Battle of Buzzard's Roost Facts

May 9, 1864

Buzzard's Roost Battle facts, including dates, casualties, participants, who won, and more interesting details you might not know. This fact sheet provides a quick overview of the battle and is for kids doing research and students preparing for the AP U.S. History (APUSH) exam.

George Henry Thomas, Civil War General

On May 9, 1864, elements of Major General George Thomas’s Army of the Cumberland attacked Rebel defenders entrenched at a gap in the mountains north of Resaca, Georgia, known as Buzzard’s Roost Gap. Image Source: Library of Congress.

Date

  • May 9, 1864

Location

  • Whitfield County, Georgia, near the town of Dalton

Campaign

Principal Union Commander

Principal Confederate Commander

Union Forces Engaged

  • Army of the Cumberland

Confederate Forces Engaged

  • Army of Tennessee

Number of Soldiers Engaged

  • Undetermined

Estimated Casualties

  • Unknown

Result

  • Union victory.

Significance

  • Although Rebel defenders were able to hold back the Army of the Cumberland, the engagement accomplished Major General William T. Sherman’s objective of holding the Confederates in check as he successfully outflanked General Joseph Johnston’s Army of Tennessee.
  • The Battle of Buzzard’s Roost was part of a larger engagement known as the Battle of Rocky Face Ridge, which was the first encounter between Union forces during the Atlanta Campaign.

Timeline of the Atlanta Campaign

These are the main battles and events of the Atlanta Campaign in order.