No. 45. report of Maj. Norris T. Peatman, Twenty-sixth Ohio Infantry.
Hdqrs. Twenty-Sixth Ohio Veteran Vol. Infty., Near Atlanta Ga., September 20, 1864.
Sir: I have the honor to make the following report of the part taken by this regiment in the recent campaign of the army under General Sherman, commencing May 3, 1864, and ending on the 8th instant:
On the morning of the 3d of May the regiment, numbering 314 enlisted men, in command of Lieut. Col. W. H. Squires, left Cleveland, Tenn., and marched with the brigade and division in the direction of Dalton, Ga. Arrived near Catoosa Springs on the 4th and bivouacked there until the 7th, when we advanced to Tunnel Hill and again bivouacked until the 9th.
Advanced on that day with the brigade to the top of Rocky Face Ridge to the support of General Harker, who after our arrival made a charge upon the enemy's works.
During the charge the regiment was under a brisk fire of musketry, but met with a loss of only 2 men wounded.
On the 10th commenced moving slowly upon the enemy, and on the 14th and 15th had engagements with him near Resaca.
Had 1 man mortally wounded.
On the 16th moved forward, and found the enemy at Adairsville on the 17th, and had an engagement with him. Loss, 13 wounded, 2 mortally.
Moved on from Adairsville and arrived at Kingston on the 20th; encamped at the latter place until the 23d.
After leaving Kingston we found the enemy in force near Dallas on the 25th.
Commenced skirmishing on the 26th, continuing it more or less until the 5th of June.
Losses near Dallas were Lieutenant Platt, Company G, killed; Lieutenant Renick, Company F, wounded, and 5 enlisted men wounded.
June 6, arrived at Acworth and remained there until the 10th.
Kept maneuvering and skirmishing from that date almost continually until the 15th, and drove the enemy in the meantime some three miles to one of his strong positions near Pine Mountain.
In this advance Lieutenant Hoge, Company H, was wounded.
Here the regiment lay in reserve for
[351]
two days with the brigade.
On the 18th, at 2 a. m., the regiment was ordered to the front on the skirmish line, and during the day in a heavy rain-storm we made a charge on the rebel skirmishers and drove them to their main works, capturing some prisoners.
Losses that day were Captain Baldwin, Company G, wounded, and 17 enlisted men wounded, 3 mortally.
On the 19th Lieutenant-Colonel Squires went back to the hospital sick, and I succeeded him in command of the regiment.
Moved forward on that day some two miles, being in reserve, and halted in close proximity to Kenesaw Mountain.
Regiment in the evening was ordered to the skirmish line in front of the Fourteenth Corps and remained there until 7 a. m. the next day. Skirmishing was brisk during the night, but no casualties .occurred.
Moved on the 21st with brigade and division two miles to the right, lying a part of the time in reserve.
On the 22d had 3 men wounded, 1 mortally.
On the 23d the regiment was sent to the skirmish line in front of General Kimball's brigade, when we were ordered to make a charge on the enemy's skirmishers, causing them to fall back to their main line.
Losses that day 4 men killed and 9 wounded, 3 mortally.
June 27, we participated in the charge made that day on the enemy's works, occupying position in the second line of battle, and lost in killed 3 enlisted men and 21 wounded, 2 mortally.
Lieutenant Foster, Company A, was also wounded.
I was wounded myself in this engagement and was succeeded in command of the regiment by Captain Adair, Company I.
July 3, after the enemy had evacuated their works near Kenesaw Mountain, the regiment moved forward, with the column five miles, via Marietta.
July 4, had some skirmishing with the enemy and built works for defense.
Loss in the skirmish 1 man. On the 5th marched to the Chattahoochee, near Vining's Stations Lieutenant- Colonel Squires returned from absent sick and took command of the regiment.
On the 7th moved up the river about two miles, where the regiment was put on picket and remained until the 12th, while the most of the division went on a raid across the Chattahoochee.
On the 13th crossed the Chattahoochee, advanced some two miles and went into camp, remaining there until the 17th. Two commissioned officers and fifty-six enlisted men were sent to Chattanooga to be mustered out, their term of service being about to expire.
On the 18th moved to Buck Head, distance six miles. On the 19th moved to Peach Tree Creek.
Crossed that stream on the 20th and was engaged in the battle of that day, suffering a loss of but 3 men wounded, but inflicting a heavy loss on the enemy.
Advanced on the 22d to a position in front of the enemy's works, two miles north of Atlanta.
That night a line of works was thrown up in the reserve line of the brigade, where we remained until the 25th of August, doing in the mean time considerable skirmishing; also fatigue duty in erecting fortifications.
Losses while in front of Atlanta were only 3 men wounded.
I had returned for duty from absent wounded July 27. August 24, Lieutenant-Colonel Squires, on account of sickness, was carried back to the hospital, when the command again fell to me. On the night of August 25 we were ordered to march, starting about midnight.
We moved with the intention, as it was evident afterward, of striking the Macon railroad, and thereby cut off commu.
nication between Atlanta and the south.
On the 31st we crossed the Montgomery railroad, and on the 1st of September reached the Macon railroad and spent a considerable portion of the day in destroying it. About 6 p. m., having cone up with the enemy
[352]
intrenched on the railroad near Jonesborough, we were formed in line and maneuvered under a heavy fire from the enemy's artillery and skirmishers until after dark, when we bivouacked for the night and threw up works of defense.
Regiment lost 1 man mortally wounded.
That night the enemy fell back to near Lovejoy's Station.
We followed him up on the 2d and fortified in his front.
The regiment was exposed more or less to the fire of the rebel skirmish line and artillery until 8 p. m. of the 5th.
Our loss while in front of Lovejoy's Station was 2 men mortally wounded.
On the night of the 5th we fell back with the division to Jonesborough.
On the 7th took up march for Atlanta, where we arrived on the 8th instant.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
N. T. Peatman, Major, Commanding Twenty-sixth Ohio Infantry.
Lieut. L. L. Cox, Aide-de-Camp, Second Brig., Second Div., 4th Army Corps.
