Gresham's Division

Marker Text

July 20, 1864. Brigadier General Walter Q. Gresham's 4th division, leading the advance of the 17th Army Corps (US) against Wheeler's Cavalry (CS) and forcing it west to Leggett's Hill, halted here at sundown.
Leggett's 3rd division was brought forward and would have moved against Wheeler's position on half mile west, but for failure to get orders.
While making a personal reconnaissance of Wheeler's position in his front, Gresham received a wound that ended his military service.
In 1893-1895, he was Secretary of State in President Groover Cleveland's Cabinet

044-43 Georgia Historical Commission erected 1956
Location: Memorial Drive near East Side Drive
GPS:
Visited: June 26, 2008

Well, this is disheartening. In the last post, I indicated that I thought I knew where Leggett's Hill was located in the present day. Apparently I was wrong. I went over to a hill that is just off of Moreland Avenue near the intersection of Hosea Williams Avenue. There were no markers present and I know that there is a Leggett's Hill historical marker. I have seen a picture of it on one website, the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, and read about someone else reaching it as they walked the route of Hardee's Army Corps. I will have to find the link to that site and post it here. The Carl Vinson website indicates that Leggett's Hill is near the intersection of Interstate 20 and Moreland Avenue, which was another reason that I thought that I was correct with my hill. There are no other significant hills around and Leggett's Hill was supposed to offer a view into the defenses of Atlanta. I guess it was called "Bald Hill" as well since there were little to no trees on it(?).
Anyway, during my search for the hill, I ran across this marker, as well as the "McPherson's Lat Ride" marker.

This marker is July 20th and we pick up from the "Wheeler Delays Blair" action. Wheeler, in a delaying action engaged Blair but retreated back towards Leggett's Hill. Now Gresham's division is pushing him west ward. From the marker position that would be towards the Interstate 20 and Moreland Avenue interchange.
From our last marker, we know that there was a general push towards the west from Decatur and that Sweeny first moved west and then south, which would put those troops a little east of here, possibly a mile or so. That is where the "Battle of Atlanta Began Here" marker is as well.
This marker is on Memorial Drive as well, but down by East Side Avenue.
Re-reading the marker text, something does not quite make sense. Gresham's 4th division was pushing Wheeler towards Leggett's Hill, but Leggett's division was brought forward. Why was Gresham doing reconnaissance? Is Gresham just doing his duty to give Leggett an accurate view while in the process of turning things over? Was it to be a cooperative attack with both Gresham and Leggett's division against a cavalry?
And is the hill named after the Leggett's division commander or it this just an extreme coincidence? I am thinking the former, not the later. I mean how common a name is Leggett?

Other questions that come to mind from this marker...
The push from the confederates comes on July 22nd, when the federals occupy Leggett's Hill. The action from this marker is on July 20th, only two days prior. And the federals apparently don't take the hill on the 20th, when Gresham is wounded, because Leggett's division doesn't have any orders at that time. So that means that this whole area is in a state of flux. The confederates see that the federals are enveloping them and half-heatedly fight it off but are unsuccessful. This whole state of flux makes the idea that the Generals were lunching and lounging leisurely on July 22nd just one mile or so north from here under the trees. And this is the big generals, not just the division commander level. The Army of the Tennessee general and Sherman himself. Definitely a different time in warfare. I would think that Sherman's army is like modern day or World War Two paratroopers. A whole self sufficient (mostly anyway) fighting force that mixes the traditional chain of command mode with a more close contact type of command structure, thereby putting all of the army corps at risk. This has its advantages, but some distinct disadvantages....like the wounding of a Brigadier General in battle...or worse. This marker is a two for one. There is one directly next to it as well that occurs two days later.