Today in History:

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

Page 568 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.

General Butterfield, of General Hooker's corps, came to our support. On the 3rd the enemy were found to have evacuated the works in our front, and gone off in the direction of Lost Mountain. The First Brigade during the day came up from Burnt Hickory and rejoined the command.

June 4, the brigade commanded by Colonel Strickland was permanently assigned to the division, per general orders, and the command otherwise reorganized. General McLean was transferred to the Third Division. On the 5th of June I was ordered to make a reconnaissance on the Burnt Hickory and Marietta road; Colonel Hobson, with the Thirteenth, Twentieth, and Twenty-seventh Kentucky Volunteer Infantry, pressed forward, driving back a force of cavalry, until the object of the move was accomplished, when his force was brought back. The command in camp on the 16th. On force 7th, agreeable to order, moved to Allatoona Church, where position was assigned me to cover movement of wagon and hospital trains. In camp on the 8th. On the 9th, with the Second and Third Brigades, Colonel Bond and Colonel Strickland, commanding, and Colonel Adams' cavalry, I was ordered to make a reconnaissance in the direction of Davis' house; to reach that point if possible. The enemy's cavalry were driven back to the main works of the infantry, where they were found in force. This being ascertained, I withdrew and returned to camp. On the 10th the Second Brigade, of the First Division, Colonel J. C. McQuiston, One hundred and twenty-third Indiana, commanding, was temporarily assigned to my command. Leaving this brigade at Allatoona Church to guard the trains, the same day with the rest, of the command I moved forward and took position near Davis' house; the position was strongly fortified, and from its natural strength easily made secure. The very heavy rains which fell at this prevented any active operations being undertaken, and during the 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th nothing was done.

On the 15th, as a part of the general demonstration along the line, the Second Brigade, Colonel Bond, made a movement from the extreme right, which, with the strong demonstration made on the front, compelled a retrograde movement of the enemy, and Colonel Cooper, First Brigade, and Colonel McQuiston, Second Brigade, moved forward to take possession of the vacated works. Captain Shields with his battery (Nineteenth Ohio) and Sixth Michigan, Captain Paddock, did good service in this operation. Moving on, they were found in still greater force, and in a better chosen position, with their left on the Lost Mountain. General Butterfield's division of the Twentieth Army Corps, becoming heavily engaged with the enemy, apparently near the angle of their line, the refuse part of which was evidently in our front, Colonel Cooper, with his brigade, was ordered to press forward, develop their position, and to make a diversion in his favor. The works were reached, but night came on, and the brigade was withdrawn. During this day's operations, 16 prisoners were captured and 8 deserters came into our lines. On the 16th the command moved into position nearer the main works of the enemy, and in so doing, drove back the skirmishers of the brigade commanded by the rebel General Mercer. By dark the whole division, First and Second Brigades in line, Third [Brigade] and First [Second] Brigade (First Division), in reserve, had secured a strong position, very near the enemy's works, so near that our skirmishers were fired on from his main works. During the day 33 men from the


Page 568 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.