Today in History:

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

Page 878 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.

Herewith I transmit reports of Generals Featherston and Scott and their regimental commanders, together with list* of casualties and the names of officers who were killed and wounded.

My staff, upon this as upon other hard-fought fields, acted with promptness and courage. Lieutenant J. Hanson Thomas, aide-de-cam; Captain R. W. Millsaps, Ninth Arkansas, and Captain E. O. Sykes, Fourteenth Mississippi, conspicuously distinguished themselves, and Sergt. J. W. Downs, escort, deserves a commission for his courage and meritorious conduct.

With respect, your obedient servant,

W. W. LORING,

Major-General.

Major DOUGLAS WEST,

Assistant Adjutant-General.


Numbers 688.

Reports of Brigadier General Winfield S. Featherston, C. S. Army, commanding Loring's division, of operations June 27.


HEADQUARTERS LORING'S DIVISION,
In the Field, near Kenesaw Mountain, June 30, 1864.

COLONEL: In obedience to orders from headquarters Army of Mississippi, I have the honor to submit a report of the part taken by the division in the affair of the 27th instant near Marietta, Ga.

The division formed a line of battle running in a northwestern direction from the Big Shanty and Marietta road, at the base of Kenesaw Mountain, to a point between the Bell's Ferry and Canton roads, and were posted as follows: Scott's brigade on the right, Featherston's in the center, and Adams' on the left. Each brigade had some 600 yards in its front on the skirmish line one full regiment, making in the aggregate about 1,100 or 1,200 men in front of the division. About 10 a. m. the enemy advanced in force against the skirmishers of General Scott, on the Bell's Ferry road. They came in one line of skirmishers and three lines of battle. Our whole skirmish line was well intrenched, and General Scott's skirmish regiment (Twelfth Louisiana, under command of Colonel Nelson) held their position against this overwhelming force until the enemy had advanced to within twenty-five or thirty yards of their rifle-pits. They poured into the advancing columns repeated volleys of minie-balls, which thinned their ranks and caused them to falter, but did not check them. In this advance the enemy sustained a heavy loss. Colonel Nelson finally withdrew his regiment and fell back to the main line of battle in good order. This regiment not only did good service in inflicting heavy loss upon the enemy, but displayed great coolness, courage,a nd determination during the entire engagement. The skirmish line having been driven in, and the enemy of works, a concentrated converging fire was directed upon their position by our artillery. Cowan's and Bounchaud's batteries, of Major Myrick's battalion, and Havis', of Colonel Hallonquist's regiment, and one of Lieutenant-Colonel Rob-

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*Not found.

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Page 878 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.