Today in History:

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

Page 456 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.

tailed report of the casualties occurring in this command during the time intervening between the opening of this campaign, on the 3rd of May, and the closing of this report, on the 8th day of September.*

Recapitulation: Commissioned officers wounded, 7; enlisted men killed, 13; enlisted men wounded, 73; enlisted men missing in action, 3. Total, killed, 13 wounded, 80; missing, 3; aggregate, 96.

Respectfully submitted.

PHILO B. BUCKINGHAM,

Lieutenant Colonel, Commanding Twentieth Regiment Connecticut Vol. Infty.

Captain C. H. YOUNG,

A. A. A. G., 3rd Brigadier, 3rd Div., 20th Army Corps.


HDQRS. TWENTIETH CONNECTICUT VOL. INFANTRY,
In the Field, near Atlanta, Ga., July 31, 1864.

CAPTAIN: In obedience to the order of major-general commanding the division, I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by the troops under my command in removing the four pieces of artillery from between our own and the lines of the enemy during the night of the 15th of May, and after the battle of Resaca, Gap:

At about sundown of the day of the date above named, the commanding officer of the brigade to which my regiment was then attached notified me personally that a detail from the different regiments of the brigade would be placed under my command for the purpose of taking possession of and holding a small earth-work in which was located four pieces of artillery, which the rebels had been compelled to abandon during the fight, and, if possible, to remove them. The detail consisted of two companies from the Twentieth Connecticut Volunteers, two from the Nineteenth Michigan, and two from the Eighty-fifth Indiana Volunteers, in all about 225 men, which reported to me soon after dark, and, accompanied by the brigade commander (Colonel Coburn), I proceeded to the designated point and placed my command in line of battle a few rods in rear of the earth-work in which the pieces of artillery were located, and in front of the men comprising the command of Colonel Coham, of the Second Division of this corps, who had before dark occupied the ground in my rear and had posted a picket just in rear of the works, in which the guns were situated. Soon after my arrival at this point I proceeded to examine in person the exact location of the rebel works and the pieces of artillery, and found they were situated scarcely twenty rods from a formidable line of breast-works, occupied by a brigade of rebel troops, and the intrenchments in the rear of which the coveted pieces of artillery lay were so low that the men on picket there were compelled to lie flat down in order to obtain any cover from the fire which was constantly kept up by the rebels in front. About 9 p. m. the rebels opened a heavy fire along our front, which lasted about half an hour, during which my command was ordered to lie down, and most of Colonel Cobham's command fell back some fifty rods, in considerable disorder, but soon rallied, and returned to its original position. Soon after dark, Colonel Cobham notified me that he was ordered to remove the pieces of artil-

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*Nominal list omitted.

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Page 456 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.