|
|
Photo Gallery: Crossing the Ocmulgee
Marker text:
On the morning of Nov. 18 1864, the Right Wing (15th and 17th
Corps) of General Sherman's army moved from its bivouacs in and near Jackson
toward Planters' Factory (Ocmulgee Mills), on the Ocmulgee River at Seven
Islands (9 miles SE), to effect a passage at that point on pontoon bridges
to be laid b the 1st Missouri Engineers, the pontoniers of the Right Wing.
Smith's division, 15th Corps (Osterhaus), which had camped near Flovilla,
moved first. Upon arrival, the 1st Brigade (McCown), with the 4th Minnesota
Infantry in advance, crossed on the ferry and entrenched on high ground east
of the river. At 11:00 A.M. the pontoons arrived and, by 1:00 PM, two
bridges were ready.
That afternoon, Smith completed his crossing and camped two miles from the
river on the Hillsboro road, to wait for Woods' and Hazen's divisions and to
permit the cavalry to pass to the front. During the night, Blair's 17th
Corps crossed and moved via Monticello and Blountsville to avoid the
Hillsboro road.
On the 19th, Kilpatrick's cavalry division crossed, followed by Woods and
Hazen and several wagon trains. Heavy rains having made the steep hills on
the east bank extremely difficult, the passage was not completed until the
afternoon of the 20th, when Corse's division of the 15th Corps cleared the
bridge site and, with the bridge train, followed the 17th Corps to
Monticello.
018-3 Georgia Historical Commission 1957 |
