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

Page 303 Chapter L. REPORTS,ETC.-ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE.

camp at Resaca to march in pursuit of General Johnston, then retreating toward the interior of Georgia; nothing of interest transpired along the line of march until the command reached Kingston, Ga., at which place the command was allowed a rest of two or three days, which proved of immense benefit to the nearly exhausted men. During our stay orders were received to carry forage sufficient for twenty days, and for the whole command to fit itself for an active campaign, and with view to leaving our railroad communications in the rear. The necessary arrangements having been made I received marching orders on 23rd May, at which time the march was continued in the direction of Dallas, at which place the advance came upon the enemy. On the 26th I was assigned my position in the line, which was the extreme right. I went in and secured my position, my right connecting with the cavalry division of General Garrard. I immediately sent forward a strong body of skirmishers, who found those of the enemy a few hundred yards in my front. The night was consumed in constructing a line of rifle-pits along my front, which were finished and occupied by the command at daylight on the morning of the 27th. Nothing of interest transpired from this time until in the afternoon of the 28th. At about 2 p. m. of that day considerable firing was heard in the direction of my skirmishers, and in a few minutes thereafter my skirmish line was driven in, closely followed by a strong body of the enemy. As the enemy deployed from the woods and into an open field along my front, my fire was opened upon him. He pressed forward to within 200 yards of my works, where they attempted to reform their broken lines. The attempt proved unsuccessful, as they were so much exposed to my fire, and which eventually drove them from the field and into the cover of the woods in great disorder. The action lasted about thirty minutes, and the enemy must have suffered severely. As to his actual loss I can only conjecture, as he continued to hold a portion of the ground, on which he must have lost heavily, with his skirmisher line. My own loss was slight, having but 5 men wounded, the rifle-pits affording excellent protection to the men.

Skirmishing continued quite lively until 1st day of June, when, before daybreak of that day, the line upon the right was withdrawn, of which my command formed a part. After the withdrawal of the line was effected the command moved toward the center, where I, in obedience to orders, relieved some troops of General Hooker's command upon the front line. In this position I remained until the enemy evacuated his position in my front, my skirmishers capturing a number of prisoners on the morning of the evacuation. While I lay in this position I suffered severely on my skirmish line, losing 14 in killed and wounded; among the number were many of my most valuable men. The evacuation of the enemy, from his position at New Hope Church, necessitated another movement on our part, which was ordered, and the command moved to Acworth. Remaining here two days, the command resumed its march in the direction of Kenesaw Mountain, then occupied by the enemy. Arriving in that neighborhood, the command lay inactive until 15th June, when this regiment, which the others composing the division, were moved to the extreme left to secure a position then occupied by the enemy. Arriving there, my command was assigned a position in the third line; in half an hour afterward the advance was sounded; the position was taken. My loss in the affair was slight, losing but 2 men, both


Page 303 Chapter L. REPORTS,ETC.-ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE.