Today in History:

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

Page 374 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.

cutting out and widening the road; marched thence in the direction of Resaca. During the afternoon of the 13th of May we met the enemy and were shelled by them till late in the evening; moved out to the front line; moved to the left and were placed in position in the front line at 10 p.m.; picket-firing during the night without any casualties. On the morning of the 14th at dawn of day brisk skirmishing commenced. During the fore part of the day Company D was sent out to ascertain the strength and position of the enemy; had not advanced far until the firing so heavy as to compel them to seek shelter, where they were under the necessity of remaining until after night. The regiment at 1 p.m. was ordered to advance, but the fire of the enemy was so terrific as to soon check them and fully satisfy all of the strength of the enemy,and that it was not practicable to attempt to charge them across an open field with a deep and swampy creek running through it. The regiment lost during the day 3 men killed and 13 wounded. A detail worked all night on rifle-pits. On the morning of the 15th moved to the extreme left of the line; unslung knapsacks and formed in five lines just behind the crest of the hill in front of the rebel fort and breast-works. At 1 p.m. the Third Division, Twentieth Army Corps (with the Seventieth Indiana leading the charge in front of the fort), charged the fort and earth-works and captured the battery, consisting of two sections of 12-pounder brass pieces, mounted. During the charge and taking the artillery out of the fort the Seventieth Regiment lost - in killed 26 men; wounded, 126 men and 4 commissioned officers; aggregate, 156. On the 18th our forces in contact with the enemy near Cassville and were engaged all day in skirmishing and artillery firing; the Seventieth had 1 man wounded. May 25, ran into the enemy in front of Lost Mountain, near Dallas. On that evening the Seventieth was not engaged in the fight,yet had 1 man killed and several wounded by shells. The regiment was engaged all night building breast-works. From May 25 to June 1 the regiment was part of the time in the front line and part of the time in the second line and had her quota on the skirmish line, with a loss only a few men. The Brigade moved to the left from time to time until the 15th day of June, when our forces advanced onto the enemy, driving him from his first line of works, and about 5 p.m. drove their skirmishers back into their strong works, and at which time the First Brigade attacked them on the Sandtown road at Golgotha Church. From some want of a correct knowledge of the ground or pressure from the left the Seventieth Indiana was thrown across the Sandtown road in an exposed situation in front of the enemy's masked artillery, where Cleburne's division fired 135 rounds of shot, shell,and canister at our line during the hour and forty-five minutes that the regiment lay in its perilous position. The casualties of the regiment were 3 commissioned officers and 43 men wounded and 3 killed. From the 15th of June to the 20th day of July the regiment was more or less engaged more or less of the time in skirmishing, supporting batteries, &c. During that space of time there were quite a number of casualties. On the 20th day of July the Seventieth was engaged in the battle on Peach Tree Creek; in the formation was in the second line, yet during the engagement a charge was made and they passed through the first line and intrenched themselves on the crest of the hill in the front line. The regiment lost in that battle 1 commissioned officer and 4 privates killed and 2 commissioned officers and 25 men wounded; total, 32.


Page 374 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.