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.

Lieutenant: Pursuant to general orders giving regulations for the artillery of the Military Division of the Mississippi, I have the honor to report the part taken by Bridges' Battery, Illinois Light Artillery, in the campaign of Major-General Sherman for the possession of Atlanta, Ga.

On the 5th day of May the battery, consisting of six rifled ordnance guns, with a full complement of men, commanded by Capt. Lyman Bridges, was placed in position in line of battle near Ringgold by Capt. C. Bradley, chief of artillery, Third Division, Fourth Army Corps, where it remained until the morning of the 7th, when the grand army of the Military Division of the Mississippi unitedly confronted the traitors. Tunnel Hill was reached on the evening of the same day, from which time the battery was kept in park until the morning of the 10th, when, at 9 a. m., by the order of General Wood, it was placed in position in the valley between Tunnel Hill and Rocky Face, and shelled the ridge steadily for four hours, scattering a column of infantry and silencing a rebel battery, which opened from the top of the ridge upon the infantry camps in the valley. After [495] dark on the evening of the 11th the battery was placed in a commanding position on Tunnel Hill by division chief of artillery, and intrenched itself during the night. From this point shells were thrown upon the ridge and into the gaps during the forenoon of the 12th. At 11 a. m. two sections of the battery, Captain Bridges commanding, went to aid in protecting the left, which was threatened by the enemy's cavalry. Returning at dark, the battery was in readiness to take up line of march with the Fourth Army Corps on the 13th, after the retreat of the rebel army from Buzzard Gap and Dalton on the night of the 12th. Arriving before Resaca about 10 a. m., the battery was ordered forward from column into position on doublequick, by Major-General Howard, to cover the advancing line of infantry, and in the three positions in which the battery was placed during the day by division chief of artillery; the object was more for protection than aggressive operations. At night-fall the battery intrenched itself nearly opposite the center of line of the Fourth Corps, where it remained until the morning succeeding the evacuation of Resaca by the rebels, when line of march was again taken up with the advancing army. The battery was next engaged with the enemy before Adairsville on the 17th instant at 5 p. m., by the order of Brigadier-General Wood. On the 18th the battery bore an important part in breaking and dispersing the rebel lines in front of Cassville, Ga. At 6 p. m. General Howard brought this battery with others into position, from which were able to fire with raking effect upon the flank of the rebel lines occupying Cassville while their front was to the left meeting the attack of General Hooker's command. On the 22d instant Captain Bridges received orders to report to Major-General Howard as acting chief of artillery, and the command of the company devolved upon senior First Lieut. Morris D. Temple. The line of march was again taken up at 12 m. of the 23d and proceeded without events of importance until 6 p. m. of the 26th instant, when it was ordered by corps chief of artillery from near Pumpkin Vine Creek to a commanding position near Dallas, behind works constructed by pioneers. Eighteen hundred yards in our front was a heavy line of rebel works in which were three batteries. With two of these we were fiercely engaged on the 27th instant. One of the rebel batteries was silenced, notwithstanding our works had been so poorly constructed as to have been entirely torn to pieces and demolished by the shot and shell from the enemy's guns. These were at once fitted up and embrasures put in by the company. On the 28th and 29th and 30th instant the battery was more or less engaged with good effect. On the evening of the 30th it was relieved and placed in camp by order of Captain Bridges. The casualties during this engagement were Privates George Scott, Michael Crawley and James Lindsay, wounded slightly; Isaac Houghtaling and Caleb B. Beers, wounded severely by musket-balls. Four horses were killed, 2 wounded, and 2 caisson wheels disabled. Every effort was required to save men from the enemy's sharpshooters, for they were active and well posted.

On the 8th of June, while foraging, Corpl. George S. Brown and Private John Hannifer, with Privates Elias Collingwood, detailed from the Sixth Ohio Battery, and William Tandy, of the Fifteenth Ohio Infantry, were captured by a band of the enemy's cavalry. On the 8th instant, when in camp at Morris' Hill Church, near Acworth, Lieuts. Morris D. Temple and William R. Bise and twenty-eight enlisted men received orders to proceed to Chicago, Ill., to be mustered [496] out of service by virtue of term of enlistment about to expire, leaving the battery in command of junior First Lieut. Lyman A. White. On account of the heavy rain the roads were extremely muddy, which, with very short forage, made the march, from near Dallas to the position taken in front of Kenesaw Mountain, very wearing upon our animals. During the 17th and 18th the battery was actively engaged in several positions. The section commanded by Sergt. Luman C. Lawrence rendered most efficient service from accuracy of fire, effectually silencing a rebel battery and line of skirmishers. The battery was ordered into three positions on the 19th instant, shelling the rebel lines around the base and on the side of the Kenesaw Mountain. Several shells were exploded upon its top. At 9 a. m. on the morning of the 20th one section, under command of Sergt. Clark E. Dodge, was placed, by the order of General Howard, in a much advanced and exposed position. The entire battery was placed by sections in commanding positions by order of corps chief of artillery, and was actively engaged with the enemy's artillery and shelling the rebel works more or less every day until the evening of July 3, when the battery was assigned to a new position to the left and near the south terminus of the mountain. In a fierce duel with the enemy's artillery on the afternoon of June 21 senior Second Lieut. Franklin Seeborn was severely wounded in the foot; Private Minford S. Clark was wounded in the right hand. In these engagements 2 horses were killed and 1 severly wounded. On the 22d of June one gun was struck by a 12-pounder shot and disabled. The battery had. part in no important engagements from this time until July 6, when it was placed in a good position on the right bank of the Chattahoochee River, commanding a rebel battery and covering a pontoon bridge, which the enemy made several unsuccessful attempts to remove. On the 9th instant Private Johnson R. Hathaway was killed by a musket-ball. The battery crossed the Chattahoochee River with the entire Fourth Corps to the left of our line on the 12th instant, took position in line of battle near the river, and remained without important engagements until the 18th. On the 19th at 6 a. m.. the battery was ordered by General Howard into position near Peach Tree Creek. The battery during this day's engagements occupied several positions by sections. During the afternoon the section commanded by Sergt. Clark E. Dodge was especially complimented by Major-General Thomas for its good shots. They were made by gunners Corpl. William Hall and Corpl. John Merriam. On July 21 the battery was placed in a commanding position by division chief of artillery to bear upon the outer line of rebel works around Atlanta; were successful in silencing a very troublesome line of rebel skirmishers and in badly shattering their works.

July 22, at 11 a. m. took position, by order of Captain Bradley, in the line before Atlanta, 20 degrees east of north from the city, and at 3 p. m. commenced shelling the rebel works in good earnest. Commencing at 6 p. m. on the evening of the 23d, a constant fire upon the city was kept up for twenty-six hours, sending one shot every three minutes during the first twelve hours, and for the remainder of the time one shot every five minutes. The battery was engaged during a part of nearly every day until the 12th of August, when it was assigned a new and more commanding position. Occasional firing was kept up until the 25th instant, when the battery joined the [497] Artillery Brigade, under orders of Captain Bridges, commanding. During the final movements for the possession of Atlanta the battery has been many times in position and has not come short of responding to every call. At this date the battery is in camp in good condition, and its commander would not fail to render to the God of Battles most earnest gratitude for the watchful care and tender mercies it has been His good pleasure to extend so freely toward us. Even through all this fierce and bloody strife and the great exposure to noonday heat and midnight damps we have to record the death of but two members of the company.

Recapitulation :¹ Killed, 2; wounded, 6; prisoners of war, 4; total, 12.

All of which is most respectfully submitted.

Your obedient servant,