After defeating the Rebel skirmishers at Tunnel Hill, Army of the Cumberland Commander George Thomas [US] decided to probe Rocky Face. He felt "Buzzard's Roost" was too heavily fortified so he sent troops under "Fighting Joe" Hooker [US] to Dug Gap, 2.5 miles south of Mill Creek. On the afternoon of May 8, 1864, Major General John W. Geary [US] ordered troops under his command to advance and attack a well entrenched Confederate line behind a stone wall.

The Rebels, under the command of Lieutenant General William J. Hardee [CS] outnumbered at times by ten to one, had spent 5 months preparing for the attack. Not only had the wall been constructed, but a number of large boulders had been propped up at the top of the gap. As Geary's men advanced the Confederate defenders released the boulders, killing many soldiers and demoralizing the rest. A second attack at the same spot later in the day was repulsed when the Rebels were reinforced by General Hiram Granbury's infantry brigade.

The park contains over 1200 feet of the original stone wall the Confederates built between November, 1863 and May, 1864 in a 2.5 acre park. Adventurous souls may decide to venture further up the mountain from the park and see the Rebel entrenchments that line the crest of Rocky Face.

Location: In Dug Gap on Rocky Face
Directions: I-75 exit 333. Go west on Dug Gap Battle Road for 1.7 miles (after the Dalton Convention Center. On right. A small parking area on the road may be used if the gate is closed. (Note: Exiting this park is difficult because drivers routinely speed on this portion of Dug Gap Road.)
Additional information:
Phone:706.278.0217
Date added: November 16, 2003
Last update: December 4, 2003