Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 9.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[117] The loss sustained by the regiment in men was, three captured, and one severely wounded.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

sir: I have the honor to submit the following as a report of the part taken by my regiment in the late operations, commencing from the second day of August, 1864, and ending with the present date.

When the city of Atlanta was taken possession of by the troops of the Twentieth army corps, my regiment, then in command of Colonel Dustin, was left at the Chattahoochee River, to guard the bridges and stores remaining there.

After the sixteenth of September, all the regiments of the First brigade, except the One Hundred and Fifth, having moved down to Atlanta, this command, in connection with the Twenty-sixth Wisconsin infantry, performed duty at the river. Strong works were prepared, and the utmost vigilance exercised to guard against guerrillas and marauders, who infested the country thereabouts. Colonel Dustin assumed command of the brigade, in the absence of Colonel Harrison, on the eighteenth September, when Lieutenant-Colonel Dutton commanded the regiment, until the ninth October, when, having received leave of absence, he left for Illinois; since his absence I have had command. While lying at the river, frequent details were made for foraging purposes. The First brigade, having moved back from Atlanta on first October, all the regiments furnished men for foraging parties. On the twenty-fourth of October, I was sent out in charge of a party of five hundred and fifty men, and a train of wagons, to be gone three days. On the second day out, the party was attacked by a force of guerrillas several times. I parked the train, deployed the men into line, and drove them off without any loss; arrived in camp with train well loaded with provisions.

On the seventh November, an order was received at these headquarters, transferring the One Hundred and Fifth to the Second brigade, Colonel Dustin being placed in command of brigade.

During the campaign just closed, my regiment has borne an honorable part. We left camp at Chattahoochee River, on the morning of fourteenth November, and, until we camped before Savannah, were on the march through Georgia, tearing up railroad tracks and doing other duty. The march was rapid. At noon, on the fifteenth November, left Atlanta, marching out in the direction of Decatur, on the Decatur pike. On the march, my command passed through the towns of Decatur and Lithonia on the fifteenth, and November sixteenth, crossing a branch of the Ocmulgee River near the latter place; Social Circle and Rutledge Station, on the Augusta branch of Georgia Central Railroad, on the eighteenth; Madison, on the nineteenth; leaving the railroad at Madison and passing through Eatonton, a point at the terminus of a branch of the railroad running from Milledgeville, entered Milledgeville on the twenty-second, and lay over until the morning of the twenty-fourth. On the twenty-sixth, arrived at Sandersville, on the left of the Georgia Central Railroad; camped at Davisboro on the railroad, on the night of the twenty-seventh. Passed Louisville on the twenty-ninth, a point on the left of the Georgia Central Railroad; on the thirtieth, lay over. On the seventh of December, arrived at Springfield; on the eighth, lay over until dark at Springfield; on the tenth, moved up within four and a half miles of Savannah, and meeting the enemy's pickets, a line was formed on the right of the road; my regiment, with the exception of a portion of the One Hundred and Second, was on the right of the line.

The march was concluded on the twenty-sixth day out from Atlanta. On the eleventh and twelfth December, my battalion changed its positions in the establishment of the lines.

During the march, forage was abundant, and regular details were made to secure it. The men and officers subsisted almost entirely from the country.

At Milledgeville, my command was detailed and assisted in the destruction of rebel property. Several thousand stand of arms were destroyed, together with a quantity of ammunition; also twenty casks of salt, which were thrown into the river. While before Savannah, my command threw up two lines of breastworks, on the seventeenth and twentieth instant. Captain Forsythe, of company H, was sent out in charge of ten men, on a reconnoissance, on the night of the eighteenth instant, in front of the One Hundred and Fifth regiment, and on the right of the brigade. He proceeded to within twenty yards of the enemy's line, encountering a deep swamp in front of their works. He observed their fires and heard them talk. After drawing their fire, he returned with his men, having accomplished all that was practicable in the darkness of the night. The entire distance marched by my regiment, cannot exactly be arrived at, but it will not fall far short of four hundred miles.

The general good conduct of officers and men, I am pleased to commend to your favorable consideration, especially on account of the manner in which they bore the fatigue and privations of a long march.

Hoping that the above may prove satisfactory, I have the honor to be, very respectfully,

Your obedient servant,