Today in History:

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

Page 752 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.

as well as the main line, extending thence to the right. A single dash, after rendering the woods, gave them the victory. The rebel troops, confident in themselves and in their ability to hold their works, were totally unprepared for a charge of this kind, and were taken completely be surprise. They delivered a single volley, and before they could reload found our men in the trenches with them, bayoneting all who did not surrender.

Three companies on the right of the Seventy-fourth Indiana, which overlapped the Tenth Kentucky, obliquing to the right, entered the woods at the east and of the battery of four guns on the angle, and driving the enemy out took possession of the guns. They belonged to a battery of the consolidated Eighth and Nineteenth Arkansas Regiments, and Lieutenant Kuder, of the Seventy-fourth Regiment Indiana Volunteers, capturing the battery flag, brought it away with him. After holding this battery for some minutes, until the troops of the next brigade on the right came up in the rear and entered it, these companies closed to the left on their own regiment, leaving the guns with the newcomers. As the only material evidence of the capture brought away was the flag, the guns themselves being left with the Second Division, Colonel Este has procured statements from several of his officers and men who were present, and forwards them with his report. On the left our men were not immediately so successful. The Thirty-eighth and Fourteenth Ohio Regiments, after entering the woods, formed a line extending from the short projecting work to the left, but the distance to the rebel main work being grater than on the right, and the approach to it more obstructed by fallen trees, they could not at once reach it. They remained in this position, subjected to a most terrible fire coming obliquely down the works from the rebel right, for some minutes after the right wing had achieved its success. Colonel Este, who was at this point of the line, finding that the troops on our left did not or could not move forward with us as we had been led to expect that they would, began to fear that his men could not hold on where they were, and sent for re-enforcements. Seeing at the same time a regiment of Brigadier-General Morgan's left brigade, the Seventeenth New York, marching up to go into place in rear of our right, where it was no longer needed, Colonel Este appealed to the commanding officer, requesting him to put in his regiment on our left where it could be most useful, and guided him to the place. The fire of the enemy at this point was most destructive, yet the gallant Colonel [Grower] carried his regiment into position with a heroic bravery challenging the highest admiration, and was himself almost the first to fall before it. The regiment seeing this, for a moment faltered, but was at once reassured, and the order to charge being given, rushed forward along with the Fourteenth and Thirty-eighth Ohio, and captured not only the works, but nearly all in them. This ended the battle, as all that followed was desultory firing or shots from distant artillery. This charge of my Third Brigade--one of the most magnificent on record, and the first during this campaign in which works upon either side have been assaulted and carried--was productive of the greatest results in opening the way for the advance of the troops on our right and left, and destroying the morale of the boldest and most confident troops in the rebel army. The losses sustained attest the severity of the struggle. Out of 1,100 officers and men who went into the action 75 were killed and 255 wounded; nearly 1 out of every 3 being hit, and all in a space


Page 752 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.