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

Page 382 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.

in a line a mile and a half south of the river, the Nineteenth Michigan Volunteers being on picket duty. On the 24th of May the Twentieth Connecticut Volunteers was detailed as train guard. The brigade marched with the corps at 7.30 a.m. During the day there was cavalry skirmishing in front. The march was very slow. At 4 p.m. we passed Burnt Hickory, having come through the gap of that name in the Allatoona Hills. The brigade encamped a mile and a half northeast of Burnt Hickory.

BATTLE OF NEW HOPE CHURCH.

On the 25th of May the brigade marched toward Dallas at 9 a.m. During the day there was cavalry skirmishing in front. In the afternoon at 2 p.m. the brigade crossed Pumpkin Vine Creek. At 4 p.m. the division arrived in the rear of a position held by the First and Second Divisions of the Twentieth Corps, and in which they had but a short before been attacked by a heavy force in front, on the Dallas road, near Hope Church. The brigade was formed in line of battle by battalions in mas and moved forward on the right of the road to support the Third Brigade of this division the distance of a mile through the woods in the direction of the firing. That brigade bore off to the left of the sound of firing and I was directed to advance to the front. This advance, although in woods and hills, was executed as though on the drill ground. Coming under a rapid fire of artillery, the brigade was deployed in two lines, the Thirty-third Indiana and Nineteenth Michigan in front, the Eighty-fifth Indiana and Twenty-second Wisconsin in the rear. The brigade was advanced a short distance and halted. The country just here is an unbroken forest with undulations from twenty to fifty feet in height. The enemy was posted on one of these ridges and had fortified, having his artillery in position commanding the ground of our advance. I soon received an order to relieve Robinson's brigade, of the First Division, and began the advance with the brigade, but the Nineteenth Michigan was ordered by General Hooker to halt and then to go to the left, to relieve a regiment of the Second Division (Geary's), sorely pressed, which it did at once, pouring in a destructive fire. The Thirty-third Indiana was continued on the advance to the front to relieve Robinson's line, the Twenty-second Wisconsin and Eighty-fifth Indiana being held in reserve. The line before named had given way and could not be found, but I soon did find the front line, occupied by General Knipe's brigade of the First Division. The general requested me to relieve his line, their supply of ammunition being almost exhausted. This I did, in so far as I could with the Thirty-third Indiana, with its 550 muskets. This regiment advanced without a falter, in line, passing through Knipe's men and delivering volley after volley, soon silenced the musketry, which had been heavy and was increasing in front. During this advance the enemy poured in upon us a tremendous fire of artillery, raking the ground on which we stood. Shells, grape-shot,canister, railroad spikes, and every deadly missile rained around us. I now aver that no regiment could have born with more unfaltering daring this fearful cannonade and musketry fire than did the Thirty-third Indiana that day. So, too, with the Nineteenth Michigan on the left of the road. The fight continued until long after dark; a cold and heavy train closed it, and the men went to work in the darkness to hunt up logs and sticks with which to make rude


Page 382 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.