Headquarters army of Tennessee
in the field, October 12,1861.

To the officer commanding the United Stales Forces at Resaca,
Georgia.

Sir:  I demand the immediate and unconditional surrender of the post and garrison under your command, and, should this be acceded to, all white officers and soldiers will be parolled in a few days.  If the place is carried by assault, no prisoners will be taken.  Most respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. B. Hood, General.

To this Colonel Weaver, then in command, replied: 

Headquarters second brigade, third division, fifteenth corps
Resaca, Georgia, October 12, 1884.

To General J. B. Hood

Your communication of this date just received.  In reply, I have to state that I am somewhat surprised at the concluding paragraph, to the effect that, if the place is carried by assault, no prisoners will be taken.  In my opinion I can hold this post.  If you want it, come and take it.

I am, general, very respectfully, your most obedient servant,

Clark R. Weaver, Commanding Officer.

This brigade was very small, and as Hood’s investment extended only from the Oostenaula, below the town, to the Connesauga above, he left open the approach from the south, which enabled General Raum and the cavalry of Generals McCook and Watkins to reenforce from Kingston.  In fact, Hood, admonished by his losses at Allatoona, did not attempt an assault at all, but limited his attack to the above threat, and to some skirmishing, giving his attention chiefly to the destruction of the railroad, which he accomplished all the way up to Tunnel Hill, nearly twenty miles, capturing en route the regiment of black troops at Dalton (Johnson’s Forty-fourth United States colored).  On the 14th, I turned General Howard through Snake-Creek Gap, and sent General Stanley around by Tilton, with orders to cross the mountain to the west, so as to capture, if possible, the force left by the enemy in Snake-Creek Gap.  We found this gap very badly obstructed by fallen timber, but got through that night, and the next day the main army was at Villanow.  On the morning of the 16th, the leading division of General Howard’s column, commanded by General Charles R. Woods, carried Ship’s Gap, taking prisoners part of the Twenty-fourth South Carolina Regiment, which had been left there to hold us in check.

The best information there obtained located Hood’s army at Lafayette, near which place I hoped to catch him and force him to battle; but, by the time we had got enough troops across the mountain at Ship’s Gap, Hood had escaped down the valley of the Chattooga, and all we could do was to follow him as closely as possible.  From Ship’s Gap I dispatched couriers to Chattanooga, and received word back that General Schofield was there, endeavoring to cooperate with me, but Hood had broken up the telegraph, and thus had prevented quick communication.  General Schofield did not reach me till the army had got down to Gaylesville, about the 21st of October.