General Kenner Garrard USA was not well liked by General Sherman USA but he used him anyway. General Hugh Judson Kilpatrick was perparing to make his raid on the south side of Atlanta and to cut the rail lines of the Macon Railroad. General Garrard was dispatched with his men to Flat Rock once again which is in NE Henry
County at the South River on the evening of the 18th of August 1864. General Joseph Wheeler CSA had been sent to Tennessee to cut the lines of supply to General
Sherman USA in Atlanta. General Garrard was to remain there at Flat Rock to give General Kilpatrick an escape route after his raid. He was sent to this area because he had previously tended to the area during the McCook-Stoneman Raid a few weeks earlier. General Kilpatrick made his raid into Jonesboro, Lovejoy, and McDonough.
He skirmished heavily at Lovejoy Station and then his rear guard skirmished at Walnut Creek at the Foster house. He then proceeded from McDonough with some of his force moving NE up the Peachstone Shoals Rd and the main body moving up the Old
Flat Rock Rd from McDonough to Flat Rock. See Map. After camping near the Walnut Creek the next day they proceeded to Flat Rock to meet up with General Garrard. The unit then moved to Lithonia then back to near Buckhead to meet with
General Sherman.
References:
(A) Records of the Rebellion, Washington DC.
(B) The Atlanta Historical Society, Publication of 1985.
(C) The Georgia Historical Society, Savanah GA.
(D) The Archives , Morrow GA.
