The Atlanta (Georgia) Campaign: May 1 - September 8, 1864., Part I: General Report.
Maj. George B. Davis, Mr. Leslie J. Perry, Mr. Joseph W. Kirkley, Ed.

[843] the enemy comes out of their works. If the enemy leaves Buzzard Roost Gap, to follow them. At 9.30 p. m. orders were sent to Major- General Stanley and Brigadier-General Wood to strengthen their picket-lines and push them forward as skirmishers at 6 the next morning, and at the same time to make a show of their force for the purpose above mentioned. At the same time General Newton was ordered to move a brigade to the north end of Rocky Face Ridge and to send a regiment to the summit of it, moving along so as to try and capture the rebel signal station, the rest of the brigade to support the regiment.

May 8.-Brigadier-General Newton moved at 6 a. m., as directed. At 6.30 received a dispatch from General Stanley, stating that the valley between Tunnel Hill and Rocky Face was covered with dense fog and that even the top of Rocky Face could not be seen, and wished to know whether he should go ahead. He was informed verbally by General Howard that he should wait until after the fog lifted. Stanley and Wood started at 8.30 a. m. Left headquarters for front at 7.45 a. m. At 8 a. m. sent a note to General Thomas, stating that General Stanley would fire a few shots at the enemy near Buzzard Roost, which was done at 8.30 a. m. Before starting our skirmish line at 8.30, sent word to General Davis that we would do so, and requested him to see that the enemy did not get between us. 8.50 a. m., aide-de-camp of Major-General Sherman reported that during the absence of General S[herman] at General Schofield's and General Thomas at Hooker's, General Howard would command the forces operating in the center. Immediately afterward sent a note to General Palmer, informing him of this fact, and asked him to put his troops under arms and advance them a little so that the enemy might see them. 9.30, firing on the left, Newton skirmishing. Skirmishing also opposite right of Stanley, and left and center of Wood. 9.30, sent Captain Stinson to see General Schofield to let him know what we are doing. 9.50, messenger returned from Stanley. Stated that he was waiting for Palmer to form. Then sent word to General Davis (commanding division, Palmer's corps), that Palmer had been directed to get under arms and advance skirmish line, and requested him to do so without further orders. At 10 a. m. signaled message to Palmer, requesting him to get under arms and advance his line of skirmishers slowly in conjunction with our line; object, to direct attention from Newton and Schofield. General Wood reports rebels on Rocky Face Ridge opposite him. 10.40, Lieutenant Freeman reported from General Newton, one regiment from Harker's brigade was one mile in advance of the signal station. Signaled this information to Stanley and Wood, also to General Whipple, chief of staff, at 10.45 a. m., telling him also about the skirmishing. 10 50, sent an aide-de-camp to General Newton, telling him to push up the rest of Harker's brigade to the support of the regiment on the ridge, and to face his division so as to prevent the brigade from being turned; this to be done if he thought it practicable. 11.20, General Stanley reported the rebels still in possession of the signal station on the ridge; that his skirmishers were talking with them. It appearing that the messenger was mistaken as to what signal station one of Harker's regiments had passed, the dispatch to General Whipple of 10.45, informing we had taken the station, was corrected; this in a dispatch at 11.45 a. m. 11.30 a. m., a staff officer was sent to General Newton to inform him that the rebels were marching along the summit of Rocky Face Ridge, from our right to the left, and for him to instruct Harker to be ready to defend himself. At 11.35