Today in History:

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

Page 491 Chapter L. REPORTS, ETC.-ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND.

June 1, was in action at Dallas Grove, Ga.; had 1 man wounded. June 11, I took position in front of Pine Mountain. I fired thirty-seven rounds, under direction of Captain Bridges, chief of artillery, Fourth Army Corps, without getting any response from the enemy. June 12, fired sixteen rounds from the same position without arousing any fire from the enemy. June 13, moved about three-fourths of a mile to the left; went into camp; remained over night. June 14, moved still farther to the left; went into park in rear of Second Division, Fourth Army Corps; remained in that position until dark, when I moved about three-fourths of a mile to the front; went into position in General Wagner's front, under direction of Captain Aleshire, chief artillery, Second Division, Fourth Army Corps; worked my men all night building fortifications. Opened on the enemy on the morning of the 16th; fired thirty-six rounds without getting any reply, but, as I afterward learned, did them some damage. On the night of the 16th I moved my battery about 600 yards to the front, by direction of Captain Aleshire, chief of artillery, Second Division, Fourth Army Corps, into a new work thrown up by General Wagner's and General Kimball's pioneers, and worked my men the balance of the night in fixing the embrasures and strengthening the works. This work was within 500 yards of the enemy's line and in full view of them. On the morning of the 17th, the enemy having evacuated, I moved with my division to the new line formed inside of the enemy's former line, where I lay in reserve until about 5 o'clock in the afternoon, when I was ordered into position by Captain Aleshire, about 600 or 700 yards to the left and front of General Kimball's brigade. Took position in rear of skirmish line, without any works; fired 207 rounds, doing the enemy considerable damage; remained in this position until about 10 a.m. on the 18th, when I took position about 600 yards to the front and right, in open field, by order of Captain Aleshire, in rear of Colonel Gibson's brigade, of General Wood's division; opened on the enemy; had not fired but a few rounds when one of the enemy's batteries opened on me from the woods at my right, severely wounding 1 man. I immediately changed the position of one section of my battery, in order to bring it to bear on the enemy, and, with the assistance of Captain Goodspeed, who was in position on my right, silenced them in a few moments. We could not see the result of our fire, owing to the enemy's batteries being in the woods, but learned after the evacuation, by prisoners, that we punished them severely. Fired from this position 403 rounds, remaining in this position until 5 p.m., when I was moved by Captain Aleshire about 1,000 yards to the front and left, to General Wagner's front line, within 200 yards of the enemy's main line of works; worked my men all night; got four guns in position about daylight on the morning of the 19th; fired four rounds, when I learned the enemy had evacuated. I lay in this position until about 8 o'clock, when I moved about 400 yards to the front, in rear of General Harker's brigade; went into park; remained in this position about two hours, when I was moved to the front, by order of Captain Aleshire; went into position in rear of the skirmish line; fired a few rounds at the enemy's skirmish line, and was ordered to stop firing; remained here until about 3 p.m.; was ordered still farther to the front; went into position in a corn-field, within 500 yards of the enemy's lines at the right of Captain McDowell's (Pennsylvania) battery; opened fire of the enemy, who immediately returned it


Page 491 Chapter L. REPORTS, ETC.-ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND.