Today in History:

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

Page 53 Chapter L. REPORTS, ETC.-ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE.

Army Corps was under charge of Dr. C. Thornton, surgeon Fifth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, and was not nearly so well managed. While at Acworth General McPherson's forces were increased by the arrival of the Seventeenth Army Corps from Vicksburg. It numbered 10,350 men. These troops had marched from Decatur, on the Tennessee River, to Rome, Ga., and then via Kingston, Cartersville, &c. Their sick having been left at different hospitals on the way, they arrived without any incumbrance to retard their activity in the field. From June 10 to July 17 was probably the most trying and harassing period of the campaign to the soldiers. The army was then in front of Kenesaw Mountain, with the rebel army strongly intrenched in our front; our men were almost constantly in trenches, with daily reconnaissances, resulting in heavy skirmishes, and occasionally a very considerable battle. The weather was very hot, and it rained day and night for two or three weeks. On the 27th of June an unsuccessful assault on the enemy's line resulted in adding 600 wounded men to our hospitals.

It was now determined to move the Army of the Tennessee from its position on the extreme left to the extreme right. Wounded again ordered to be sent to the rear. Some three or four weeks before this I had established a large hospital in Rome, Ga., which was now in condition to accommodate about 1,500 men. It was under charge of Surg. G. F. French, U. S. Volunteers, who had been ordered from Huntsville, with all supplies, bedding, &c., that could be brought from there. To this point all the wounded were sent in box-cars, the hospital train being then monopolized by the Army of the Cumberland. Soon after dark on the night of the 2nd of July the move toward the right began. Our trains had bee moving in that direction all day. From the top of Kenesaw the enemy could look down on everything going on along our front, as if looking on a map. It was probably this threatened flank movement that caused them to evacuate this stronghold during the night. At sunrise on the following morning the flags of a portion of the fifteenth Corps were waving on the top of Kenesaw. The rebels had abandoned this entire line and Marietta, and had taken a strong position near the railroad bridge on the Chattahoochee. The march was resumed early in the morning on the road leading toward Turner's Ferry. Rebels were found intrenched some two or three miles from the river, but not in very strong force. They were driven from all their advanced works the following day, and the army drawn close around the left flank of their new position. After some days' reconnoitering this was found too strong to carry by assault, and again the Army of the Tennessee was ordered to move through Marietta to Roswell Factory, on the river, thirteen miles above the railroad bridge, being ow on the extreme left. After three days' stay at Roswell, during which a substantial bridge had been built across the river, the several corps, on the 17th of July, moved across the river and took the road leading to Decatur. On the night of the 14th occurred one of the most terrific thunder-storms that I have ever seen; some 4 or 5 men were killed, and about 30 more or less paralyzed. In many cases stacks of arms were struck, and the guns broken and destroyed. On the 20th Decatur, a town six miles from Atlanta, east, was entered, after sever skirmishing. On the 22nd occurred the severest battle of the campaign. This began in an attack by the rebel forces on our intrenchments, stretching the railroad, about three miles


Page 53 Chapter L. REPORTS, ETC.-ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE.