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

Page 390 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.

met in force occupying a strong position on and about Rocky Face Ridge. On the morning of May 7 the brigade was put in position about 300 yards to the left of the railroad and formed in two lines, with the Fifteenth Wisconsin Infantry deployed as skirmishers. The brigade was then moved forward down the hill across an open field and into the woods close to the foot of the ridge, the skirmishers meeting with stubborn resistance, but steadily pressing forward close up to the palisades of granite on our right (from twenty to fifty feet in height), which formation is peculiar to and forms the crown of this ridge, the left of the line carrying and overlapping the crest of the ridge, which position was held under a heavy fire from the enemy until relieved an hour later by troops from Harker's brigade, of General Newton's division. Our line having been established along the northern slope of the ridge, the left rested on the crest of the same and connected with General Hazen's (Second) brigade on the right. It being impossible on account of the peculiar formation of the ridge, as before stated, to carry the same by assault, this position was maintained, we simply engaging the enemy on the crest of the ridge with skirmishers, with no particular movements of the troops from their position, until the evening of the 11th, when, leaving the Forty-ninth Ohio on the skirmish line, the brigade was moved with the division to the left about one mile and a half, and put into position on the left of General Newton's (Second) division, to meet a reported movement of the enemy in force in that direction, where we remained until the morning of the 12th, when it was found the enemy had the night before evacuated his position in and about Rocky Face Ridge and Dalton. The casualties at this point were: Killed, 5; wounded, 33; total, 38.

On the morning of the 13th the brigade, with the division, followed the enemy, passing through Dalton and moving on a road to the left and parallel to the railroad. On the 14th, the enemy having been found in force and intrenched at Resaca covering the railroad crossing of the Oostenaula River, this brigade, about 11 a. m., was put into position on the left of General Newton's division, being formed with the Forty-ninth Ohio on the right and the Fifteenth Ohio on the left of the front line, the Thirty-second Indiana and Eighty-ninth Illinois, in line of battle, forming the second line, and the Thirty-fifth Illinois and Fifteenth Wisconsin, in double column closed in mass, in the third line, with two companies from each of the two leading regiments deployed as skirmishers, connecting on the division, and on the left with General Hazen's brigade. The brigade moved forward over very broken country, covered with a dense and almost impenetrable undergrowth. After advancing about 600 yards, the enemy's skirmishers were encountered, driven in a gallant manner, and pressed back with such vigor that they were unable to offer serious resistance or rally until within their main line of works, our skirmishers)about 1 p. m.) gaining and holding a commanding position on the crest of ridge of a ridge between their rifle-pits (or first line) and main line of works-about 200 yards from the latter. The Forty-ninth Ohio was at once thrown forward to this ridge, and with their musketry fire silenced a battery of the enemy in their immediate front, holding the same until dark, when a strong parapet was built. The original front of the brigade having been reduced by the converging of the different columns moving into position, the Fifteenth Wisconsin and Fifteenth Ohio were successively sent


Page 390 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.