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.

[349] back again. This retirement brought me to Peach Tree, and owing to a bend in the creek it was absolutely impossible for a part of the regiment to escape capture unless they waded it. For this cause the regiment was here divided, a part going to the north side of the creek, where during the engagement it rendered valuable service in aiding to repel two advances of the enemy from the east, while the other part remained south side of the creek where it defended a point against the advances of the enemy. On the 22d, the enemy having evacuated our front, pursuit was instituted to within two miles of Atlanta, where it was ascertained that the enemy was occupying the defenses of the city, from which they shelled us freely during the day. Fortifications were erected here, and we remained in the same position, with no engagements or exercises excepting frequent demonstrations on the picket-line and continual strengthening of our lines of fortifications, until the night of August 25, when a movement of the army was made to the south and west of Atlanta, in which my regiment took a part.

August 30, we crossed the Montgomery railroad at a point seven miles from East Point and marched in the direction of Rough and Ready. On September 1 this regiment assisted in the destruction of the Macon railroad from New Station to a point within one mile of Jonesborough, where we were taken with the other troops of the brigade off the road and formed in line to its east at about 5 p. m. I was here ordered by General Wagner to deploy one-half of my regiment as skirmishers, holding the remaining half in reserve, and advance, resting my right with the left of the First Division and my left with the right of the First Brigade. In this condition I advanced the line and soon found the enemy occupying his rifle-pits, which were occupied by us and he driven to a second and similar line of picket works constructed of rails. This gave the line possession of a small and thin wood on one side of an open field on the opposite of which was the enemy's second line. Their second line of pits was taken by a similar advance to the first. By this time darkness had set in and General Wagner ordered me to remain where I then was. The enemy gave us no further evidence of being near, though we remained on picket during the whole night, and in the morning he was found to have evacuated his works along the whole line of the army. Pursuit was instituted immediately, and the enemy was followed to within two miles of Lovejoy's, where he was found to be occupying his works. My regiment was ordered in the second line as a demonstration was made on the rebel position. On the evening of the same day I was assigned a position in line within easy range of the enemy's rifle-pits, from which he annoyed us very much in our camp. Information was communicated to us on the 2d that Atlanta had been evacuated on the night of the 1st and had been occupied by the troops of General Slocum's command. We remained in this position until the night of the 5th, when a movement was commenced in the direction of Atlanta. On the 8th September we marched into Atlanta from the southward.

During the entire campaign the officers and men of the regiment without exception have conducted themselves with distinguished gallantry, and to them I am under obligations for whatever of success has attended us. When it joined the brigade at Catoosa Springs on May 4 there were in the regiment 30 commissioned officers and 311 men. Of that number we have to deplore the loss of 3 commissioned officers killed and 13 wounded, and 23 enlisted men killed and