Numbers 187.

Report of Lieutenant Colonel John R. Fesler, Twenty-seventh Indiana Infantry.

HDQRS. TWENTY-SEVENTH INDIANA VOLUNTEERS,
Atlanta, Ga., September 6, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to make the report of the part taken by the Twenty-seventh Indiana Volunteers in the present campaign, closing at Atlanta, Ga.

April 28, the regiment started from Tullahoma, Tenn., Colonel Silas Colgrove commanding, marched by the way of Bridgeport, Ala., Chattanooga, Tenn., and arrived near Resaca, Ga., May 14, and was ordered in position by Brigadier-General Ruger on the right of the brigade. Sunday, May 15, advanced, by General ruger's orders, driving the enemy's pickets until within 200 yards of their rifle-pits, and were then halted in line of battle, with skirmishers deployed in front seventy-five yards, until about 4 o'clock, when the Thirty-eighth Alabama Regiment made a charge on the regiment and was handsomely repulsed, with a loss of their colors, 35 prisoners, including Colonel Lankford, commanding the regiment, and 33 killed. The loss in my regiment was 5 killed and 54 wounded. Occasional skirmishing from the 16th of May until the 25th of May, when the regiment arrived at New Hope Church, near Dallas, Ga. About 4 p. m. of that day General Ruger ordered Colonel Colgrove, commanding the regiment, to take position on the right of the brigade and moved forward. After advancing about 500 yards the enemy opened a very heavy fire on the regiment with musketry and canister from their rifle-pits, and after fighting about forty minutes the regiment was compelled to fall back, with a loss of 5 killed and 45 wounded. From the 25th of May to July 20 the losses in the regiment were from 5 to 15 a week in killed and wounded. July 20, at Peach Tree Run, Colonel Colgrove was ordered by General Ruger to take a position on the right of General Knipe's brigade. It was done with some difficulty, as the enemy was about to get on General Knipe's right flank before the regiment could get the position ordered. Soon after getting in position Colonel Colgrove was severely wounded, and the command of the regiment then devolved on my. About 10 p. m. the enemy fell back, taking their killed and wounded with them. The loss in my regiment was 4 killed and 10 wounded.

The 22nd of July I advanced with the brigade within two and a half miles of Atlanta, and was ordered in position near the left of the railroad, and was under the fire of the enemy's pickets or sharpshooters until the 24th of August, and then marched back to the Chattahoochee River and remained there until September 2, and then marched back to Atlanta.

Respectfully,

JOHN R. FESLER,

Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding Regiment.

Lieutenant E. G. FAY,

A. A. A. G., 2nd Brigadier, 1st Div., 20th Army Corps.