Today in History:

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

Page 716 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.

at us. We marched back a mile and intrenched our position, expecting an attack every hour. About 1 o'clock on the morning of the 20th, while sleeping on our arms, we were surprised with an order to march, and very soon thereafter the command was crossing the Etowah in our rear. We went into bivouac on the Allatoona road about two miles from the river. Here we rested until the 24th, when our division marched toward Dallas, camping near that place. On the 25th, we moved back on the Allatoona road to new Hope Church, and took position in rear and in support of General Stewart's division, of Hood's corps. Late in the afternoon Hooker's corps attacked General Stewart and a severe conflict followed until after dark. We were not engaged, though we had 1 officer and 5 men wounded.

On the 1st of June our division was moved to the left of the general line, and took up a position in support of General Bate's division before Dallas. On the night of the 4th we again changed our position, marching on the Lost Mountain road to the neighborhood of Gilgal Church. Here we were in bivouac several days, and the men were greatly refreshed by the rest. On the 9th of June the corps formed a line of battle in rear of Pine Mountain, General Bate's division being in position on the mountain. On the 15th and 16th the line of battle was again changed, the enemy not being in view, and on the 19th Walker's division was put in position south and west of Kenesaw Mountain, in front of Marietta. We formed the right of Hardee's corps, French's division, of Polk's corps, being on our right and on the mountain. The Twenty-fourth touched the left of French's division, and occupied Hardee's extreme right. The line was strongly intrenched with head logs on the work, and obstructions in front. The enemy appeared in force on the 20th, and pressed up against our pickets. The fighting on the picket-line was severe all day, Company I being the only company of the Twenty-fourth engaged. The enemy established his line of battle about 300 yards in our front, and his fire, both of small-arms and artillery, was so constant and severe that the men had to keep close behind the work, and constantly on the watch. Major O'Enill, the gallant commander of our brigade pickets, and the major of the Sixteenth [South Carolina], was killed while maintaining the integrity of our picket-line. The weather was very bad, and the position of the troops behind the works most uncomfortable. On the 24th the enemy in our front attempted to drive in the picket-line with a line of battle, but by the general's order I moved my regiment forward, and deployed it so as to cover the whole brigade front, and we repelled the assaults and maintained the line. The fighting was incessant, and the men got but little rest. In the fight of the 24th we captured a sharpshooter who had a small looking-glass attached to the butt of his musket, so that he could sit behind his breast-work, perfectly protected, with his back to us, and by looking into his glass, sight along the barrel of his pieces. On the 27th of June, early in the morning, the enemy began a general shelling of our line. About 9.30 o'clock he moved gallantly forward to a general assault. Our pickets were driven in, and the enemy came on to the assault of our position. The steady fire of our line, and the raking artillery fire which General French sent down our front from his batteries upon our right, repelled every charge, and finally drove the enemy back to his fortifications. But he succeeded by dark in fixing his line of battle within 100 yards


Page 716 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.