Today in History:

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

Page 620 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.

ordered to assume a position in the rear of our camp, on a hill, and protect the batteries and ambulances near until the First Division of Twenty-third Army Corps should pass us on the left, when we were to follow our brigade, which had moved down the valley on the left of Rocky Face. At 2 p. m. the First Division passed as indicated, and we moved down the valley and formed in double column in rear of One hundred and eleventh Ohio, which was deployed as indicated, and we moved down the valley and formed in double column in rear of One hundred and eleventh Ohio, which was deployed as skirmishers. The corps being formed, we moved down the valley, conforming to the movements of the One hundred and eleventh Ohio, and after an hour's skirmishing with the enemy we halted in front of the enemy's first line of works, extending from the top of Rocky Face on our right down its rough side and along our front and away to the left, confronting the remainder of our corps. We here received order to charge the enemy's works, and prepared and awaited the signal. The Fourth Corps charged on the top and side of Rocky Face, but were repulsed, and as their success was to be the cue from which we were to act, the necessity for our charging was removed unless our commanders thought they could carry the enemy's works without assistance from the right, which, after a careful examination of the enemy's defenses, they concluded they could not do, and the order to charge was countermanded; we went into bivouac for the night. May 10, this morning the One hundred and seventh moved into the front line and relieved the One hundred and eleventh, and threw out three companies as skirmishers to relieve those of One hundred and eleventh Ohio. Soon after our skirmishers were stationed, Private Christopher Davis, Company F, was mortally wounded and carried to the rear. The plan of flanking the enemy's position at Dalton being adopted, we were ordered to fall back up the valley, which we did, the skirmishers of the One hundred and seventh covering our retreat. By noon we had taken up a position on the crest of the northwestern spur of Rocky Face Ridge, and One hundred and seventh threw out five companies of pickets. We remained here until the morning of the 12th of May, 1864. May 12, was relieved this morning by General Harker's brigade, of Fourth Corps, and moved to the right in rear of Fourth Corps and out on the road throughout Snake Creek Gap and on to Resaca.

In the evening of May 13 passed through Snake Creek Gap into Sugar Valley and took up a position on the left of Fourteenth Army Corps, where we remained until near night, when we advanced one mile and laid down for the night on the left of Fourteenth Corps. May 14, at an early hour the brigade was formed with One hundred and seventh Illinois in the middle of front line and advanced one mile when we came to the position we were to occupy in the main line, and, as our front was too large, the One hundred and seventh Illinois was thrown in rear of second line and ordered to keep in 200 yards of second line. About noon we started for the front, and the One hundred and seventh soon ran on the Nineteenth Illinois and an Ohio regiment and was compelled to move round them by the left flank, which threw us considerably in the rear. The brigade had moved forward and developed the enemy's position, and the front lines had attacked them and were in the bottom engaging their forces, when One hundred and seventh Illinois reached the hill in their rear and prepared to move to their assistance, but before we had corrected our alignment the regiments in the valley had been broken by he terrible musketry fire and cannonading under which


Page 620 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.