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In the spring of 1864, General William Tecumseh Sherman, after overwintering and resupplying his army in Chattanooga, began his advance south to Atlanta. Among the first battles in what came to be called the March to the Sea was the Battle of Resaca, fought in Gordon and Whitfield counties. The Union Army led by Sherman numbered some 100,000 at this point, significantly more than the some 65,000 led by Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston. Fighting began on May 13 and despite lasting only two days, more than 1,000 men were dead by the end of battle, with somewhat equal losses on both sides. The first steps of the March to the Sea had been taken, with Union forces advancing and Confederates in retreat. Within two months, the Battle of Atlanta would begin, and, in hindsight, the end of the Civil War was within sight. 

Thanks to the Vince Dooley Battlefield Trust Fund (VDB) Program administered by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, more than 300 acres of the battlefields at Resaca will now be preserved. With grants totaling $945,000, and matching funds of $989,000, the $1.9 million will preserve the largely forested areas in the Coosa River Basin, along the tributary of Camp Creek. Public access is still to be determined but the battlefield terrain and defensive earthworks that were classified as Preservation Priority II.3 by the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission. 

“These first grants are an exciting milestone in the preservation Georgia’s historic battlefields, ensuring future generations will experience our nation’s history firsthand—and continuing the incredible legacy of Coach Dooley,” said Rep. Houston Gaines (Athens-120), who first introduced the bill.  

Established by the Georgia legislature last year, the VDB provides grants to eligible nonprofit organizations and state agencies for the permanent protection of eligible lands in the state. To be eligible, at least 50 percent of the property’s acreage must be within the boundaries of a battlefield. Though they predate most of the development across the state of Georgia, Revolutionary War and War of 1812 sites are also eligible – a handful of which can be found on the Georgia coast. Applicants are required to match at least dollar for dollar received from the fund; $1 million in funding required $1 million in matching funds. Nonprofit charitable organizations with a primary focus of acquisition and management of land for historic preservation purposes are encouraged to apply, as well as state agencies with a mission of preservation, protection, or conservation of natural, historical, or cultural resources. 

“From his time on the gridiron to his decade on our Board of Trustees, Vince Dooley brought passion and tenacity to everything he did,” said David Duncan, president of the American Battlefield Trust. “This fund is the perfect way to honor Coach Dooley’s legacy. This addition to the Resaca battlefield is the beginning of an exciting new chapter in an incredible preservation story in Georgia.”