Friday evening, 31 March, began when troops started marching into the town of Ohatchee, AL, located several miles from the Coosa River. The town of Ohatchee is important because of Janney Furnace, which was known for its iron production. Confederate forces set up camp to protect the furnace. As the night wore on, the rain moved into the area. The soldiers had a hard time setting up camp and fixing their evening meal because of the rain. The rain continued well into the night.
1 April 1864
Saturday morning, the soldiers awoke to even more rain. It had rained all night. Breakfast was not an easy thing to make. The campfire from the night before was a puddle of water. The firewood was wet, as well as the ground. Off and on all day, there were thunderstorms in the area. Around 2p.m., the camps were attacked by Federal troops that had spent the night fording the river at Ten Islands. The fight ensued for several hours with many casualities and several wounded lying across the battlefield. Nurses tended to the wounded during the battle. The Federal forces felt it best to fall back and replan their attack. The Confederate forces went back to their camp, but kept a watchful eye out for any signs of the Federals. Dinner was a time to remember. The firewood was still wet and the rain had begun again. There was lots of rain, thunder, lightning, and high winds. Luckily, for the troops, the townspeople fed them. The rain continued through the night.
2 April 1864
Sunday morning dawned clear. The rain stopped sometime during the night. The troops were glad to see the sun come out from behind the clouds. The Confederate troops felt it would be a good idea to break camp and move on. As they were breaking camp, the Federal forces attacked once again. The Federals had positioned themselves to have the high ground and the advantage. A quick battle ensued with a few more casualities and several wounded. The Confederates moved onto another town, only to meet the Federal forces again.
