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280 Series I Volume XXXVIII-II Serial 73 - The Atlanta Campaign Part II

Page 280 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.

At 3 p.m., by direction of General Geary, my brigade moved to the left and formed connection with the Second Brigade, relieving a brigade of the Third Division (Coburn's), and formed in two lines, having a front of three regiments in the breast-works, and three in the rear line. Every precaution was immediately taken to strengthen the breast-works in our front. I also caused small rifle-pits to be dug in front of the breast-works in such positions as to command the rebel works, and in these the sharpshooters were stationed and enabled to inflict a severe loss on the enemy while comparatively safe themselves. May 27, skirmishing commenced at daybreak along our front and continued incessantly until dark. Our sharpshooters were heavily re-enforced and drove the enemy's sharpshooters within their first line of works with heavy loss. All the batteries along our front also opened fire on the enemy's works. The One hundred and eleventh Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteers was placed in the front line, on our left, to relieve the One hundred and second Illinois, of the Third Division; strengthened our breast-works and dug small rifle-pits in front of this part of the line also, for sharpshooters. The loss on our part was quite heavy, but not near so great as that of the enemy during this day's fighting. On the morning of the 28th the enemy's batteries opened fire on our works with shell, grape, and canister-shot, which was kept up for about one hour with great rapidity. Our sharpshooters soon silenced their fire, however by picking off the cannoneers while loading their guns. Sharp firing continued on both sides until about 10 a.m. when the enemy made a charge on our front line, but was speedily repulsed with loss and driven within their first line of works, our sharpshooters annoying them severely during the afternoon. On the morning of the 29th skirmishing again commenced along our front and continued with out interruption until dark, a;so during the whole of the 30th and 31st days of May and until 12.30 p.m. of June 1, when my brigade was relieved by a brigade of General Harrow's division, of the Fifteenth Army Corps, and retired from the trenches after eight days and nights of most severe duty, the men being constantly under fire, and engaged during a great part of each night in severe fatigue duty, building breast-works, and digging rifle-pits with but little opportunity for rest and poor facilities for cooking, which had to be done at all times amidst a shower of the enemy's balls and sometimes shells. The behavior of the whole command during the operations of these eight days was all that I could wish; all did their duty faithfully and well. Our position during the whole time was one of extreme difficulty and danger, requiring all, both officers and men, to be constantly on the alert to resist any attack during the day or to guard against surprise by night, which the extreme proximity of our lines to the enemy's works (consisting of two lines of strong breast-works defended by both artillery and infantry and a space of but about 100 yards intervening) rendered extremely probable. To the regimental commanders-Colonel Godard, Sixtieth New York; Colonel Rickards, Twenty-ninth Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteers; Colonel Lane, One hundred and second New York Volunteers; Lieutenant-Colonel Randall, One hundred and forty-ninth New York Volunteers; Lieutenant-Colonel Walker, One hundred and eleventh Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteers; Lieutenant-Colonel Van Voorhis, One hundred and thirty-seventh New York Volunteers, and Lieutenant-Colonel Chatfield, of the Seventy-eighth New York Veteran Volun-


Page 280 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.