Resaca, Ga. Here

was fought, May 14 and 15, 1864, one of the first battles of Sherman’s celebrated campaign through Georgia. Marching toward Atlanta with his main command, Sherman sent Mc- Pherson to seize Resaca and cut off Johnston’s supplies by the railroad. McPherson failed to gain this point, and Johnston immediately availed himself of the opportunity and posted his own army in this desirable position, Sherman turned back and marched against him. Sherman had 100,000 troops; Jolinston about 55,000. May 14, Sherman was in position around Resaca on the north and west, and on that day there was continual skirmishing and artillery firing. Johnston refused to leave his entrenchments, and the Union leader would not attack them. Finally McPherson gained an elevated position, fron1 which he could destroy the railroad bridge over the Oostenaula River. Johnston tried in vain to dislodge him. Meantime Hooker made a brilliant charge, and Sherman sent a detachment acro the stream on pontoons to help destroy the bridge. Johnston, seeing his communications so seriously threatened, retreated on the night of the fifteenth, Returning Boards. Although in general it is a fixed principle in American constitutional law that judicial functions belong solely to the judiciary department, and the returning boards are allowed only ministerial functions, yet in Florida, South Carolina and Louisiana returning boards with judicial powers were constituted by the reconstructed State governments, by statute. This action, probably quite unconstitutional, Iced to the troubles of 1876, connected with the Presidential election. The returning boards used their judicial power to manipulate the returns to such a degree that the rights of the contest were practically indiscoverable.