where they remained till September 28, 1864, when, under command of Captain Wilde, they moved by railroad to Athens, Ala., and marched from there to Florence in pursuit of the rebel forces under Forrest. Had a little skirmish with Forrest October 6, and marched back to Athens, and from there by railroad to Chattanooga, Tenn., which place they reached October 14. This place being threatened by the rebel army under Hood my regiment was put to work on the fortifications about the city, and were thus employed till the morning of October 18, 1864, when we marched with the rest of the DIVISION toward Gaylesville, Ala., which place we reached October 22. Here we lay in camp till October 28, when we marched toward Rome, Ga., reaching that place October 29. Lay in camp at Rome till November 1, and marched to Kingston, Ga., where we were encamped from November 1 to November 8. On the 8th of November we bid farewell to civilization and started for Atlanta. November 13 and 14, worked at destroying railroad; reached the ruins of Atlanta November 15. *

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

J. O. MARTIN,

Lieutenant Colonel, Commanding Seventeenth New Your Veteran Vols.

Captain John P. HOLLERS,

Actg. Asst. Adjt. General, 1st Brigadier, 2nd Div., 14th Army Corps.

Numbers 17. Report of Lieutenant Colonel John S. Pearce, Ninety- eighth Ohio Infantry, commanding Second Brigade.

HDQRS. SECOND Brigadier, SECOND DIV., 14TH ARMY CORPS,
In Camp, near Savannah, Ga., December 31, 1864.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to make the following report of the operations of this brigade from the fall of Atlanta to the evacuation by the enemy and the occupation of Savannah, Ga., by the U. S. forces on the morning of the 21st instant:

After the fight at Jonesborough, Ga., on the 1st of September last, the brigade, with the balance of the army, fell back to the neighborhood of Atlanta; went into camp at White Hall, two miles south of the city, and there remained until the evening of the 29th, same month, when, in pursuance of previous orders, we embarked aboard the cars near camp for Chattanooga, where we arrived the following day at night-fall, remaining on the cars that night. We left Chattanooga the following morning at 3 o'clock for Huntsville, Ala., where we arrived at 8. 30 p. m. that day, but after the enemy who had invested that place had retired. He we disembarked and bivouacked for the night near the deport, and on the following morning went into camp near by. At 12 m. that day we re-embarked on board the cars for Athens, Ala., and after a few delays, occasioned by obstructions and damage done to the road by the enemy, we arrived at that place by night-fall the following day, here bivouacking for the night. We set out early next morning for Florence, Ala., expecting at that place to encounter the rebel General Forrest and his command and to prevent his retreat across the Tennessee River, but on arriving at Florence we

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* For continuation of report, relating to the Savannah campaign, see Vol. XLIV, Part I.

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