Today in History:

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

Page 706 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.

at right angles with the angle in his works from which he shelled us. My command immediately set to work and threw up works and built traverses, and during the time they were building them the enemy shelled them from both the front and flank, wounding 1 officers and 2 men. Notwithstanding the heavy shelling and exposed position, when they were unable to reply, every man stuck to his post, and within an hour they had made themselves entirely safe and secure. On the night of the 5th my regiment moved forward and occupied a new line 400 yards in front. This was a most exposed position. On the 6th, although we had made every possible protection in the shape of earth-works, my command had 1 man killed and 3 wounded. On the 7th we advanced and drove the enemy from two lines of earth-works. In this advance I lost 9 men wounded. We punished the enemy severely, captured a number of prisoners and small-arms and turned the enemy's second line of works against him. On the 8th, 9th, and 10th the One hundred and twenty-first Ohio was on a reconnaissance to the right to watch the enemy's cavalry, which was said to be maneuvering on the Sandtown road to get to our rear to destroy our trains. My skirmishers came up with and drove away a few cavalrymen from our right, after which the command supplied itself plentifully with green corn, potatoes, and vegetables, and returned on the 11th and occupied a position to the right of the position we left on the 8th that had been intrenched by the Twenty-third Corps. We occupied this position, where we were constantly annoyed by the enemy's sharpshooters, until the 27th of the month, when we started on the flank movement which resulted in the capture of Atlanta. During the time my command occupied this line I lost 1 officer wounded, 1 man killed and 7 wounded.

The enemy's position here was on a height on the opposite side of a mill-dam, where the ground was higher than our position, giving them the advantage. We moved on the morning of the 27th to the right. On the morning of the 28th, passing through the intrenched line of the Fourth Corps, our corps turned the head of the column toward the Montgomery railroad. The One hundred and twenty-first Ohio was in the advance, and soon after passing the earthworks of the Fourth Corps I came upon the enemy posted upon a hill, across a small stream with a wide and almost impassable swamp in their front. Six companies were deployed as skirmishers, namely, A, F, D, I, K, and H, the other four acting as a reserve. They advanced and drove the enemy from his position in a most gallant manner, severely damaging him. In this advance I lost 1 man killed, 2 officers wounded, and 6 men wounded. The enemy consisted of Ross' brigade of cavalry. The column now advanced and we moved on, driving the disorganized brigade before us for five miles, with our skirmishers across the Montgomery railroad, where we first destroyed the telegraph wire. About 1 p.m. took up a part of the railroad track and posted my command across the railroad and waited for the column to come up. We then went into position about one and a half miles south of the railroad and intrenched. We occupied this position until the morning of the 30th. On the 30th moved in the direction of the Macon railroad. On the afternoon of the 31st* moved with the division in support of the Third Division to the Macon railroad. The Fourteenth Army Corps rested with its left on the railroad. The Second Division was the right division of the corps, and the Second Brigade the right of the division, and the One hundred and

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*So in original, but the succeeding account appears to be descriptive of events occurring on September 1.

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Page 706 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.