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.

[335] on that part of the enemy's works confronting my lines. Moving forward they encountered the enemy in heavy force strongly posted behind works. Having no protection from the galling fire poured upon them, this regiment lost very heavily in both officers and men, but gallantly held and fortified all the ground they so nobly battled for. The losses of this regiment alone were 11 enlisted men killed and 7 commissioned officers and 80 enlisted men wounded. The 23d instant I was ordered to further demonstrate in my front, and relieving the Ninety-seventh Ohio Volunteers with the Fiftyseventh Indiana Volunteers, throwing the Twenty-sixth Ohio Volunteers on their right, the two regiments, under command of Colonel Bartleson, One hundredth Illinois Volunteers, were ordered to move forward and take the enemy's rifle-pits, if possible. The regiments moved forward at a double-quick and succeeded in taking the enemy's pits, capturing a number of prisoners in same, but losing heavily in the charge. It was found impossible to hold the captured works on the left of my line, as the enemy had a converging fire upon the same, therefore the left of the Fifty-seventh Indiana Volunteers fell back in good order to the position they started from in making the charge. My losses in this charge were 2 commissioned officers and 13 enlisted men killed, and 2 commissioned officers and 36 enlisted men wounded. Colonel Bartleson, One hundredth Illinois Volunteers, in command of line, and Captain Stidham, Fifty-seventh Indiana Volunteers, both very gallant and tried officers of superior ability, were killed whilst nobly performing their duty. Colonel Bartleson lost one arm at Shiloh, was captured at Chickamauga whilst gallantly leading his regiment on a charge, and had returned from Libby Prison but a few days before his death. The 24th, 25th, and 26th were spent in skirmishing with the enemy in front of their position at Kenesaw Mountain. On the morning of the 27th I received orders to have my command in readiness at daylight to take position behind a portion of the works occupied by General Stanley's division for the purpose of charging the enemy's works. After being relieved by troops from General Wood's division, I moved my command to the rear of the outer line of works occupied by Colonel Grose's brigade, of General Stanley's division, and, agreeably to orders, massed them in column by division, left in front, in the following order: The Fortieth Indiana Volunteers in advance; the Twenty-eighth Kentucky Volunteers following; the One hundredth Illinois, Twentysixth Ohio, and Ninety-seventh Ohio Volunteers in the order named; the Fifty-seventh Indiana Volunteers deployed as skirmishers. The Fortieth Indiana and Twenty-eighth Kentucky Volunteers were under the command of Col. John W. Blake, Fortieth Indiana Volunteers; the One hundredth Illinois, Twenty-sixth and Ninetyseventh Ohio Volunteers under command of Col. John Q. Lane, Ninety-seventh Ohio Volunteers; the skirmishers under the direction of the division officer of the day. General Harker's brigade was formed on my right, leaving sufficient interval to admit my deploying to the right, and forming connection with his left. General Kimball was formed to my left and rear. At a given signal the skirmishers on my front moved forward, and soon became heavily engaged, and soon thereafter my entire command moved up to and scaled our outer line of works. As soon as the head of my column began crossing our works the enemy opened a terrific and