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298 Series I Volume XXXVIII-I Serial 72 - The Atlanta Campaign Part I

Page 298 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.

same time Walker's (rebel) division attacked my left and center, and almost immediately after another heavy column (Cheatham's, I think) attacked Kimball's right, which at this time was 500 or 600 yards in the advance of General Hooker's line of battle. A portion of the enemy passing around Kimball's right, he was compelled to take a regiment from his line of battle and form against them, this regiment, firing into their flank, dispersing them and driving them off to the right. On the left of Blake's brigade the enemy's column succeeded in getting around his flank. Colonel Lane, Ninety-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, ordered the pioneers of the brigade to fire into them, fix bayonets and charge, which was done, and the column dispersed. Colonel Bradley, from the road, threw forward some of his regiments to the support of Blake's left, connecting him with the road upon which the rest of his brigade was. The enemy advanced quite near the road, but were repulsed by Bradley's (Third) brigade, who employed their leisure time in throwing up a barricade along the road. This first attack lasted about thirty minutes before it was finally repelled. In the mean time Bate's division attempted another movement to our rear. Spencer's battery of four guns had arrived and was in position, besides the section of Goodspeed's in the rear, and a battery of the Twentieth Corps, which happened to cross at the same bridge I used, had gone into position, as I understood, under the immediate supervision of General Thomas. This force easily repulsed the attempt of the enemy. The Twentieth Corps was not in position on the ridge when the attack commenced on me, and they had barely time to get there before the enemy, if indeed, the enemy did not a little anticipate them.

The attack on this corps began after my division had been engaged some fifteen minutes. After the first attack until sundown the enemy made frequent attacks on my line, though none so severe as the first, and a constant fire had to be kept up along my lines until dark. Owing to the partial protection of the rail barricades, and the fine natural position, my loss was very slight, amounting to 102 casualties, of whom 6 were reported missing. During this fight my division held the left of the troops engaged. I do not know the interval which separated me from the rest of the corps, but I think it was about two miles. The importance of the position held by my division cannot be too highly estimated, composed of a ridge nearly parallel to Peach Tree Creek, its left termination being on Pea Vine, and its right extending, I think, indefinitely. Connecting the bridge with this ridge was a spur, on the summit of which the road ran nearly at right angles with the ridge. On each side of the spur was low, rolling ground, commanded by the spur. Had probably have been rolled back into the angle between Peach Tree Creek and the Chattahoochee, and entirely separated from the left and center. The road to Buck Head would have been in the enemy's possession, and, beside the destruction of material, a heavy loss in men would have been the result of such disaster. During all this time I had but a single line, and even that was not sufficient to cover the space enveloped by the enemy, but regiments frequently had to be moved from point to point to meet some exigency. Among those who highly distinguished themselves on this day I mention the names of General Kimball, Colonel Bradley, and


Page 298 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.