AtthesametimeIcausedtwopontoon—bridgestobelaidacrosstheOostenaulaRiveratLay’sFerry，aboutthreemilesbelowthetown，bywhichwecouldthreatenCalhoun，astationontherailroadsevenmilesbelowResaca。Atthesametime，May14th，IdispatchedGeneralGarrard，withhiscavalrydivision，downtheOostenaulabytheRomeroad，withorderstocrossover，ifpossible，andtoattackorthreatentherailroadatanypointbelowCalhounandaboveKingston。
Duringthe15th，withoutattemptingtoassaultthefortifiedworks，wepressedatallpoints，andthesoundofcannonandmusketryrosealldaytothedignityofabattle。TowardeveningMcPhersonmovedhiswholelineofbattleforward，tillhehadgainedaridgeoverlookingthetown，fromwhichhisfield—artillerycouldreachtherailroad—bridgeacrosstheOostenaula。Theenemymadeseveralattemptstodrivehimaway，repeatingthesalliesseveraltimes，andextendingthemintothenight;butineveryinstancehewasrepulsedwithbloodyloss。
Hooker’scorpshadalsosomeheavyandhandsomefightingthatafternoonandnightontheleft，wheretheDaltonroanenteredtheintrenchments，capturingafour—gunintrenchedbattery，withitsmenandguns;andgenerallyallourmenshowedthefinestfightingqualities。
Howard’scorpshadfollowedJohnstondownfromDalton，andwasinline;Stoneman’adivisionofcavalryhadalsogotup，andwasontheextremeleft，beyondtheOostenaula。
OnthenightofMay15thJohnstongothisarmyacrossthebridges，setthemonfire，andweenteredResacaatdaylight。Ourlossuptothattimewasaboutsixhundreddeadandthirty—threehundredandseventy—fivewounded——mostlylightwoundsthatdidnotnecessitatesendingthementotherearfortreatment。ThatJohnstonhaddeliberatelydesignedinadvancetogiveupsuchstrongpositionsasDaltonandResaca，forthepurposeofdrawingusfarthersouth，issimplyabsurd。HadheremainedinDaltonanotherhour，itwouldhavebeenhistotaldefeat，andheonlyevacuatedResacabecausehissafetydemandedit。ThemovementbyusthroughSnake—CreekGapwasatotalsurprisetohim。Myarmyaboutdoubledhisinsize，buthehadalltheadvantagesofnaturalpositions，ofartificialfortsandroads，andofconcentratedaction。Wewerecompelledtogropeourwaythroughforests，acrossmountains，withalargearmy，necessarilymoreorlessdispersed。