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.

Having sent all surplus baggage to Bridgeport, Ala., for storage, on the 3d day of May, 1864, we broke up camp near McDonald's Station, Tenn., and took up line of march toward Ringgold, Ga.; reached Salem Church on the afternoon of the 4th, five miles.from Ringgold, and remained there with the Ninety-third Ohio Volunteers and Thirty-fifth Indiana Volunteers, all under command of Colonel Manderson, guarding the supply trains of the Fourth Army Corps, until the morning of the 7th. In pursuance of orders received on the morning of the 7th of May the regiment, Colonel Manderson commanding, proceeded to Parker's Gap, guarding the supply trains that far on their way to Ringgold. On the same day the colonel commanding took possession of Parker's Gap, a narrow defile through White Oak Mountain, five miles from Ringgold, for the purpose of covering and protecting the railroad from Chattanooga to Ringgold. On the night of the 16th of May orders were received to rejoin thebrigade [475] at the front, and on the morning of the 17th the command started on the march, and on the evening of the 20th joined the brigade at a point five miles from Kingston and one mile south of Cassville. On the 23d of May the command moved with the brigade in a southwesterly direction and crossed the Etowah River at the covered bridge, and on that day and the 24th and 25th crossed the Allatoona range, and arrived in front of Dallas, near Pickett's Mills, on the 26th, the regiment being with the brigade in the reserve on the extreme left of our lines, the Twenty-third Corps, however, coming in on our left during the night. On the morning of the 27th the reserve of the brigade was formed of the Nineteenth Ohio, Seventy-ninth Indiana, and Ninth Kentucky Volunteers, under the command of Colonel Manderson, the Nineteenth Ohio being under my immediate command. In this order, about 8 a. m., we moved to the left and formed line of battle, fronting eastward, and advanced for about a half mile, the front line skirmishing with the enemy; we then moved a short distance by the left flank and again formed line, fronting southward, and in this direction advanced about a half a mile, when we again moved, by the left flank, a distance of two miles or more over a hilly and heavily wooded country; we again formed to the front and moved forward, the front lines soon striking the enemy, who were posted in force behind heavy fieldworks. The front lines having melted away under the heavy and destructive fire of the enemy, the reserve was ordered to the front, and advanced under a very heavy fire to an open field in front of the enemy's works, this command, taking rails, advanced into the open field and formed a slight rail barricade, behind which it lay and fought the enemy until dark. About 111 p. m. the enemy, having massed his forces, advanced under the cover of darkness and suddenly charged our lines; we fought him bravely, but being pressed by overwhelming numbers and without support, we were compelled to fall back about a half mile to the rear. We again formed our lines and lay upon our arms all night. In this action Captain Brewer was killed, Major Nash and Captain Smith were severely wounded, and 42 noncommissioned officers and privates of the regiment were killed, wounded, and taken prisoners, as shown in the annexed list.¹ In this position, alternating slightly from right to left, the command lay until the 6th day of June, having lost 1 man killed and I wounded on the skirmish line. The enemy having fallen back toward Marietta on the morning of the 5th, early on the morning of the 6th the command was moved to the left to within two and a half miles of Acworth. Here it lay until the morning of the 10th, when it moved about two miles to the front. From this time to the 17th it lay in front of the enemy, advancing gradually and forcing the enemy back, Captain Firestone, Company A, having been slightly wounded on the 16th. On the night of the 16th the enemy fell back about two miles, and on the morning of the 17th we moved forward in pursuit. Being in advance, Companies A and K were sent forward as skirmishers and drove the enemy's skirmishers back to within a few rods of their line of works. Skirmished with the enemy all day, the loss in the command being 2 killed and 8 wounded. (See list annexed.) On the lSth again skirmished with the enemy, who opened on the command with artillery. Our loss this day was 1 killed and 3 wounded. (See list annexed.) On the night of the 18th [476] the enemy again fell back abcut two miles, and on the morning of the 19th we followed, driving their skirmishers to the neighborhood of Kenesaw Mountain, with a loss of I man killed and 1 wounded. On the 20th and 21st we again advanced our lines slightly, having 1 man wounded on the 20th. (See list.) On the 22d we again advanced our lines, Companies C and D, under the command of First Lieut. Albert Upson, on the skirmish line and took a heavy line of the enemy's picket-pits, but were compelled to fall back, because of the line on our left not moving up promptly. Our loss this day, 6 killed and 15 wounded. (See list annexed.) In this position we remained, varying the lines slightly, until the 3d day of July, having lost 1 man wounded on June 26, and 1 killed and 1 wounded on the 29th of June on skirmish line.

On the night of the 2d of July the enemy abandoned his position on Kenesaw Mountain. On the morning of the 3d we marched in pursuit, passing to the south of Marietta. Marched six miles and bivouacked for the night. On the 4th we moved to the left and front, skirmishing with the enemy; formed our line, and threw up works. In this affair the command lost 1 man killed, 2 wounded, and 2 taken prisoners. On the night of the 4th the enemy again abandoned their works and fell back. On the morning of the 5th we marched in pursuit as far as the Chattahoochee River. Lay there in position until the 10th, having had 1 man wounded on the picketline on the 7th, and I killed on the 9th. On the morning of the 10th marched eight miles up the river and joined with the Twenty-third Corps. On the 12th marched three miles down the river and crossed it, camping in the hills two miles on the south side. On the 13th moved one mile to the right and threw up temporary works; no enemy seen in force in our front. Lay in this position until the morning of the 17th, when the command moved in light marching order four miles down the river to Pace's Ferry, occupied the hill on the south side, threw up breast-works, and covered the crossing of the Fourteenth Army Corps. On the 18th the command moved out to the main road leading to Atlanta. Marched about five miles and bivouacked. On the morning of the 19th we moved forward in light marching order three miles to Peach Tree Creek, where we found the enemy in force. Having thrown a temporary bridge over this stream, the command moved in support of the Ninth Kentucky Volunteers and Seventy-ninth Indiana Volunteers, and crossed the stream in the face of the enemy, and drove them from their works. The command lost in this action I man killed and 4 wounded. Was relieved on the night of the 19th by General Hazen's brigade, and moved back to our last camp. On the 20th and 21st the command again moved forward on the left of our lines on the Decatur road, and on the 21st threw up a line of breast-works under a heavy fire from the enemy. At night the enemy fell back, and on the morning of the 22d the command again moved forward, passing through a heavy line of works abandoned by the enemy, and found that the enemy had fallen back to their inner line of works around Atlanta; advanced within 300 yards of the enemy's skirmish line, and threw up a strong line of breast-works within two miles of the city. On the 24th had 2 men wounded in camp by fire from the enemy's picket-line, and on the 25th had 1 man wounded in the same manner. On the 28th made a demonstration in our front in favor of our forces on the right, and lost 1 man killed on the skirmish line. On the 1st of August had 1 man wounded on the skirmish line, and 1 on the [477] 2d. On the 3d of August made an advance of our picket-line and drove the enemy out of their picket-pits, capturing a number of their pickets, but were forced to abandon them and fall back to our former line, the enemy having in turn advanced upon our line in force; the command lost 3 men wounded and 1 captured. On the 4th had 1 man wounded on picket-line, and 1 on the 5th. On the 6th the command, in conjunction with the One hundred and twentyfourth Ohio, was ordered to the extreme left of our lines to repel an anticipated attempt of the enemy to turn our flank, but returned in the evening without seeing anything of the enemy. On the 13th was again ordered to the left, to guard against an attempt to turn our flank; returned in the evening to camp without seeing the enemy. On the 14th Captain Fix, Company B, was severely wounded by a musket-ball while in his tent in camp. On the 17th had 1 man wounded on picket-line. On the 19th was again ordered to the left to occupy the works of First Brigade, Second Division, Fourth Army Corps, while it made a reconnaissance and demonstration in its front. Returned to our camp in the evening. On the 20th was again ordered to the left to guard against any attempt to turn our flank. Returned to camp same day without seeing the enemy. On the 24th First Lieut. William F. McHenry was killed by a musketball from enemy's picket-line while in his tent in camp. On the 25th the command broke up camp, and at 11 p. m. moved off to the right. On the 26th, 27th, 28th, and 29th we moved to the west and south of Atlanta and struck the railroad running to Montgomery, Ala., from Atlanta, which we tore up and destroyed. On the 30th and 31st we moved eastwardly and struck the Macon railroad on the 31st about two miles south of Rough and Ready Station, threw up breast-works, and destroyed the road.

On September 1 the command was moved in the direction of Jonesborough and destroyed the railroad within three miles of that place, and lay in support of the Second Division, Fourth Army Corps, before the enemy's works at Jonesborough, and had 1 man wounded. The enemy having abandoned their works at Jonesborough on the night of the 1st, on the morning of the 2d the command followed in pursuit about seven miles southwardly along the railroad and found the enemy posted and intrenched in a strong position a mile or two north of Lovejoy's on both sides of the railroad. Companies D and E, under command of Captain Upson, were thrown in advance as skirmishers, covering the front of the brigade. In this condition the command moved forward to the attack, and drove the enemy from a strong line of skirmish rifle-pits, covered by an abatis, and captured a number of prisoners. The command then, under orders, charged directly up the crest of a corn-field upon the enemy's main works, but was met by such a deadly fire of artillery and musketry, all centered upon the line of the brigade in consequence of the lines on our right and left not coming up to the charge, that we were forced to fall back to the cover of the woods. At this point Colonel Manderson was severely wounded while gallantly cheering and encouraging his men and endeavoring to reform the line. The line was reformed and strong works thrown up along the edge of the woods. In this action the command lost 2 officers wounded severely, 2 men killed, 9 wounded and 1 missing. In this position we remained until the night of the 5th, having lost from fire of the enemy's pickets since the action of the 2d 1 man killed and 4 [478] wounded. On the night of the 5th the command started on the march for Atlanta, where it arrived on the 8th, and went into camp about three miles east of Atlanta, where it now is.

The whole loss of the command during the campaign is as follows: Killed-commissioned officers, 2; non-commissioned officers, 2; privates, 23 ; total, 27. Wounded-commissioned officers, 6; non-commissioned officers, 23; privates, 67; total, 96. Captured-non-commissioned officers, 1; privates, 12; total, 13. Aggregate, 136. I am sorry to state that many of the brave men whose names are in the annexed list have since died of their wounds.

In conclusion, sir, I take great pride in calling your attention to the gallant conduct of the officers and men of this command during the long and arduous campaign just closed. Too much praise cannot be awarded them. Fearless alike of danger or fatigue they bore the privations and exposures of the campaign with a cheerfulness that nothing could daunt, and while they mourn the loss of their brave comrades who have fallen, they rejoice at the grand success of our arms.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,