Today in History:

222 Series I Volume XXXVIII-III Serial 74 - The Atlanta Campaign Part III

Page 222 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.

terhaus' lines, and at ten minutes past 8 moved forward. My advance was a part of the way through an open field under a raking fire of artillery obliquely on my right and left, also a musketry fire from the same directions. After passing through this open field, crossing a small stream into low ground covered with underbrush and interwoven with vines, through which I advanced a distance of 150 yards to another open field in my front and immediately in front of the enemy's main works. the edge of this field was occupied by the enemy with a heavy intrenched skirmish line, which I could not see until the front line was within twenty paces of it. A few volleys were fired, and my men dashed forward with clubbed muskets and succeeded in carrying this work, and advanced 150 yards into the open field. Finding this position exposed to a complete flank fire of artillery from the left and musketry from the right, the line fell back under cover of the woods, where I remained with my command until after dark, when, by order, I withdrew to the bivouac left in the morning.

During the advance my officers did all that could be done, but the underbrush through which we advanced was so thick that it was impossible to preserve a line; the consequence was the entire line was broken (this accounts for the heavy loss in officers), which was impossible to reform in the woods, on account of the thick underbrush, or in the open field in front, on account of the raking fire to which they were exposed. Some regiments fell back and reformed in the open field in the rear, only to be broken again in advancing. I, however, reformed the line as well as I could under the circumstances, and held my position, pursuant to orders, under a heavy fire of artillery until dark.

My casualties are as follows: Commissioned officers - killed, 2; wounded, 13. Enlisted men - killed, 16; wounded, 140. Total. 171. A full list will be forwarded soon.

J. A. J. LIGHTBURN,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

Captain GORDON LOFLAND,

Asst. Adjt. General, Second Division, 15th Army Corps.


HDQRS. SECOND Brigadier, SECOND DIV., 15TH ARMY CORPS,
Near Atlanta, Ga., July 29, 1864.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to make the following report [of the part] taken by my command on the 28th instant:

About 8 a. m. I formed on the right of General Harrow's (Fourth) division with my entire brigade front, refusing my entire line. About 9 a. m. the line moved in the direction of the Sandtown road to a position on a ridge, near a road running parallel with the Sandtown road, with open ground in nearly all my front, my line on the prolongation of General Harrow's line, with my right refusing to correspond with the conformation of the ridge, throwing up a temporary cover of rails and logs for a part of the line. A short time after taking the described position I threw forward two regiments, the Forty-seventh and Fifty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, under command of Colonel Wells S. Jones, to drive the enemy's skirmishers from a ridge in an open field in my front. Colonel Jones reporting the enemy's line too heavy for him, I sent the Fifty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry to his assistance, replacing these three regiments


Page 222 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.