Bate's Battle Line

Marker Text:
July 22, 1864. General Bate's division, Hardee's Army Corps (CS) was deployed on the right of Walker's division when they advanced north from Terry's Mill Pond. Being on the extreme right of the corps, Bate's troops moved up the east side of Sugar Creek Valley and swung westward to face Rice's 16th Army Corps brigade (US) posted on the hill (Murphy's High School) and northward along the old Clay Road (Clay street).
This attack failed to dislodge Rice's brigade. Bate's command composed of Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Kentucky troops - the 5 regiment of the latter being the celebrated "Orphan Brigade" commanded by Brigadier General Joseph H. Lewis.

044-47 Georgia Historic Marker erected 1985

Location: Memorial Drive in parking lot near Wilkinson Drive
GPS:
Visited: June 26, 2008

Now the story from the attacker's side, well the attackers in this scenario anyway. The defenders offense's side of the story, not the offensive defender's side. The confederates on the move to attack the back side of the federal line met the reserve troops moved forward to prevent just such a move. This sounds like a big game of chess but with live troops made of flesh and, some of them at least, about to die far from home.
So the attack met resistance and, most likely, not exactly where they expected to meet it.
The attackers did not have much success it seems, even with the celebrated "Orphan Brigade." After some research, this statement makes sense now. It is just there to show that some Kentucky soldiers, who could not return home during the war, were present. Kentucky was not part of the Confederate States of America, but was a border state. Recruitment efforts were made to draw on the support for the secession effort and the war. Several brigades were raised and sent south for the war effort. But, since Kentucky was never captured nor occupied by the Confederate States of America, these soldiers could never go home for fear of punishment; therefore they were orphaned from their state. Now that would have been a lot of information to place on a small marker. So they made me work for that little tid-bit.
Other than that information, the marker only determines a little of what we already have determined, that Sweeny's men moved south and met the unexpected north to west thrust of Hardee's men. What is surprising here is that this thrust, in this area, has no real effect. They cannot dislodge Rice's men.
All of this leading up to the Battle of Atlanta and it all comes to naught...so far.