No. 31. report of Col. Thomas E. Rose, Seventy-seventh Pennsylvania Infantry.
Hdqrs. 77TH Regt. Pennsylvania Vet. Vol. Infty.,
In Camp, near Atlanta, Ga., September 14, 1864.
Captain : The following is the report of the operations of my regiment during the campaign commencing on the 5th of May, 1864, and ending on the 8th of September, 1864:
On the 3d of May, 1864, the regiment broke camp at Blue Springs, at 12 m., and moved out six miles to the Knoxville and Dalton Railroad, and encamped for the night.
On Wednesday, May 4, we marched at 5 a. m. to Catoosa Springs, where we encamped for two days. On Saturday, May 7, marched south to Tunnel Hill.
On Sunday, May 8, moved to Mill Creek Gap and Rocky Face Ridge.
On Monday, May 9, near midnight, the regiment went on picket.
On Tuesday, May 10, skirmished all day with the enemy; had 3 enlisted men wounded.
On Wednesday, May 11, the regiment, with the Thirtieth Indiana, moved on to a ridge which commanded Mill Creek Gap, and threw up rifle-pits.
On Friday, May 13, at 5 a. m. the regiment with the division moved forward through Dalton, and at 9 a. m. came up with the enemy's rear guard; had some skirmishing, and went into camp.
On Saturday, May 14, left camp and marched two miles, when our corps engaged the enemy, skirmishers were thrown out from each regiment; 1 commissioned officer and 1 enlisted man was wounded of this regiment.
On Sunday, May 15, skirmishing commenced at daylight, and we were engaged with the enemy more or less all day; lost 3 enlisted men wounded.
On Monday, May 16, we moved at 6 a. m. into Resaca, and at 4 p.m. crossed the river and marched four miles, where we encamped for the night.
On Tuesday, May 17, we marched at 8 a. m., and encamped within two miles of Adairsville.
On Wednesday, May 18, the regiment marched at 6 a. m., passed through Adairsville, and six miles beyond encamped for the night.
On Thursday, May 19, the regiment marched at 6 a. m.; came up with the enemy's rear guard at Kingston, where we commenced skirmishing, and so continued until the enemy was driven back to Cassville.
This regiment lost during the day I enlisted man killed and 3 wounded. On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 20th, 21st, and 22d, the regiment lay in camp.
On Monday, May 23, we marched west six miles, where we crossed the Etowah River, and continuing the march four miles farther encamped for the night.
On Tuesday, May 24, the regiment moved out of camp at 6 a. m., and marched fifteen miles and encamped.
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On Wednesday, May 25, the regiment left camp at 10 a. m. and marched about eight miles to where the Twentieth Army Corps had been fighting, and encamped for the night.
On Thursday, May 26, the regiment moved into the line of battle, our brigade being in reserve.
On Friday, May 27, the regiment moved forward to the front line, and had sharp fighting all day. The casualties were 1 enlisted man killed and 3 wounded. On Saturday, May 28, our skirmishers were hotly engaged.
The casualties in the regiment were I commissioned officer and 8 enlisted men wounded.
On Sunday, May 29, the skirmishing continued all day; casualties, 4 enlisted men wounded.
On Monday, May 30, the skirmishing still continued; casualties, 2 enlisted men wounded.
On Tuesday, May 31, our skirmishers were still engaged, and the casualties of this regiment, 1 enlisted man wounded.
On Wednesday, June 1, the position of the regiment was still unchanged.
The loss on this day was 1 enlisted man killed.
On Thursday, June 2, no change of position took place; casualties of the regiment, 1 enlisted man wounded.
On Friday, June 3, in the same position as on the 2d; casualties of the regiment, 2 enlisted men wounded.
On Saturday, June 4, moved camp at daylight to the left, the rebels having retreated during the night.
On Sunday, June 5, the regiment lay quietly in camp all day. On Monday, June 6, the regiment marched at 5 a. m. a distance of about six miles to near Acworth Station.
The regiment lay in camp during the 7th, 8th, and 9th.
On Friday, June 10, the regiment left camp at 7 a. m., and marched four miles and encamped near Pine Knob, or Pine Top, near the enemy, our regiment on the second line, and was not engaged with the enemy.
On Saturday and Sunday, 11th and 12th of June, the regiment still lay in camp on the second line in the same position as on the 10th.
On Monday, June 13, the regiment moved one mile to the left, and threw up new works during the night.
The rebels in front evacuated the same night.
On Tuesday, June 14, the regiment moved forward one mile; finding the enemy in force, we here threw up new works; casualties, 1 enlisted man wounded.
On Wednesday, June 15, the regiment continued in the same position as on the 14th.
We had some skirmishing, but — no casualties.
On Thursday, June 16, the operations were the same as on the 14th and 15th; the casualties of the regiment, 1 enlisted man wounded.
During the night the rebels fell back.
On Friday, June 17, the regiment moved forward some distance and went into camp.
There was heavy skirmishing along the line, but my regiment was not engaged.
On Saturday, June 18, the skirmishing still continued, but the brigade to which my regiment belongs was in reserve, consequently we were not engaged.
On Sunday, June 19, we again moved forward; were met by the rebels about a mile distant from our starting point, where our skirmishers engaged the enemy; fell slowly back to the foot of Kenesaw Mountain; the casualties in the regiment were 1 commissioned officer wounded, 2 enlisted men killed, and 7 enlisted men wounded.
On Monday, June 20, the regiment lay in front of Kenesaw all day; no casualties.
On Tuesday, June 21, the regiment moved forward and to the right.
We were here opened upon by two batteries from the rebels.
We threw up a new line of works, it being already the third before Kenesaw in about twenty-four hours; the casualties from the enemy's shells were 1 enlisted man killed and 2 enlisted men wounded.
On Wednesday, June 22, the enemy opened upon us the same as before,
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but our works being completed we were better protected, and no casualties occurred in the regiment.
On Thursday, June 23, the regiment moved to the right and lay in reserve until dark, when we moved forward close to the enemy, and during the night completed a strong earth-work.
On Friday, June 24, we had some skirmishing; lost 1 enlisted man wounded.
On Saturday and Sunday, 25th and 26th of June, the position of the regiment was unchanged; we lost 2 enlisted men wounded on the 26th.
On Monday, June 27, a general assault was made.
The brigade to which my regiment is attached was held in reserve; the casualties of the regiment were 1 enlisted man killed and I wounded.
On Tuesday, June 28, we had considerable skirmishing, and had 1 commissioned officer and 2 enlisted men wounded.
On Wednesday, June 29, a burial of the dead in our front under a flag of truce took place.
During the night the enemy made a demonstration, but were repulsed.
The casualties of the regiment were 3 enlisted men wounded.
On Thursday, June 30, at dark, my regiment was relieved by another regiment of our brigade, and we moved back to the second line and encamped.
On Friday, July 1, we continued in camp on the second line.
On Saturday, July 2, the regiment again moved forward to the front line; no casualties.
On Sunday, July 3, about 2 a. m., the rebels evacuated their works, and we moved forward at once and occupied them.
Took several prisoners.
We then moved forward to Marietta and five miles beyond to Smyrna, where we found the enemy strongly fortified.
On Monday, July 4, at 11 a.,m. we charged the enemy's works, capturing the rifle-pits, with a large number of prisoners, and killing and wounding several of the enemy; our loss was 1 commissioned officer wounded and 1 enlisted man killed, and 17 enlisted men wounded.
During the night the enemy fell back to the Chattahoochee River and left us in full possession of their strong works at Smyrna, which we immediately occupied.
On Tuesday, July 5, at daybreak we commenced pursuing the enemy.
The regiment moved forward to Vining's Station, thence one mile to the left and encamped on the Chattahoochee River.
On Wednesday, July 6, the regiment lay in camp, our skirmishers exchanging occasional shots across the river.
We lay in this camp until the 10th.
On Sunday, July 10, we marched up the river about five miles, where the regiment encamped within about one-half mile of the river, and continued in camp until the 12th.
On Tuesday, July 12, we marched early, crossed the Chattahoochee on canvas pontoons, and moved down the river some distance, to a high bluff overlooking the river, where we encamped until the 18th.
On Monday, July 18, the regiment moved forward toward Atlanta six miles, and encamped.
On Tuesday, July 19, we marched at 11 a.m. about three miles, to Peach Tree Creek, on the opposite bank of which we threw up works; had some skirmishing but no casualties.
On Wednesday, July 20, we marched to within three miles of Decatur, and then took the road to Atlanta, in all about four miles. We went into position in line and the enemy made a fierce attack on our skirmishers, but were repulsed; the casualties of this regiment were only 2 enlisted men wounded.
On Thursday, July 21, at sunrise this regiment moved forward to the line of skirmishers and threw up works under a pretty heavy fire; our casualties were 1 commissioned officer and 4 enlisted men wounded.
The enemy retreated during the night.
On Friday, July 22, before daylight,
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we commenced pursuing the enemy, this regiment taking the advance, and at sunrise, owing to the fog, we came up with the rebels quite abruptly.
We were quickly in line, however, and after a pretty sharp skirmish we commenced throwing up works within two miles of the town of Atlanta and within 1,500 yards of one of the enemy's forts; the casualties of the regiment were 4 enlisted men wounded.
On Tuesday, July 26, a demonstration was made in which our skirmish line was somewhat advanced.
This regiment lost 3 men wounded.
On the 5th of August a like demonstration was made, in which five companies of this regiment charged up to the enemy's works and were repulsed, with the loss of 1 commissioned officer and 5 enlisted men killed, and 14 enlisted men wounded, On the 17th of August this regiment changed camp from the extreme right to the extreme left of the brigade; the casualties were 3 enlisted men wounded on the picket-line.
On Thursday, August 25.
at dark, as the army commenced to move, the regiment withdrew from the works and moved to the right and bivouacked at Proctor's Creek, distance seven miles. On Friday, August 26, the regiment continued the march to the right, passing a portion of the Army of the Tennessee and the Fourteenth Army Corps, and encamped at 5 p. m., after marching about eight miles. On Saturday, August 27, advanced rapidly to Gilead Church, a distance of six miles. On Sunday, August 28, we marched, at about 3 p. m., a distance of about three miles, and bivouacked near the West Point railroad in a fine agricultural country.
On Monday, August 29, the regiment assisted in destroying a large portion of the railroad.
On Tuesday, August 30, we marched southeast, a distance of about three miles, and encamped in a thick woods.
On Wednesday.
August 31, we moved early in the morning and marched about fve miles to near the Macon railroad and encamped for the night.
On Thursday, September I, we marched to the railroad and commenced destroying it. We moved down the railroad destroying it as we went, until we came near Jonesborough, where we formed line of battle and advanced on the enemy, who was intrenched at that place.
This regiment, on the extreme right of the brigade, advanced through a dense thicket for about one-half a mile, close to the enemy's main line, where we threw up slight works under a heavy fire of musketry and canister; the casualties were only 2 wounded. During the night the enemy retreated.
On Friday, September 2, we moved down the railroad to Lovejoy's Station, where we again found the enemy.
The division to which my brigade and regiment is attached moved to the left, and formed line of battle, when we moved forward and engaged the enemy.
My regiment was held in reserve and did not become engaged, although we were part of the time under a brisk fire.
No casualties.
On Saturday, September 3, my regiment moved up to the front line early and relieved the Seventy-fifth Illinois, of our brigade.
As my regiment was much larger than the Seventyfifth, I was obliged to prolong the works in order to protect my men. As soon as the fog arose the enemy opened a concentrated fire of musketry with artillery upon my regiment, and kept it up until our works were completed.
The casualties of the regiment at this place were 1 commissioned officer killed and 1 severely wounded, and 11 enlisted men wounded.
We remained at this place until the night of the 5th, when we withdrew and marched to Jonesborough, where we remained until the 7th.
On Wednesday, September 7, the
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regiment marched to Rough and Ready, and encamped for the night.
On Thursday, September 8, marched through Atlanta and encamped two miles from the town in the direction of Decatur.
From the 3d of May until June 7 the regiment was commanded by Capt. J. J. Lawson, Company C.
On the 7th of June I returned to the regiment, and have been personally in command during all of the time since.
Submitting the above, I am, sir, respectfully, your obedient servant,
