Today in History:

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

Page 393 Chapter L. REPORTS, ETC.-ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND.

right with Knefler's brigade and on the left with Hanzen's brigade, our front being a little west of south. On account of the constant heavy and effective firing of the enemy we were unable to bury our dead or bring off all of our wounded, consequently the dead and part of our wounded fell into hands, together with a considerable number of prisoners, who were endearing during the darkness of the night to remove our wounded. This position was substantially maintained, we engaging the enemy only with our skirmish line and artillery until the morning of June 5, when, the enemy having evacuated his position the night previous, we, at daybreak, occupied his works. Our casualties at this point, particularly on the 27th, were very large, being; Killed, 105; wounded, 484; missing, 114; total, 703.

On the morning of the 6th the brigade moved with the division in an easterly direction a distance of about nine miles to near New Hope Church, were we went into camp (the Twenty-fifth Illinois, Colonel Nodine, rejoining us that day), remaining there with no particular movement of the troops until the morning of the 10th. At an early hour that morning the brigade marched with the division, moving south toward Marietta, near which place the enemy had taken a strong position, with his right resting on Kenesaw Mountain, his center on Pine Mountain, and his left on Lost Mountain, his line thus formed running nearly due east and west, fronting north. This brigade, being in support of other troops, did not become engaged until near Pine Mountain, on the 14th, were, having taken position the night previous (being formed in two lines, the right connecting with General Wagoner's brigade, of General Newton's division, of the Fourth Corps, and on the left with Colonel Este's brigade, of General Baird's division, of the Fourteenth Corps), with the Thirty-second Indiana Infantry covering our front as skirmishers, the brigade moved forward about 9 a. m., gradually obliquing to the left to keep our connection with Colonel Este's brigade. The enemy stubbornly resisted our advance, but we steadily pressed him back about three-fourth of a mile, where, striking his first line of works on Pine Mountain, we halted within 300 yards of the same and strongly intrenched the position thus obtained, our line facing south. The enemy having abandoned his line of works on Pine Mountain during the night of the 14th, we took possession of the same at daylight on the 15th. At 12 m. of the same day our front was relived by the divisions of Generals Stanley and Newton, they taking the advance. They established their line that night in front of the enemy's second line of works, about one mile and a half due south from Pine Mountain. This brigade being formed with the division in rear of and supporting these division, we did not became engaged. The enemy having abandoned his second line of works during the night of the 16th, at an early hour on the morning of the 17th our division relived the division of General Stanley, then in the advance. This brigade being formed in two lines, our right connected with Knefler's brigade, and our left with Wagoner's brigade, of General Newton's division, with the Eighty-ninth Illinois covering our front as skirmishers, we moved slowly forward, the skirmishers immediately engaging those of the enemy, but steadily driving them back for about one mile, where their infantry was found in considerable force on the opposite side of an open field and protected by rifle-pits. Our artillery having vigorously shelled their position for about half an hour, the Eighty-ninth Illinois gallantly charged across the open field which was here about 200 yards wide, capturing their pits, with


Page 393 Chapter L. REPORTS, ETC.-ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND.