No. 95. report of Lieut. Col. Cyrus E. Briant, Eighty-eighth Indiana Infantry.
May 6, received orders to be ready to march at daybreak.
May 7, broke camp at Ringgold, Ga.; at sunrise passed through Chickamauga Gap; marched to within two miles of Tunnel Hill, taking the road on the right hand to about one mile south of town, where we camped for the night; some cannonading heard on the hill.
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May 8, moved to the right of Tunnel Hill, passing the day in a valley one mile from Buzzard Roost on Taylor Ridge. May 9, moved forward and formed line on ridge in front of gap; skirmished with the enemy, holding our position; had 1 man wounded.
May 11, were relieved by the Seventy-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry at daylight; lay in reserve in front of gap, when we were ordered to march at 6 a. m., May 12, when my command marched in the valley alongside Taylor's Ridge through Sugar Creek Gap, and bivouacked at the earth-works thrown up by Army of the Tennessee. May 13, started to the front, marching left in front some two miles, forming on the left into line about noon, throwing forward one company deployed as skirmishers with another in reserve, and advanced in line, my command being on the extreme right of the Fourteenth Army Corps.
I was ordered to extend my line of skirmishers on the right, refused considerably, which I did, moving forward slowly for about two hours. My skirmish line joined with that of the Fifteenth Army Corps, overlapping it some distance.
The Fifteenth Corps skirmishers having found the enemy, and mine having orders to move in connection with them, charged the enemy's skirmishers and driving them into their works, holding them without the assistance of main line until the evening, when they were relieved by troops from the Twentieth Army Corps.
In this engagement I lost 4 men wounded.
May 14, shortly after daylight, the First Brigade advanced in two lines, right in front, my command in left wing.
About 10 o'clock they found the enemy, opened on him, and drove him slowly and steadily, and finally charging on them, followed closely by second line.
They drove them into their works, but were met with such a withering fire from them they did not succeed in routing them.
During this charge my command threw together what fallen timber was at hand for temporary shelter, adding to it as opportunity afforded.
We lay behind these works until after sundown, keeping up continual sharpshooting with the enemy.
In the proceedings I lost I commissioned officer killed and 7 enlisted men wounded.
May 15, moved about two miles to the left; in reserve until 11 o'clock. I relieved with my command the One hundred and twentyeighth Indiana Volunteers, of General Hovey's division, occupying their works in front of a rebel fort.
My orders were to keep the fort silent.
While relieving they opened on us with shell, but were immediately silenced by our rifles, and did not again use them against us. I lost to-day 1 lieutenant and I man killed, 1 lieutenant and 1 man wounded.
May 16, the enemy having evacuated in the night, we started in pursuit, marching to the right to the military road through Resaca.
May 17, 8.30 a. m., crossed the Oostenaula River, passed Calhoun, camping at midnight six miles beyond.
May 18, moved forward slowly; toward evening passed Adairsville; halted for the night some three miles from Kingston.
May 19, about noon, we passed Kingston; we filed right and halted within half a mile of the Etowah Valley road, cavalry being reported near.
Our division was massed with First Brigade in reserve.
May 20, moved forward about three miles and threw up earth-works one mile from Cassville, but did not meet with any contending force.
The country through which our route lay was very broken, being densely wooded and hilly, interspersed with deep ravines, forming good hiding places for the enemy, with whom we had daily skirmishes, resulting on the whole favorably to our arms until June 13, when the enemy seemed to bring us to a halt at Lost Mountain; First Brigade in reserve.
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June 16, moved forward and occupied a line of works thrown up by the Third Division until evening, when the whole line was advanced to the skirmish line and fortified.
June 17, two companies were sent out: to re-enforce and advance the skirmish line, which they did successfully, driving the enemy to their main line of works in front of Kenesaw Mountain; I lost 1 man in this advance.
June 18, the enemy withdrew from our front and formed on the mountain while we moved forward and to the right, establishing our line of works less than a mile from theirs; my regiment lost I man, killed by a shell.
June 20, relieved by troops from General Baird's division.
Passing to the right in rear of Fourth Army Corps I relieved a regiment in General Grose's brigade, of Fourth Corps. June 21, shortly after getting into position the rebels opened on us with shot and shell and continued pretty brisk for some time, killing 1 man and wounding 2. June 22, relieved at midnight and moved to the right about three miles. June 24, ordered to report to Colonel Stoughton, commanding Second Brigade, to strengthen his lines; with him two days, when the rest of our brigade relieved the Second; brisk skirmishing and cannonading nearly the whole time we were in this position; rebel dead lying outside of our works for some days and smell very bad; tried to compromise long enough to have them buried, but they would not allow us. June 30, relieved by right wing of brigade; considerable cannonading; lost I man killed.
Again we were relieved by Fourth Corps July 1, and moved to the left near the mountain, with our left flank considerably refused.
July 2, rebels evacuated the mountain during the night, the Stars and Stripes floating triumphantly over it. July 3, marched through Marietta along the railroad; toward evening had considerable skirmishing with the enemy, driving them, and lying on our arms all night.
I moved forward next morning, July 4, in advance of brigade, driving the rebels, and establishing our lines for the night in the edge of some timber.
July 5, daylight found us again confronting them and again driving them till within three miles of the river; Lieut. Charles Whitaker, with a squad of nine men, captured 17 secesh, bringing them in safe; threw up works within three miles of the Chattahoochee.
July 7, had considerable skirmishing with the enemy; regiment did splendid execution in their ranks; we had I officer and 4 men wounded.
July 10, rebels leave our front and cross the Chattahoochee.
July 17, regiment had some respite until we crossed the river; moving eastward, formed line, and advanced about half a mile; skirmishers found some few of the enemy.
July 18, heavy skirmishing; toward evening advanced skirmish line to Nancy's Creek; after dark we moved to the right along our line of works, and camped in close column near the crossing.
July 20, crossed Nancy's Creek; halted a few minutes, and advanced some distance; deployed forward one company as skirmishers; the enemy's skirmishers being engaged with Second Division skirmishers my line got across and rear fire on the enemy, disconcerting them, and, charging at the same time, they took possession of their works, also of those in front of General Baird's left, and were fired into by Baird's men before they were aware in whose possession the works were.
The line of battle was immediately advanced to their support and commenced to throw up works, but were ordered to cease, as another advance was contemplated; but before long heavy musketry was heard some distance to our left, but approaching; works were recommenced with renewed vigor, while
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shot, shell, and grape were soon poured into us from a battery only a little distance off. The rebels evidently thought they had reached the right flank of our lines when they struck the left of our brigade, and were right in our midst before they found out their mistake.
This charge reached as far as the left of my command, who gave.
them so warm a reception that they soon turned and fled, leaving some dead for us to bury.
I had 2 officers wounded, 1 man killed, and 1 wounded. July 21, strengthened our works; toward evening we advanced our skirmish line, with some slight opposition, which we overcame; casualties, 1 officer wounded and 1 man killed, July 22, advanced by tlre flank, passing; a strong line of earth-works; threw forward two companies as skirmishers.
After advancing about 1,200 yards they were charged on, and the left:of the Twentieth Army Corps' skirmish line falling back before the advancing enemy, left our left exposed; but allowing it to refuse itself until the Twentieth Corps' line again advanced, we regained our former position, until relieved at evening by a brigade of the Twentieth Corps, when we fell back in reservesA our division, on the right of the railroad; our loss, 1 man wounded.
July 26, relieved the Third Brigade on the front line.
Nothing of: importance until July 29; report being that the rebels had left our front, our skirmishers advanced and found them in force, with plenty of artillery; fortified and held our advanced position; had a fatigue detail on skirmish line building works.
August 1, attempted to advance our skirmish.
line this morning, but; found too much opposition; the right wing of brigade move into works in advance of our line.
August 3, relieved by Third Brigade and lay in reserve; I lost while on front line 1 man killed and 7 wounded; moved some six miles to the right.
August 5, formed part of a reconnaissance to discover the left flank of the enemy; found strong works and evidently masked artillery.
August 6, returned and irelieved Second Brigade, Second Division, Twentythirds Army. Corps, early in the morning, but built new works in advance of theirs and just got them finished, August 7, when we were ordered forward and advanced, driving the rebels from their works, and, under a galling fire, we established our lines on a height some 600 or 700 yards in advance of our former position; the enemy had a cross-fire on us, but the right advancing drove.
them from their position; our loss was 2.
men killed.
2 officers and 8 men wounded; our pickets and those of the rebels on very amicable terms with one another while encamped on Utoy Creek, which resulted in nearly the whole skirmish line being taken prisoners.
August 13, owing to our position on line the prisoners were taken either on our right or left, none on our immediate front.
August 14, to avoid a repetition of this the rebels made several demonstrations on our picket-line, but accomplished nothing, their object evidently being to keep their own men from deserting.
August 18, right wing of regiment: move to the right and occupy the line held by the regulars of Second Brigade, left wing holding the line vacated by--right wing; Twenty-first Wisconsin and One hundred and fourth Illinois kept-maneuvering to deceive the enemy as to our force; occasional demonstrations made by the enemy, but of little moment.
August 22, right wing relieved and return to former position; casualties while on Utoy Creek, 1 man killed and 5 wounded. August 26, moved from our position.
after dark to where the Twenty-third Corps had thrown up works soime five miles to our right, halting for
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one night, August 27, then moving still to the right until we halted on the Atlanta and West Point Railroad. August 28, about twelve miles from Atlanta, where we threw up temporary works, our left resting on the railway.
August 29, we advanced in line with our left on the road as protection to those destroying the track, returning before dark to our former position, having succeeded in rendering the railway useless at least for some time.
August 30, we moved in a southeasterly direction toward the Macon railway through some of the finest country we have passed through in Georgia; camped near wagon train some three miles from Jonesborough.
August 31, off by daylight, halting at cross-roads near Muscle Shoal Church, guarding cross-roads until evening, when our division was ordered to support of Army of the Tennessee, but found that one of their divisions had been pushed forward for that purpose.
September 2, guarding Fourteenth Corps train, when we were ordered to Jonesborough, my command acting as rear guard for our corps.
September 4, campeka aeuth of Jonesborough on right of railway, and moved to west of town behind old rebel works.
September 5, ordered to be in readiness to move by daylight, and about 10 o'clock formed line refused on right of brigade about 100 yards off; rebels advanced in our front and we fell slowly back through town to some old rebel works of 1st instant, left of brigade resting on railway.
Relieved next morning, September 6, by Third Division, which virtually ended our part taken in the campaign.
Epitome: I left Ringgold, Ga., May 7, 1864, with 314 guns, and entered Atlanta, September 8, 1864, with 249 guns.
My casualties were-2 officers killed and 10 wounded; 7 enlisted men killed, 3 died of wounds; 40 wounded, and 1 man missing; total, 12 killed, 50 wounded, and 1 missing.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully,
C. E. Briant, Lieutenant-Colonel, Comdg. Eighty-eighth Indiana Vols.
