Griswoldville GA025

supportedunresolved Smith says that on the 22d information showed a much larger Union force near Macon than supposed, Taylor authorized him to recall the troops, and his order reached them 'on the eve of an engagement with what was supposed to be a small force of the enemy'. Woods says the reconnaissance met part of Wheeler's cavalry. NPS says the militia were ordered toward Augusta and collided with Walcutt by accident.

Attributed knowledge from interested reports and a modern summary; the orders were not inspected.

supportedunresolved Woods says the section of artillery was withdrawn early because of the enemy's fire and that fifteen Confederate wounded were left at a house for want of transportation. Smith says arranging transportation of ammunition and supplies kept him a few hours in Macon.

Transport statements from interested reports; no ordnance or transport return inspected.

supportedunresolved Woods was ordered to hold a defensive position near the church and make a demonstration toward Macon with one brigade. Smith says the militia brigades were ordered toward Augusta by way of Griswoldville. NPS says Walcutt was to ascertain the disposition of enemy troops toward Macon.

Stated orders from interested reports and a modern summary.

supportedpost_outcome The frozen and live results read Union victory. Woods says three assaults were repulsed and the militia retired at sundown, leaving their dead and wounded; Smith says they failed to carry the works but held a position within 150 yards until withdrawn after dark by his order.

Retain the original result and engagement interval; later movements and campaign contribution are different measures. No new probabilities or individual causal credit.

disputedpost_outcome The frozen and live casualty fields read 712 (US 62; CS 650). Woods gives his loss as 13 killed, 79 wounded and 2 missing and estimates the Confederate loss at 300 killed and 700 to 1,200 wounded, with 28 prisoners. Smith gives his loss as a little over 600.

Original casualty returns were not inspected; preserve totals, categories, cutoffs and differences. No canonical reconciliation or casualty-based opening count; related actions must not be added without resolving population overlap. Woods's 94 differs from the frozen 62; his Confederate figure is an estimate 'without actual count'.

supportedunresolved Woods says he drew Walcutt back by Osterhaus's direction and posted the brigade, and that Walcutt was severely wounded in mid-engagement and Catterson took command; he sent Baldwin's regiment and asked Murray for cavalry on the flanks. Smith, who was not present, says the collision occurred despite his order to avoid an engagement, 'we being the attacking party', and withdrew the troops to Macon. Woods reports prisoners' statements that 'Major-General Phili])S' was killed. The frozen commanders are Brigadier General Walcutt (US) and Brigadier General Philips and Major General Wheeler (CS); the live page omits Wheeler.

Direction is attributed as the reports state; the prisoners' report of Phillips's death is preserved as reported, not adopted. No listed commander receives automatic sole credit.

unknownunresolved

No inspected return establishes matched personnel at a common opening boundary. The frozen side-specific numerical strength bounds are blank (missing_numeric_strength). No figure in this pass is adopted as a simultaneous opening force.

disputedunresolved The frozen force text names Walcutt's brigade and two cavalry regiments against the 1st Division, Georgia Militia, and the cavalry corps, with no numbers; the live field reads zeros. Woods lists the brigade's six regiments at 1,513 present for duty with a section of artillery, and estimates the attackers at about 5,000 militia in three lines with four guns and two brigades of Wheeler's cavalry in reserve. Smith says his loss of a little over 600 was more than a fourth of the effective muskets engaged; his November 19 letter gave the militia division 1,900 effective muskets on leaving Lovejoy's, and his postscript puts the two State Line regiments at about 400 muskets. His report says the First Brigade of militia was not engaged and that Major Cook's Athens and Augusta battalions, moving under separate orders, were on the ground and engaged. Smith believed his men faced the larger part of a corps.

Woods's 1,513 is a present-for-duty count of the brigade before reinforcement; the 5,000 is his estimate. Smith's figures are for other dates, and his one-fourth ratio implies but does not state an engaged total. The 1,900 muskets are for Smith's four militia brigades, including the First Brigade, which he says was not engaged; Cook's battalions, which he says were engaged, are not identified in that figure. The engaged total is unknown. None is adopted as a matched opening strength; live zeros are not measured absence.

supportedunresolved Woods says the brigade was drawn back to a strong position on the Duncan farm at the edge of the woods, with open fields in front and flanks near a swamp passable at only one or two points, and threw up temporary works of rails and logs; the militia crossed the open fields and reached a ravine within seventy-five yards of the works. NPS says Walcutt fortified the position with logs and rails.

The ground predates the action; the choice of position and the works were made during it and are not tagged.