Numbers 208.

Reports of Colonel John H. Patrick, Fifth Ohio Infantry, of operations

May 8-20.

HEADQUARTERS FIFTH OHIO VETERAN VOLUNTEERS,
Near Cassville, Ga., May 21, 1864.

SIR: In compliance with circular from division headquarters, may 20, 1864, I beg leave to submit the following report of the part taken by the Fifth Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry in the engagement at Mill Creek Gap, Ga., May 8, 1864, and the engagements following to May 20, 1864:

On arriving at Mill Creek, Ga., the Fifth Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry was ordered to support a piece of artillery of McGill's battery on the road running east, remaining perhaps one hour when ordered in conjunction with Sixty- sixth Ohio Volunteers and One hundred and forty- seven Pennsylvania Volunteers, to support two batteries at the base of Rocky Face Ridge. At 4.30 p. m. the regiment was ordered to proceed up the mountain and relieve the Sixty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry (by order of Colonel Candy). The knapsacks of the men were left under guard at the base of the mountain and the regiment ascended the mountain. On our way up the mountain an order was received from Colonel Candy, through Lieutenant Hedges, of the pioneer corps, that the Fifth Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry would relieve the Twenty- ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, who were engaged with the enemy near the crest of the mountain. General Geary gave orders to the commanding officer of the regiment to instruct Colonel Candy that the Fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry should be placed in position to cover the retreat down the mountain, which would take place after dark. Orders position in line of a ridge on the right of the road (with Company A deployed as skirmishers), with its right thrown back, the left resting on the road. This being done, Companies I and K were thrown forward fifty yards on the left of the road. We remained in this position until all the troops on the mountain had fallen aback, when the Fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry was ordered to retire, leaving a line of skirmishers in charge of Lieutenant Plaisted instructed to fight our way down the mountain if atacked. We retired in good order withour firing, arriving at the point from which the fight began at about 10 p. m. Four men of Company A, who were deployed as skirmishers, are missing, and have not been heard from, supposed marching. Moved with the brigade to the east end of Snake [Creek] Gap and went into camp for the night. On the following day (13th) at 2 p. m. moved four miles on the road leading to Resaca and formed in line of battle in the rear of the Third Division, Twentieth Army Corps, a part of which division being at the time engaged with the enemy, who retired from the hills in our front. About 5 p. m. was moved with the brigade to a hill in our front, some half mile, where we remained during the night, erecting rifle- pits, expecting an attack from the north during the night or early in the morning. Remained in this position until 2 p. m. of next day (14th), when we were moved with division to the extreme left of our line of battle; formed in line of the crest of a hill on the immediate left of First Division, Twentieth Army Corps; threw forward one com-

11 R R- VOL XXXVIII, PT II