Buck Head Creek GA026

supportedunresolved Wheeler says citizens reported Kilpatrick's officers talking about Augusta, which with the small party sent to Waynesborough convinced him Augusta was the destination. Kilpatrick says his parties confirmed that Wheeler was crossing with his whole force. NPS says Wheeler was fooled into concentrating around Augusta.

Attributed knowledge from interested reports and a modern summary.

supportedunresolved Wheeler says his command was jaded, that the burned bridge was rebuilt in little more than an hour, and that the crossing was slow because of its rude construction. Kilpatrick says he moved on after the repulse and camped at the first place forage could be found.

Movement and forage statements from interested reports; no transport return inspected.

supportedunresolved Kilpatrick was to move toward Millen and if possible rescue the prisoners there; after learning they had been moved he retired toward the infantry, deciding at the creek to give Wheeler 'a severe repulse'. Wheeler says he hoped by pressing hard to turn Kilpatrick from Augusta. NPS lists the railroad, the Briar Creek trestle and Camp Lawton as objectives.

Stated aims from interested reports and a modern summary.

disputedpost_outcome The frozen result reads Union victory; the live result reads Indecisive. Kilpatrick says Wheeler was 'most handsomely repulsed at all points'; Wheeler says his morning attack drove the enemy from his fortified position ('The rout was complete'); beyond Buck Head Creek his charge on the breastworks made the enemy flee in uncontrollable confusion, but the open ground then ended at a line that could not be approached by cavalry, and Ashby's wrong road let the enemy move off. NPS says the barricades eventually forced Wheeler to retire.

Retain the original result and engagement interval; later movements and campaign contribution are different measures. No new probabilities or individual causal credit. The frozen and live result fields and the commanders' characterizations conflict.

disputedpost_outcome The frozen and live casualty fields read 646 (US 46; CS 600). Kilpatrick says his losses over three days were not large and estimates the enemy's at 600 killed and wounded; his campaign total, November 14-December, is 1 officer killed, 6 wounded and 2 missing and 31 men killed, 153 wounded and 166 missing. Wheeler claims nearly 200 captured, killed and wounded in the charge before the creek.

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. Kilpatrick's 600 is an estimate for three days of fighting; his campaign total is context and is not assigned to this record.

supportedunresolved Kilpatrick says Atkins, by a misunderstanding, moved on without halting, so that two regiments and Kilpatrick himself were cut off and partly surrounded. Wheeler says Kilpatrick was very nearly captured, that he sent Dibrell and Ashby to turn the flanks, and that Ashby took the wrong road by accident. The frozen commanders are Major General Wheeler and Brigadier General H. Judson Kilpatrick; the live page lists 'Hugh Kilpatrick'.

Direction and error are attributed as the reports state. 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 Kilpatrick's 3rd Cavalry Division against the cavalry corps of the department, with no numbers; the live field reads zeros. Kilpatrick says he left Marietta on November 14 with 5,500 men and six guns in two brigades of 2,800 and 2,700. Wheeler says only about 1,200 of his command had crossed the creek when he attacked the barricades, and that his force never exceeded 3,500 and he seldom had more than 2,000 under his immediate command.

Kilpatrick's figures are for November 14; Wheeler's are campaign-wide claims and a partial count at the creek. None is adopted as a matched opening strength; live zeros are not measured absence.

supportedunresolved Wheeler says an intervening swamp at Buck Head Creek made approach almost impossible and saved Kilpatrick, that the bridge had been prepared for burning, and that beyond it the open ground ended at a line cavalry could not approach. Kilpatrick says he took a strong position two miles beyond the creek behind a long line of barricades with his flanks thrown back. NPS says a Union brigade behind barricades at Reynolds's Plantation halted the drive.

The creek and swamp predate the action; the barricades were built during it.