Today in History:

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

Page 516 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.

For your further information I append a consolidated report of casualties, showing an aggregate loss of 3 officers and 72 men killed, wounded,and missing during the campaign.*

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WAGER SWAYNE,

Colonel, Commanding Forty-third Ohio.

Lieutenant A. C. FENNER,

A. A. A. G., 3rd Brigadier, 4th Div., 16th Army Corps.


No. 561.

Reports of Major John W. Fouts, Sixty-third Ohio Infantry.

HDQRS. SIXTY-THIRD REGIMENT OHIO INFANTRY VOLS., In the Field, before Atlanta, Ga., July 26, 1864.

SIR: In pursuance of orders from headquarters Second Brigade, Fourth Division, Sixteenth Army Corps, I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by the Sixty-third Regiment Ohio Infantry Volunteers in the engagement at Decatur, Ga., on the 22nd day of July, 1864:

At about 1 p.m.four companies, viz, A, Captain Frank T. Gilmore commanding; F, First Lieutenant Louis Schmidt commanding; D, Captain William Cornell commanding, and G, Captain George Wightman commanding, were ordered to report to Colonel Montgomery, of the Twenty-fifth Wisconsin Infantry Volunteers, at Hoyle's house, where they joined a detachment of Twenty-fifth Wisconsin, moved half a mile out on the Fayetteville road, and formed line facing west, left resting on a road, Company G deployed as skirmishers. Enemy opened fire from wood about 400 yards in front, and at 2 p.m. opened with one piece of artillery upon the picket-line on the McDonough road, when under orders from Colonel Sprague, the command was moved by the left flank to take position in support of the line. During this movement, while passing a deep ravine in single file, the enemy opened upon the command with two batteries,one in front and the other on the left flank. At the same time charged from same points, when they reformed, faced to the rear, and, after a sharp fight, fell back to join main line on ridge south and west of town, near Hoyle's house. Company E, Lieutenant Thomas J. McCord commanding, and Company K, Captain Daniel T. Thorne commanding, were on the grand guard line. At 1.30 p.m. their outposts were attacked, Company E's by cavalry and Company K's by artillery. The attack made by cavalry was repulsed. The enemy than advanced with two lines of skirmishers and a line of battle, when, under orders from Lieutenant-Colonel Henry, Thirty-fifth New Jeresey Infantry, commanding guard line, it fell back fighting until it reached the railroad, when the enemy pressed upon it with very superior force and with such vigor as to cause the companies and men to separate in squads. Company B, Lieutenant L. G. Matheny commanding, and Company C, Captain Winslow L. Bay commanding, were ordered to support section of Company C, First Regiment [Michigan] Light Artillery. They had been in position but

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*Nominal list (omitted) shows 6 men killed, 3 officers and 59 men wounded, and 7 men missing.

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Page 516 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.