Today in History:

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

Page 413 Chapter L. REPORTS, ETC.-ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE.

shots are sent. The men, however, are restrained, and ordered not to fire a shot till the enemy comes out of the field of corn into the meadow in front of our works. Their appearance there is welcomed by a tremendous volley along Adams' brigade, and by double-shotted guns from the battery, followed by the rattling of file-firing along the line. A portion of the rebel line breaks and runs for life to the woods; the rest, in front of Rice's command, seek shelter in a gully or wash, about deep enough to conceal a man, and are thus temporarily safe. I ordered Rice to send a regiment to clear out the hollow, which was followed by the Sixty-sixth Indiana rushing down the declivity into the gully, killing and driving them out, and bringing about 60 back as prisoners. Rice sent me word from his right that the enemy are massing in the woods down in the bottom, trying to work to the right. I saw columns moving to the right, and felling somewhat apprehensive about that, the vulnerable point of our line, sent to General Ransom a request for the Third Brigade, from the Fourth Division, to support my right. Colonel Tillson's brigade arrived before the enemy could take advantage of our weakness, threw two regiments on our right, and secured that point. During this short space of time the men on the line of Rice's brigade built a parapet, from which it would have been impossible to have driven them, so expert have the men become impractical engineering. By this time the enemy, having reformed his scattered lines, massed, and moved through the woods to our right, but not sufficiently covered to prevent our canister from raking his flanks, so as to compel him to hurry off, leaving his dead and some of his wounded in our hands. From the prisoners captured in both brigades we learned that Bate's division, Hardee's corps, had been sent to force the right of our lines, while Cheatham's and Cleburne's divisions laid behind it, to rush in and strike the Fifteenth Corps in rear. Our losses were light; abut 100 prisoners captured, 43 dead buried, and some 12 or 15 wounded brought in. The battery of six light 12-pounders did excellent service here with canister in volleys. No column can stand a concentrated fire of six Napoleons by volley or battery, double shotted with canister.

September 1, skirmished briskly in the morning, and in the afternoon advanced the line, supported by the Second Iowa Infantry, driving the enemy from a portion of his line. September 2, the skirmishers of this division advanced about daylight, and found the rebel lines empty. On pressing into the town of Jonesborough, they succeeded in giving a few farewell shots to a train of cars just leaving, but were too late to capture. The line of skirmishers as an organization being the first in the place, pursued the enemy a short distance south of Jonesborough, till they struck the rear guard of the enemy, when they halted, remaining there as a picket till relieved by the Fifteenth Corps. At 10 a. m., moved on new roads south and parallel with the railroad till we came onto the enemy at the headwaters of Camp Creek, two miles from (north) of Lovejoy's Station. The Fifteenth, Sixteenth, and Seventeenth Corps, marching on different and parallel roads, came in front of the enemy, consecutively by heads of column, the Fifteenth first, then this division (it being in advance), of the Sixteenth Army Corps, &c. I was directed to deploy two regiments on the right of the skirmish line of the Fifteenth Corps. After reconnoitering the position, two regiments from the Second Brigade, under Colonel Adams, were thrown


Page 413 Chapter L. REPORTS, ETC.-ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE.