No. 161. reports of Lieut. Col. Judson W. Bishop, Second Minnesota Infantry.
headquarters Second Minnesota Volunteers, Before Atlanta, Ga., August 26, 1864.
Captain: I have the honor, in accordance with instructions from brigade headquarters, to submit the following summary of the part taken by the Second Regiment Minnesota Volunteers in the operations of the campaign during the three months ending the 6th day of August, 1864:
On Saturday, the 7th day of May, the regiment broke camp at 4 a. m., marched at 9 a. m., and arriving at Tunnel Hill (seven miles), bivouacked at noon. Sunday, 8th, marched at 9 a. m. one mile to position on right flank of Fourteenth Army Corps.
Monday, 9th, marched at 10 a. m. one-half mile to position on a ridge facing Buzzard Roost Gap, and one mile distant; marched again at 5 p. m. one-half mile in advance, and bivouacked in position.
Tuesday, 10th, and Wednesday, 11th, remained in bivouac.
Thursday, 12th, marched at 4 a. m. about fifteen miles to the right and through Snake [Creek] Gap. Friday, 13th, learned that the enemy had evacuated Dalton last night; marched at 10 a. m. four miles toward Resaca, and took position in the general line of battle, facing east.
Saturday, 14th, advanced with heavy skirmishing about a mile, and took position on a ridge facing the enemy's works, at a distance of about 400 yards. Sunday, 15th, moved about three-quarters of a mile to
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the right of Fourteenth Army Corps; moved out at 9 p. m. and took position between it and McPherson's left, and intrenched; enemy evacuated Resaca during the night.
Monday, 16th, marched at noon one mile to Resaca and bivouacked near the railroad depot.
Tuesday, 17th, marched at 4 a. m. six miles to Calhoun; thence two miles and encamped on Peters' plantation ; marched again at 5 p. m. four miles and bivouacked for the night.
Wednesday, 18th, marched at 8 a. m. three miles to Adairsville; thence at 4 p. m. six miles and bivouacked beside the railroad.
Thursday, 19th, marched at 10 a. m. four miles to Kingston; went into line of battle to repel an expected attack; thence marched at 4 p. m. four miles and bivouacked beside the railroad near Cassville.
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, remained in position.
Monday, 23d, marched at 11 a. m. four miles to the Etowah River, forded, and marched six miles to Euharlee Creek.
Tuesday and Wednesday, remained in position.
Thursday, 26th, marched at 6 a. m., escorting trains, fourteen miles to Burnt Hickory.
Friday, 27th, marched one mile to front with trains.
Saturday, 28th, marched three miles to front with trains.
Sunday, 29th, marched at 11 a. m. five miles to Burnt Hickory with trains.
Monday and Tuesday, remained in position.
Wednesday, June 1, marched at 3 p. m. with trains about eight miles easterly to our left and front.
Thursday, 2d, marched at 11 a. m. three miles to right and front and halted; thence at 6 p. m. one mile to the front and, meeting the enemy's line, intrenched, covering our front with skirmishers, who were warmly engaged during most of the night.
Friday and Saturday, remained in position.
Sunday, 5th, enemy evacuated our front this morning.
Monday, 6th, marched at 7 a. m. about six miles northeasterly, toward Acworth, and bivouacked at 9 p. m. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, remained in position.
Friday, 10th, marched at 8 a. m. southwesterly about five miles and found the enemy at Pine Mountain.
Saturday, 11th, moved to a ridge one-half mile to the front and intrenched; marched again at 7 p. m. one-half mile and halted at 11 p. m. and bivouacked in the woods.
Sunday and Monday, remained in position.
Tuesday, 14th, moved at noon to the front, with heavy skirmishing; into position at 7 p. m. and intrenched.
Wednesday, 15th, moved again to the front at 2 p. m. about a mile; into position at 7 p. m. and intrenched.
Thursday, 16th, remained in position.
Friday, 17th, moved one-fourth mile to the front and again intrenched.
Saturday, 18th, moved at 9 a. m. one-half mile to the front and intrenched under fire of musketry and artillery from the enemy's works, 350 yards distant; loss, Lieutenant Jones killed and 11 men wounded; enemy evacuated his line in our front during the night.
Sunday, 19th, moved at 9 a. m. one mile to the front, finding the enemy in position at Kenesaw Mountain; bivouacked and intrenched in the woods facing the mountain and one-half mile distant. Monday and Tuesday, remained in position, the enemy shelling our camp from the mountain.
Wednesday, 22d, moved at 11 p. m. half mile to the right; worked until daylight on the intrenchments; 2 men killed and 5 wounded --by shells from the mountain.
Thursday, 23d, Col. James George and about 100 men from the division, 73 of whom were on duty with the regiment, were ordered to Chattanooga for discharge by reason of expiration of term of service.
Friday and Saturday, regiment remained in position.
Sunday, 26th, regiment marched at 11 p. m. about two miles to the right; bivouacked.
Monday, 27th, moved to
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the front and took position with the division as support to Davis' division in the assault on the enemy's works; bivouacked at 3 p. m. Tuesday and Wednesday, remained in position.
Thursday, 30th, moved half mile to the right, our division relieving Geary's.
Friday, July 1, remained in position.
Saturday, 2d, a detachment of seventy-eight men (drafted from Second District of Minnesota) joined the regiment and were assigned to companies.
The enemy evacuated his line in our front during the night.
Sunday, 3d, marched at 7 a. m. about seven miles, finding the enemy in line about five miles south of Marietta.
Monday, 4th, the Second Brigade being ordered to garrison duty at Marietta, the regiment marched with it to that place, where it remained on such duty until the 13th.
Wednesday, 13th, marched with the brigade nine miles, rejoining the division near Vining's Station.
Thursday, 14th, a detachment of ninety-eight drafted men from the First District of Minnesota joined the regiment and were assigned to companies.
Friday, 15th, the regiment being ordered to relieve the Twentieth Connecticut Volunteers on provost duty at Marietta, marched for that place at 5 a. m., arriving at 10 a. m., and immediately entered upon duty as provost and depot guards.
During the remainder of the period embraced in this report the regiment was on guard duty at Marietta, employing all available time in the instruction of recruits.
During the operations herein briefly referred to the regiment was frequently under fire, always acquitting itself to my satisfaction.
As, owing to the absence of the regiment at Marietta, the brigade commander's report has been completed and forwarded before mine is called for, I have not deemed it necesary to give as detailed and circumstantial an account of movements as otherwise might have been useful and proper.
The regiment commenced the campaign with 24 officers and 372 enlisted men present for duty.
Loss from that number by casualties, 31; by sickness, 91; by discharge, 73.
Gained by recruits from depot, 176; by return from hospital or detached service, 19.
Present for duty August 6, 18 officers, 422 enlisted men. Ammunition expended, 29,000 rounds, an average of about 110 rounds per man. A casualty list1 is hereto appended, covering the period embraced in the report.
I am, very respectfully, your most obedient servant,
J. W. Bishop, Lieutenant-Colonel, Comdg. Second Minnesota Vols. Capt. C. A. Cilley
, Asst. Adjt. Gen., 2d Brig., 3d Div., 14th Army Corps.
, Asst. Adjt. Gen., 2d Brig., 3d Div., 14th Army Corps.
Hdqrs. Second Regt. Minnesota Vol. Infantry, Near Atlanta, Ga., September 9, 1864.
Captain: In response to circular instructions from brigade headquarters, I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by my regiment in the operations of the campaign against the enemy at Atlanta, from the 7th day of August to the 8th day of September, inclusive:
On the 7th day of August my regiment was on duty as provost and depot guard at the post of Marietta, having been assigned and
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ordered to that duty by the general commanding the Department of the Cumberland.
The regiment was relieved from duty at that post by the Tenth Indiana Volunteers on the 18th day of August, and on the 19th marched twelve miles to the Chattahoochee River bridge and encamped for the night.
On the 20th the march was continued a distance of about ten miles, and the regiment joined the brigade in the intrenchments in the immediate front of the enemy.
From the 21st to the 26th, inclusive, we remained in the same position, subjected at intervals to furious shelling from the enemy's batteries in our front.
On the 27th, at 2 a. m., we marched with the brigade some three or four miles to the right and were formed in line on the left flank of the Twenty-third Army Corps, where we remained during the day, the army trains meanwhile passing to the right through our lines.
On the 28th we marched at daybreak, and, after making a distance of six or seven miles in a southeasterly direction, crossed the Atlanta and Montgomery Railroad at Red Oak and encamped.
On the 29th remained in position.
On the 30th marched about five miles easterly and intrenched.
On the 31st marched about three miles easterly and ilntrenched within one mile of the Atlanta and Macon Railroad, our skirmish line, supported by two or three regiments, having gained possession of the road during the afternoon.
On the 1st day of September we marched at 11 a. m. about three miles southeasterly on the road to Jonesborough; then turning from the road to the left, crossed the fields about a mile to the railroad, where, in the formation of the brigade, the regiment took place, as directed, in the rear line and facing the south.
Heavy skirmishing, with occasional bursts of file firing were heard in our front, and after a halt of a few minutes we advanced with the brigade a distance of about three-fourths of a mile and reformed in support to a brigade of Carlin's division, then actually engaged with the enemy just in our front.
After a sharp contest of about half an hour the enemy was driven from his intrenchments in our front by a charge with the bayonet, and night soon after afforded the enemy an opportunity to retire from the contest altogether, and the firing ceased.
During the engagement we were somewhat exposed to musketry and to artillery fire at short range from the enemy's batteries.
The troops were kept covered by the ground as much as the circumstances of the movement would admit, and but 3 men were wounded in the regiment.
On the 2d we marched at 8 a. m. about a mile southeasterly, and reformed, facing the north.
At 2 p. m. the regiment was ordered to the railroad for the purpose of destroying the track.
At 6 p. m. rejoined the brigade and marched one or two miles to a position about --a mile northeast of Jonesborough, where line was formed and the troops encamped.
On the 3d, 4th, and 5th remained in position.
On the 6th marched at noon one mile along the railroad toward Atlanta, and went into position facing south.
On the 7th marched at 7 a. m. about eight miles to Rough and Ready Station and encamped.
On the 8th marched about eight miles to a position near White Hall, two miles south of Atlanta, near the Macon railroad, where the regiment is encamped at the date of this report.
On the 7th day of May the regiment left Ringgold with 451 officers and men present, which number has been increased by recruits from depot, 176; returned from hospital or detached service, 65; from desertion, 2.
Has been decreased, killed, 4; sent to hospital by reason of wounds, 16; for sickness, 113.
Discharged on account of expiration
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of term of service, 83; detailed on detached service, 20; deserted, 3; transferred, 2; dismissed, 7.
Present strength, 446 officers and men.
I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
J. W. Bishop, Lientenant-Colonel, Comdg. Second Minnesota Vols. Capt. C. A. Cilley
, Asst. Adjt. Gen., 2d Brig., 3d Div., 14th Army Corps.
, Asst. Adjt. Gen., 2d Brig., 3d Div., 14th Army Corps.