Today in History:

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

Page 678 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.

the Government has lost one of its bravest and noblest defenders, and the regiment its beloved commander. Captain John Canty, who was mortally wounded, showed himself, as he always has, a gallant officer, and the same is true of Captain Hiram Wilde, who was slightly wounded. The regiment lost 4 commissioned officers wounded, 23 enlisted men killed, and 70 wounded.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. O. MARTIN,

Major, Commanding Seventeenth New York Vet. Vols.

Lieutenant JOHN P. HOLLERS,

Actg. Asst. Adjt. General, 1st Brigadier, 2nd Div., 14th Army Corps.


No. 134.

Report of Colonel John G. Mitchell, One hundred and thirteenth Ohio Infantry, commanding Second Brigade.


HDQRS. SECOND Brigadier, SECOND DIV., 14TH ARMY CORPS,
Jonesborough, Ga., September 4, 1864.

CAPTAIN: Herewith please find a report of the operations of this command from May 2, 1864, to the occupation of Atlanta, Ga., on the 2nd day of September, 1864.

The following were the regiments, and their commanding officers, of my brigade: Thirty-fourth Illinois Veteran Volunteer Infantry, Lieutenant Colonel Oscar Van Tassell commanding; Seventy-eighth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, Colonel Carter Van Vleck commanding; Ninety-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Colonel John S. Pearce commanding; One hundred and eight Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Colonel George T. Limberg commanding; One hundred and twenty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Colonel Henry B. Banning commanding; One hundred and thirteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Lieutenant Colonel D. B. Warner commanding.

May 2, marched from Rossville to Ringgold, Ga., and took position near the gap. May 3 to 7, remained in camp unchanged. May 7, marched to Mill Creek Gap (Buzzard Roost) and formed line, connecting on my left with Fourth Army Corps. May 8, moved my command to the track of Atlantic and Western Railroad, covered the front with double line of skirmishers, under command of Colonel Banning, the Seventy-eighth Illinois and the One hundred and thirteenth Ohio on the right and left of the front line, the remaining three regiments in rear line. With this disposition attacked and drove the enemy from the summit of the first spur of Rocky Face Ridge, which stood directly in the mouth of Mill Creek Gap. The second spur, immediately in front of the first, was taken in the same manner by a strong skirmish line. At the same time I deployed two companies, A and F, of the Thirty-fourth Illinois, Captain Ege commanding, to occupy a hill on the right of the railroad, and to the right rear of the crest first taken. These men, in reaching this hill, were compelled to wade the backwater of Mill Creek, waist deep. They plunged into the water, crossed, and scaling the hill at a point where it was so steep that they were compelled to hold on by the undergrowth, drove a battalion of the enemy from it, and held it until the Ninety-eighth Ohio relieved them. May 9 to 12, position


Page 678 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.