Today in History:

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

Page 743 Chapter L. REPORTS, ETC. - ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND.

The batteries had gone into position, but had not opened fire, when the great assault made that day upon the Twentieth Corps and the First Division of our corps took place, and they did good service in aiding to repel that attack. No part of the rebel assaulting column reached my lines, but throughout the whole attack and until dark my troops were subjected to an artillery fire as constant and as terrible as any that I have ever witnessed, and the loss in the division from this cause and upon the skirmish line was considerable. Throughout the whole both my officers and my men behaved themselves with a degree of coolness and heroism highly commendable and showing them to be veteran soldiers. (July 21, about this time the batteries were relieved from duty with division and ordered to report to corps headquarters.) July 21, after a hot skirmish of some hours, my lines were again moved forward nearly a mile, established, and intrenched at a short distance from the works of the enemy, in a position so advantageous and commanding that it must have contributed largely to compelling him to retire. July 22, during the night previous the rebel army fell back finally from our front into the works about Atlanta, and my division, marching forward until it came to the Marietta and Atlanta road, followed it until it struck the railroad two miles from the city. We there came up with the First Division, Fourteenth Corps, whose advance guard was then skirmishing close up the line of works surrounding that place. The Twentieth Corps was immediately to the left, and the Army of the Tennessee some miles to the eastward on the Augusta railroad. I immediately received orders from Major-General Thomas to move to the south along the west side of the town until I came to the intersection of the Atlanta and Turner's Ferry road with that leading from White Hall to the latter place, and there to post my command. This point was reached without opposition, and my troops were put in position under the supervision of the department commander, who had come to that place. The Second Division on arriving formed on my right a little retired, and all of our troops intrenched themselves during the afternoon so as to be covered while within camp from the shells and sharpshooters of the enemy. It was at this time that the great battle with the Army of the Tennessee, in which the gallant McPherson was killed, took place, and we waited anxiously expecting orders to take part in it. July 23, from this date until the 3rd of August the general location, of the division was not changed. A constant and venomous skirmish was kept up between the pickets on both sides, and our lines were so close that our men in camp were at any moment that they exposed themselves liable to be picked off by the enemy's riflemen. Our batteries and those upon the rebel forts kept up an unceasing exchange of compliments so that our daily loss in killed and wounded in camp was not inconsiderable. Numerous 20-pounder shells, and shells of sixty-four pounds' weight from the "old 32-pounder rifle," came regularly into our camps, a weight of metal entirely out of proportion to our light field pieces. While in this position two regiments of the First Brigade, the Eighty-second Indiana and the Twenty-third Missouri, drove the enemy, after sharp skirmishing, from some wooded heights on our right and in front, which they fortified and held until turned over to the Second Division. These hills were not properly in our front, but, in the hands of the enemy, were annoying to us, and the regiments deserve honorable mention for this service. On the 27th the Army of the Tennessee passed around our


Page 743 Chapter L. REPORTS, ETC. - ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND.