394 Series I Volume XXXVIII-I Serial 72 - The Atlanta Campaign Part I
Page 394 | THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L. |
some prisoners, and pressed them back to their main line of works. It now being dark, the troops were moved forward and our lines established within about 400 yards of the enemy's third line of works, when, during the night, our first line built strong barricades, this position being about one mile and a half from the enemy's second line of works. The picket-firing on both sides during the night was very sharp, but inflicted no serious damage to us. At 4 a. m. on the 18th, the Thirty-second Indiana Infantry being on the skirmish line, that regiment was advanced to within 200 yards of the enemy's works, which position was held, and during the day barricades were built for our skirmishers under a heavy fire from both his skirmishers and troops in his main line of works. The enemy again falling back during the night of the 18th, at daybreak of the 19th we occupied his works. Advancing our skirmishers some distance, we captured 80 prisoners, including 2 commissioned officers-pone man (Private Peter Cupp, H Company, of the Fifteenth Ohio) capturing alone and bringing in with their arms 17 men and 2 commissioned officers. At an early hour we were relieved by Generals Stanley's and Newton's division, the former taking the advance and establishing their lines that night in front of the enemy's fourth and last of works, at the base of Kenesaw Mountain, the line thus established being a little south of west of Kenesaw, the general front being east and about two a half miles from the enemy's third line of works at the point where we passed through in the morning. Our division being in reserve, the brigade did not become engaged during the day. At an early hour on the 20th this brigade relived a brigade of the Twentieth Corps in the front line, connecting our right with General Harker's brigade, of Stanley's [Newton's?] division. The enemy here occupied, protected by rifle-pits, the crest of a bald knob in our immediate front, about 250 yards from our main line of works, from which his fire did us considerable damage. About 2 p. m. the Fifteenth Ohio, at that time on the skirmish line, in obedience to orders, charged and gallantly carried the position, capturing some prisoners and losing 58 men killed and wounded. The Forty-ninth Ohio being immediately sent to their assistance, promptly formed on their right, and the two regiments advancing in concert drove the enemy into his main line of works, we at once establishing and strongly fortifying a line about 150 yards in advance of the bald knob, on the slope of a very considerable contiguous ridge, on the crest of which, and about 300 yards distant, was the enemy's main line of works. The capture of this knob by this brigade as a consequence relived the front of the other divisions of the corps, enabling them to advance and establish their lines about 250 yards from the position assumed night previous.
In this position the brigade (re-enforced on the 28th by the Eighth Kansas Veteran Volunteer Infantry, Colonel John A. Martin) remained engaging the enemy only with skirmishers until the evening of July 2, when we moved with the division to the left to take the position of and relive the Fifteenth Corps, this brigade relieving General Woods' brigade, of Osterhaus division. The same night, the enemy having abandoned his position on and about Kenesaw Mountain and Marietta, at daylight on the 3d, our skirmishers occupied his works in our immediate front, and advancing as far as Marietta, secured 89 prisoners, including 3 commissioned officers. Our casualties during these operations about Kenesaw were: Killed, 35; wounded, 193; missing, 1; total, 229.
Page 394 | THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L. |