Captain Charles Wright Wills: October 15, 1864 — 10 a.m.

We are waiting here for rations. The 4th and 14th Corps are ahead, and for the last half hour we have heard very heavy skirmishing toward “Snake Creek Gap,” just about where we heard the first fighting of the campaign, a little over five months ago. There is enough to interest me in the prospect for the next three days. Snake Creek Gap, 10 p. m. We have the whole gap.

SOURCE: Charles Wright Wills, Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, p. 311

Captain Charles Wright Wills: October 16, 1864

North end Snake Creek Gap, October 16, 1864.

After a tedious march got here at 11 p. m. The Rebels about six hours ahead of us had blockaded the road in good style. They did some half a day's work, with hundreds of men, and delayed us about—ten minutes.

On summit of Taylor's Ridge, Shipp's Gap, p. m. Our division has the advance to-day. The Rebels drove very well, until we got here, when, having a very good position, they resisted us with some vim. A few men of the 1st brigade, finally climbed the hill, flanked and routed them. Our loss, seven wounded. We got 35 prisoners and killed and wounded a dozen or so.

SOURCE: Charles Wright Wills, Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, p. 311

Diary of Corporal Alexander G. Downing: Saturday, October 15, 1864

We left Resaca early this morning, going out after the rebels whom we found at the south entrance of Snake Creek Gap. Here we formed a line of battle and skirmishing commenced. A small force of the rebels was behind some old works which our men had built last spring while advancing on Resaca. Finally two regiments of the Third Division made a charge upon them and routed them. Our loss was about fifty killed and wounded. The rebels then fell back through the pass, blockading it for about eight miles, by felling trees across the road. Our corps did not succeed in getting through the pass until about dark, and the Fifteenth Army Corps was still in our rear.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 222