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

[60] bounded confidence in General Johnston, and is eager to meet the enemy. The Confederacy may depend upon the Army of Tennessee.

The movements of this army have already been chronicled up to and through the battle of Resacca, and the precipitate retreat of the rebels through Kingston and Cassville, upon Etowah River, and Allatoona Gap. At the two former places they offered a slight opposition to our advance, which was quickly swept away, and the pursuit continued to Cassville. Here the army halted two days to recruit after its late battles and marches, and then its indefatigable leader gave orders to take twenty days rations and set out on a march, supposed to be a flank movement upon Atlanta. The right of the army went by the way of Rome, the centre crossed the Etowah at Gillum's bridge, about twelve miles west of the railroad, while the left proceeded by parallel (?) roads at supporting distance from the centre. Why the enemy did not anticipate our crossing the river below, and attempt to forestall it, is not clearly shown. They did think of it, but too late. After the army had safely crossed at Gillum's bridge, a rebel bearer of despatches was captured, with an order from Johnston to his cavalry leader to intercept us at the bridge, as we would probably attempt to cross it. General Thomas at once clad one of his spies in rebel uniform, instructed our pickets to fire at him (over his head, of course), and sent him through the lines with a despatch to Joe Johnston that he (Taylor) had done so with a loss to us of two thousand or so, and many prisoners. It was a cruel joke upon the rebel, and procured for the spy, besides, access to valuable information from pretty high rebel sources. The army then marched quietly on towards Dallas.

The day passed off without incident or note, till about five o'clock in the afternoon, when the sound of a brisk cannonade in the advance discovered a fight in progress. It proved to be General Hooker's corps, which had held the advance on the march, engaged with the rebel General Hood's corps. Early in the forenoon, while the General and his staff were inspecting the bridge over Pumpkin Vine Creek, about half way between Burnt Hickory and Dallas, he was fired upon by a cavalry picket, which then immediately fled. After proceeding two or three miles beyond the bridge, boldly in front of his entire force, his escort became engaged with a small body calling themselves the Louisiana Sharpshooters, and killed their Major and a few men. At noon the Second division (General Williams), which was leading the way, discovered that they had a considerable body of infantry before them, instead of the few cavalry they had supposed. Skirmishing immediately began, the Second division driving the enemy steadily from their first line of works about two miles, entirely unsupported. About five o'clock they came upon a stronger line, and, being fatigued, they were relieved by the Third and First divisions (Generals Butterfield and Geary commanding). The Third divided, a brigade and a regiment going to the left, and the remainder to the right, and the First taking the place of the Second. After a short time the Second was brought up at an angle upon the right, and took part in the remainder of the engagement. Advancing steadily under a fire of musketry, which those who witnessed it declare they have seldom seen equalled in severity, they proceeded to within forty yards of a concealed battery, planted by sections, which opened upon them a sudden and murderous discharge of grape and canister. One company of the Fifth Ohio approached as near to suffering absolute annihilation as, perhaps, is ever witnessed. A withering volley of grape from the battery prostrated upon the ground nearly the entire company, every man and file-closer in his place and his face to the front, with almost the regularity of a skirmish line. The rebel firing was rapid and terrific. At this point the gallant Colonel of the Fifth, J. H. Patrick, fell mortally wounded, at the head of his regiment, and expired in a few minutes. He was struck on the leg by a shell, and died before an amputation could be performed. The First division suffered severely, losing near nine hundred men. Some companies of the Second division fired sixty rounds, and the division, as a whole, maintained its position against the entire rebel corps for some time, and till others could be brought to its assistance. The heavy losses of the First division were occasioned by the destructive fire of the central battery, and it is worthy of the greatest praise for the undaunted steadiness with which it bore the fierce fire of the rebel battery, until it was disabled by the loss of all its horses, and many of its gunners, from the close volleys which were poured into it. The One Hundred and Second Illinois, armed with the Spencer rifle, claims the honor of reducing it to silence, though it was most efficiently assisted by others to the right or left. The enemy were driven entirely away from the pieces, yet we could not take them, owing to the proximity of their lines; and thus they remained on neutral ground, claimed by neither, and useless to both. The Sixtieth Illinois played a prominent part in unmanning and unhorsing another section of the battery in the same manner. Their sharpshooters picked off forty of its gunners, who had the temerity to elevate their heads above the breastworks.

But to enumerate the instances of individual heroism and good conduct in this brilliant episode, would be to introduce the name and history of every man and company and regiment in the Twentieth corps. A narrative with so many chapters is impossible. I asked repeatedly