Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 11.
Frank Moore, Ed.

Although the campaign in this vicinity has hitherto been lacking in great battles, and those events which, from their momentous importance and tragic interest, claim a notice from the historian and enlist the profoundest sympathies of a whole nation, still there is occasionally one of those touching incidents, known, perhaps, only to the circle of the regiment or brigade, in which patriotism shines out as nobly as in the graver annals of heroism. One of these was narrated to me by a participant in it, and I give it to your readers.

A small detachment of the One Hundred and Nineteenth New York were on the skirmish line on the seventeenth of June, advanced close up to the enemy — so close that they had been compelled to halt for the time and throw up slight breastworks of logs as a defence. By some untoward mistake, a party of twelve or fifteen men were ordered to advance beyond these works on picket duty. Though knowing that it was almost certain death to show their heads above the walls of their little fort, still they obeyed without question or hesitation. They had advanced scarcely more than a rod beyond their comrades when a heavy volley of musketry prostrated to the ground every man save two! Two were killed instantly, and the rest wounded more or less severely. All of the wounded, however, were able to drag themselves back and escape, except one poor fellow, Sergeant Guider, who was so badly wounded that he could not stir from his place. There he lay almost within arm's-length of his comrades, and yet they were powerless to rescue him or give him aid, so galling was the rebel fire. One bolder than the rest made the hazardous attempt, but scarcely had he got over the breastworks when he fell severely wounded. They endeavored to allay his raging thirst by throwing to him canteens of water, and even one of these was pierced by a rebel bullet. Finally, as they could not go over the breastworks, they dug a way under, them with no other implements than their bayonets, and through it two men crawled and succeeded in reaching him unhurt. Just as they reached him their comrades in the rear gave an exultant cheer, which elicited from the rebels another volley. A fatal ball pierced the poor fellow's breast for a second time, and he had only time to murmur feebly to his rescuers, “Now I die content; I am in your hands,” and expired.

The corps on the right and left advanced again yesterday, and the centre maintained its threatening position around and upon the base of Kenesaw Mountain, in the teeth of a very heavy artillery fire from the numerous rebel batteries there, to which our guns returned something more than an indirect reply. Our centre is very close to the heavy rebel works on the mountain, and any further progress there must be achieved by grand assaults; for, though the fire of our batteries is very destructive. it can not, unaided, compel an evacuation. The movements of the wings, especially the corps of Hooker and Schofield on the right (which are now just three miles from Marietta, and feeling their way east rapidly), import the speedy accomplishment of Sherman's design of pushing Johnston south of the Chattahoochee river, without any great sacrifice of life. As our various corps converge toward Kenesaw, room to the right or the left must be yielded in order to get all our troops into position. Ground had been yielded to the right exclusively, and every day the right wing extends further to the south. Our extreme right is now south of the latitude of Marietta, and it is the current belief that it will now be speedily strengthened until it is irresistible — that is, the rebels must withdraw so many troops from Kenesaw to oppose it, that they will prefer to retreat.

There is a very pervasive rumor afloat that Joe Johnston has been superseded by Ewell, but it seems to have no better foundation than a camp rumor. An intelligent rebel Lieutenant with whom I conversed yesterday said that every effective soldier in the Confederacy was in the service of Lee and Johnston, and although he himself was a veteran of three years standing, he had just had his first experience in the field, having been stationed with his company at Savannah, Georgia, as provost guard. He stated positively that Johnston had ninety thousand men, but I think he may be safely discounted thirty-three per cent.

McPherson advanced slightly yesterday, but skirmishing along his front was very light. Day before yesterday, Colonel Minty's brigade of cavalry on the extreme left was roughly handled by an overpowering force of the enemy's cavalry, before whom it retired slowly, with a loss of about seventy killed, wounded, and missing.

On the morning of the twenty-second everything gave promise of a renewal of activity in this part of the army, which had now rested several days awaiting the action of the other corps. Hospital tents were struck, at least those occupied by men able to move; the Generals early ordered to horse, and were out on the line overseeing the preparations; and not long after came orders to strike tents of Headquarters and get on the road. The rebels as if divining the movement, and seeking to detain as many as possible in front of the centre, opened a vigorous cannonade from the summit of Kenesaw. It was equally probable, also, that this was intended to cover their retreat, as the whistles of their locomotives could be heard rapidly coming and going in the direction of Marietta.

The two corps had been lying for the previous