlanta, which he took several months later.

The fighting at Resaca demonstrated that the outnumbered Confederate army could only slow, but not stop, the advance of Union forces.

An annual re-enactment is held on a different portion of the battlefield, at Chitwood Farm.

Interstate 75 actually runs through the middle of the Resaca battleground, making the Civil War site literally just an exit ramp away. Exit 320 currently has no hotels and little fanfare. 

Example of sign at Resaca historic site (DNR)

The state site at the Ga. 136 exit covers a portion of the western side of the clash.

In March 2012, the Civil War Trust closed on the purchase of 51 acres of another portion of the Resaca battlefield, about three miles northeast of the new park.

Local residents began pushing for the park in the 1990s and the state acquired the property. The Friends of Resaca organized support and raised money. Finally, Georgia appeared poised to build the visitors center after a October 2008 groundbreaking.

The Department of Natural Resources realized it did not have the money to finish the project. 

Frustrated, Gordon County stepped in and took over, agreeing to do the construction and staff and maintain the facility. But in March 2010, citing costs and inherited permit problems, Gordon County punted on building the site. The state agreed to take the project back, with the caveat that the county would operate it once the work was done.

Fall 2008 groundbreaking was a tad premature (GBA)

The construction contract was awarded in May 2012 and the contractor started work in the fall of that year. The work was mostly done a year later but the Georgia Department of Transportation project produced some “complications,” including access to the site. A second contractor finished work on a redesigned entrance, Clark said.

The ongoing DOT project includes interchange widening and reconstruction on Ga. 136, two bridges and approaches. The DNR has been able to install a main gate and front signage for the battlefield site.

“Because of its limited access, to a significant degree this historic site is also a good nature preserve,” said Clark.

Resaca Battlefield State Historic Site is in a flood plain and the state built a raised road.

“There have been some very heavy rain periods that have flooded the site since construction was completed but the road has remained well above the water level,” Clark said. “In the rare event that water does raise to the road elevation, the site will simply be closed for a week or two, cleaned and reopened.”  

103rd Ohio is the only monument on the battlefield (GBA)

Padgett, a longtime advocate for the historic site, said he and King stopped by on Oct. 5.

“Several issues are still to be addressed by DNR. I do think that we are close and DNR is having final site work actively underway at this time,” Padgett said. “I appreciate the work that Gordon County and DNR has done to ensure that the park is open to the public very soon.”

(Padgett told the Picket on Nov. 3 that rain has delayed final site work, but he expects work to be done around the end of the month.)

King said while the site will be self-guided he expects a park guide to serve as a host and to provide maintenance. The estimated cost of operating the site is $84,000. While no admission charge is forecast, visitors will have an opportunity to donate to help the upkeep.

The administrator said Gordon County has worked with the state to ensure the trails are easily identifiable and walkers don’t get lost. The site will have controlled access so that employees can ensure its cultural resources are not disturbed.

King said he expects a related website to be built and the county will want some kind of billboard on I-75.

Clark said his agency has not had discussions with the DOT regarding an I-75 sign. “There are criteria regarding the projected number of yearly visitors to get a sign approved, which may prove to be a difficult hurdle for this site.”

Padgett said the Friends of the Resaca Battlefield are seeking donations to complete the historic trails interpretation signage and other projects, such as trail benches. 

Gordon County, King says, is excited about the park.

“It is going to be a unique location,” he said. “(It’s) one of the few battlefield sites that have not been available to the public. It is an untouched site.”

(GBA)

Battle of Resaca re-enactment: New activities and parks for major Georgia event in May

Ken Padgett was a young North Georgia boy at the time, but he still remembers the first re-enactment of the Battle of Resaca.

“There were men in overalls carrying modern shotguns and with some horses,” he said.

What the event lacked in numbers and authenticity was compensated by an interest in remembering the bloody clash, one of the early battles in the Atlanta Campaign, Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman’s eventually successful bid to take the key Georgia city.

The re-enactments weren’t a mainstay until the early 1980s. This year’s May 16-18 event at Chitwood Farm is a big one -- given it is officially the 30^th re-enactment and comes on the 150^th anniversary of the battle.

And where the 1964 affair, 100 years after the battle, had only a few participants, Padgett said he expects perhaps 2,000 to 2,500 re-enactors on the field, twice as much as most years.

“We have units coming in from California. With all our preservation work going on nationwide, and people’s interest in Resaca, the excitement of the sesquicentennial seems to be drawing people,” said Padgett, 58, who is head of the Georgia Division Reenactors Association, which is putting on the re-enactment.

Local officials also tout two venues where visitors can go before or after taking in the reenactment: 

The Gordon County-owned Fort Wayne Civil War Historic Site and Resaca Battlefield State Historic Site, along a stretch of Interstate 75 on the western part of the battlefield. Although the latter may not be officially completed by May 16, it will be open for visitors to walk interpretive trails.

Re-enactment organizers expect more artillery pieces to be on the field this year. They also are touting an old-style baseball game, a Civil War medicine tent and a cavalry competition.

But the marquee events remain the two 2 p.m. battle re-enactments (Saturday and Sunday).

The clashes will recall outnumbered Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston’s determined effort to hold off Federals on May 14-15, 1864, after he had withdrawn from Rocky Face. There was no clear winner on the field at Resaca, but a Union flanking move forced the Army of Tennessee to retire.

Joe Johnston

Johnston had begun what historian Shelby Foote referred to as the “Red Clay Minuet” with Sherman, giving up ground grudgingly.

Michael Shaffer, assistant director of Kennesaw State University’s Civil War Center, cited the comments of one Federal soldier after the Battle of Resaca: “Brave men were falling on every hand. This was one of the days that will occupy a conspicuous page in our country’s history.”

“Visitors to the re-enactment will catch a glimpse of the action after the initial fighting of the campaign along Rocky Face Ridge, have the chance to inspect earthworks and inspect the Western & Atlantic Railroad, the lifeline of both forces as the campaign unfolded,” Shaffer told the Picket.

Tickets are $5 for adults; $2 for children 6 to 12, and admission is free for children 5 and under. A shuttle service will carry visitors from the parking area. Vendors will sell period and contemporary food and offer various wares. Military and civilian camps will be open to visitors at certain times. The event will be held rain or shine.

Remembering the dead

As is customary at the re-enactment, a memorial service will be held, at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 17, at the picturesque Confederate Cemetery in nearby Resaca. According to the National Park Service, the battle casualties totaled 5,547 (US 2,747; CS 2,800).

Mary and Pyatt Green, daughters of Col. John F. Green, were shocked to see the bodies of Confederate dead lying in the rolling fields of Resaca or in shallow graves. In 1866, they and their African-American cook began relocating bodies to a 2.5 acre site provided by their father.

James Lay, president of the Gordon County Historical Society in Calhoun, said the Green sisters established the first Confederate cemetery in Georgia. It contains about 400 remains.

“The women put the boys as far as they could determine by states with wooden markers.” Markers and a wall eventually were added, and memorial services became a community mainstay.

Flagmaker Robert Banks at Resaca Cemetery

The historial society, which sponsored the first re-enactments, currently leads the re-enactment’s memorial service and ladies’ tea.

“That is the reason we held the whole battle (re-enactment), because of the cemetery, in appreciation of what they did before they even knew what their dreams were,” said Lay.

The historical society is a co-sponsor of the re-enactment, which is getting special attention this year because of the 150^th anniversary and the new parks. Gordon County also is hoping for an economic boost.

Sarah Husser of the Gordon County Convention & Visitors Bureau said the promotion effort includes a billboard on I-75 north a few miles below Exit 320, flyers, a re-enactment program and new lamppost banners (below) in downtown Calhoun, the county seat.

“We are encouraging the local stores to decorate their windows and hope to have a couple of volunteers in period attire walk around downtown Calhoun during lunch time the week of the re-enactment,” she said. “We hope to build interest for locals and visitors.”

Calhoun lamppost banner

What visitors will see

The event kicks off Friday, May 16, with visits from school groups.

“It is letting them to look and see the guns fire and hope when they get to that point in American history school, they will say, ‘Wow I went to Resaca. I went to that and they showed me that,’” said Padgett.

Of course, it wouldn’t hurt if a few decided to take up re-enacting when they become older.

“It is getting the young people interested to do it. You will see a lot of gray heads in the field,” he said. “We have young people coming into the hobby, but it does not seem as many as it used to be. The impact of the war is not taught in the school like when I was taught.”

Organizers said they could see 10,000 spectators over the weekend. “It all depends on the weather,” said Padgett. In 2013, six inches of rain slammed attendance.

He and others in the Georgia Division have spent several months preparing the site, assembling massive quantities of firewood for soldier camps, doing electrical work for vendors and gathering hay and bedding straw for horses and mules.

This year’s re-enactment will probably be the largest in Georgia and Padgett is excited about the increase in re-enactors.

Most years, there are 12-16 artillery pieces. This year will have at least 21.

“We have four so far that have been horse-drawn, maneuver, unlimber and hitch. As the battle progresses, they will change positions,” said Padgett.

One of three original cannons on site will be a Noble gun, forged at a foundry in Rome, Georgia, in 1861. “It makes a sound like no other gun in the field. It is a bronze cannon. Even the spectators turn to look because of a distinctive ring.”

1864 Battle of Resaca (Library of Congress)

He said he did not have an exact number of re-enactors who have registered, but it appears 2,000 to 2,500 could take the field. “It is so seldom they get to re-enact on an original battlefield.”

Among the units coming are the S.C.A.R. Battalion, the 125^th Ohio, the Georgia Division and Rambo’s battalion from Alabama.

New this year is a display and discussion of period medical instruments.

After a nondenominational service Sunday morning, organizers will have a period baseball game.

“We are using 1860s rules and period-correct instruments (rawhide ball and sticks),” said Padgett. “We hope to have a friendly game between the Rebs and Yanks.”

“(Also) after the church service, spectators can go on the main field and watch the cavalry competition, where they take their sabers and ride through, in demonstration of precision.” 

Terre Lawson at Chitwood Farm in 2010

Meanwhile, back at Interstate 75

Resaca Battlefield State Historic site, built by the state and to be operated by Gordon County once open, will have loop trails, interpretive signs, pulloff areas, picnic tables and a comfort station, though no museum, due to budgetary limitations.

Construction, which has seen delays, continues on the site, said Kim Hatcher, public affairs coordinator with the parks division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. 

“Hopefully, most will be done in May. There are plans to allow visitors into the site for a 150^th event May 16-18, even if it’s not completely finished,” she said.

Padgett said he expects the new site will be nearly complete by May 16.

“I am very pleased. We knew there were going to be snags,” he said. “You cannot go into a site that large and not have some problems. We had wet areas and different things like that. The trail system goes down one ridge and up another ridge.”

An elevated roadway will keep traffic above flood-prone areas on the south part of the site and the six miles of interpretive trails are on high ground, he said. “They will be able to go through nearly 100% of it,” he said about May visitors.

Portrait time at Chitwood Farm

The state also has been widening a road that goes above I-75 and doing bridge work adjacent to the new site, at times limiting or slowing access to the site.

Charlie Crawford, head of the Georgia Battlefields Association, was dismayed all work may not be complete before the Resaca re-enactment and associated events.

“If the state cared enough, the agencies involved would have arranged for the road work to be complete and the park to be finished in time for the event, rather than having to make an exception and then finishing the work after,” he told the Picket.

The Fort Wayne site, which opened last summer, is also just off I-75 Exit 320, on Taylor Ridge Road.

It was built in 1862-1863 by the Confederate militia to protect the railroad and bridges over the Oostanaula River, said Crawford. For much of the war, Fort Wayne was used as a staging area for reinforcements there were sent north by rail.

Artillery in the fort fired the first round toward Federals advancing on Resaca.

‘Camps stirring to life’

Riders in 2010

Padgett said he will be stepping down as leader of the Georgia Division in the coming months and will become an adviser, rather than a primary organizer, of the annual re-enactment.

He said he is pleased there are nearly 600 acres protected at Chitwood Farm through various preservation and conservation efforts.

“I don’t think anything is more pleasant than walking through the campfires at night, talking to the troops and exchanging a few kind words.”

Padgett, who has been Georgia Division commander for nearly 15 years, said he will continue to research the battle and educate the public.

And he will savor just being there.

“My favorite time is to get up at dawn and just look down at all the campfires from the hill and the camps stirring to life,” he said. “It is always so quiet. Sometimes there are deer. It is strange knowing anything that beautiful and peaceful could have had so much carnage during that period.”

• Schedule of events for Resaca re-enactment