Today in History:

538 Series I Volume XXXVIII-I Serial 72 - The Atlanta Campaign Part I

Page 538 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.

my right. The enemy was repulsed before this regiment arrived in position. The casualties in the regiment in this engagement were 2 commissioned officers and 14 enlisted men killed; 1 commissioned officer and 24 enlisted men wounded; 4 enlisted men captured and 1 enlisted man missing. These losses were all in right wing. The officers and men behaved gallantly, and, with the exception of three companies named, remained firm in their position. After the enemy was repulsed the skirmishers were sent forward and occupied their old position. The enemy carried their wounded and most of their dead from the field. Five of their dead were buried by the regiment. A number of small-arms scattered on the field were gathered up by the regiment. On the 21st the skirmish line (Company F) was advanced and drove the enemy's skirmishers from their rifle-pits. They lost 1 man killed and 3 wounded.

The enemy abandoned their works on the night of the 21st, and on the morning of the 22nd the regiment marched out on the Atlanta road. Soon after passing the rebel works skirmishers were deployed (Company E), who advanced and soon became engaged with the enemy, who fell back to their main works. The regiment was formed on the left of the road, the Eighty-eighth Indiana on the left and Fifteenth Kentucky on the right, and threw up works. In the evening they moved to the right of the railroad and remained in this position until the 3rd of August. On the 1st of August the skirmish line in charge of Major Widmer was advanced and drove the enemy's skirmishers from their rifle-pits. The regiment lost 1 man wounded. On the morning of the 3rd of august we moved about four miles to the right, remaining in this vicinity until the 6th of August, when the regiment went into position on the line near the mill on Utoy Creek, relieving troops of the Twenty-third Corps. On the morning of the 7th the regiment moved forward about 200 yards and threw up works. About 1 p. m. the Eighty-eighth Indiana moved forward and captured a portion of the enemy's rifle-pits. The One hundred and fourth was ordered forward by General Carlin to take the next line across an open field, bordered on the right by a wooded hill, but did not succeed on account of a heavy fire received on the right flank from the enemy posted in their rifle-pits in the woods on the right, and fell back and formed on the right of the Eighty-eighth Indiana and built works. The regiment lost 1 commissioned officer and 3 enlisted men killed, and 10 enlisted men wounded. The regiment remained on this line until the evening of the 26th August, a part of the time subjected to a severe fire on our right flank from the enemy's sharpshooters, keeping the men very close to their works. Three men were severely wounded in the works during this time. About 4 p. m. of the 13th of August the skirmish line advanced, when nearly all of the enemy's lines of skirmishers threw down their arms and surrendered. There regiment skirmishers captured 23 men and occupied the enemy's rifle-pits. The regiment lost 1 man killed and 3 wounded. About 5 p. m. of the 14th of August the rebels made a dash on our skirmish line and were repulsed. The regiment had 2 men wounded. At 8 p. m. on the 26th of August the regiment retired from the line, leaving their skirmishers in charge of Captain Brown, Company C, and marched with the brigade to the right, reaching camp about 1 o'clock next morning. The skirmishers arrived safely during the forenoon; remained here during the day, marching the next morning at daylight, reaching the Atlanta and West Point Railroad near


Page 538 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.