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.

It seems necessary for me in the beginning to state that Special Field Orders, No. 218, dated headquarters Department of the Cumberland, [438] August 9, 1864, transferring the regiment from the Fourth Division, Twentieth Army Corps, to the Second Brigade, Third Division, Fourth Army Corps, were received on the 14th day of August, 1864, at regimental headquarters at Decherd, Tenn. Owing to directions from Major-General Rousseau, the regiment was not allowed to move until the 23d. We were again detained, by orders from Major-General Steedman, at Dalton, Ga., from the 24th to the 28th. On the evening of the last-named day we arrived at Vining's Station (Chattahoochee), and finding that our corps had moved for the rear of Atlanta two days before, I immediately mobilized the regiment, and at 2 p. m. on the 29th we started, by the way of Sandtown, to join our command. After a careful and pleasant march we joined the Second Brigade, Third Division, Fourth Army Corps, on the morning of the 31st of August, near Rough and Ready, on the Macon railroad. We marched with the command, but had no part in any action until the 2d day of September. Finding the enemy in force on the Macon railroad near Lovejoy's, when our brigade took position, four companies (B, C, E, and K) of our regiment were ordered to the skirmish line, under my own command. These companies, constituting the skirmishers of our brigade, advanced near a mile and encountered a light line of the enemy's skirmishers, which we easily drove for half a mile, where we found the enemy's main skirmish line, with rifle-pits and other temporary defenses. We carried and permanently held a portion of this line, and pressed our line in close range of the balance. Night had now come on, and at 9 o'clock, being relieved by the Forty-first Ohio Volunteers, I rejoined the regiment, which had come up with the brigade, and during the night we construct bed breast-works on the ground we had taken from the enemy. During the 3d and 4th and most of the 5th we lay in our works without event, except the slight wounding of 4 of our men by stray shots from the enemy's skirmish line on the 3d. At 5 p. m. of the 5th Major Carlin relieved the One hundred and twenty-fourth Ohio Volunteers from the skirmish line with Companies D, F, G, H, and I, of our regiment. The army being ordered to fall back under cover of the night, our brigade moved at 8 p. m., leaving the skirmish line to keep up the deception, with orders to withdraw at midnight and follow up. By direction of the brigade commander, I prepared the regiment for the march; at 8 placed it under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Hart, and remained to bring off the skirmishers, which I did without casualty or alarm at 5 minutes to 12 o'clock, and joined the brigade at Jonesborough at day dawn on the morning of the 6th. About the same time that our army moved I began to hear the movement of wagons to the rear in the encampment of the enemy. By careful observation I became quite satisfied that the enemy was also falling back.

From joining the brigade at Jonesborough, on the morning of the 6th, to our arrival in Atlanta on the 8th, we simply marched with the command, nothing occurring worthy of note. We joined the brigade with 467 men and 16 officers. In the skirmish of 2d of September we lost II wounded. (See accompanying list of casualties.¹) In camp on the 3d, 4 men were wounded (See list of casualties.)

I forgot to say that in the evening of the 2d the ammunition of Company C being exhausted, I relieved it with Company A, which [439] advanced under a brisk fire and drove the enemy back, thus securing an excellent position for the works of the Ninety-third Ohio Volunteers.

As far as I was able to observe, the conduct of men and officers was good.

I am, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,