No. 565.

Report of Captain George C. Lusk, Tenth Illinois Infantry.

HEADQUARTERS TENTH ILLINOIS INFANTRY, Near Jonesborough, Ga., September 6, 1864.

SIR: In accordance with orders from headquarters Third Brigade, Fourth Division, Sixteenth Army Corps, dated September 4, 1864, I submit the following report of the operations of my command during the late campaign against Atlanta, Ga.:

On the 1st day of May, 1864, we received orders to be ready to move at daylight the next morning. On the morning of the 2nd we left Rossville, Ga., and that day reached Ringgold, where we went into camp and lay until the 5th, when we moved through the gap and reached the first station beyond. On the 7th we moved to Tunnel Hill, and on the afternoon of that day five companies were deployed as skirmishers and moved forward, driving the rebels from Horn Hill and holding it. On the 9th we crossed the valley toward Rocky Face Ridge and formed at the foot of it. The Sixteenth Illinois Infantry were deployed as skirmishers, and our regiment was in reserve as support. We then partly up when it was discovered that the ridge could not be scaled. We then commenced moving slowly to the right. About noon one company of our regiment was sent forward to dislodge some rebel sharpshooters, who were getting troublesome. The position, however, was such that they met with but limited success. On the 10th we passed to the right and directly in front of the gap. We lay here until nearly dark, when three companies were deployed and ordered to go into gap as far as possible and try to discover the rebel artillery. In this they were successful. They advanced, steadily until the rebels opened their batteries upon them, when their object being attained they lay down and awaited orders. At night they were relieved and returned to camp; the brigade was also relieved and sent to the rear a short distance, where we lay until the 12th when we marched to the right and passed through Snake Creek Gap. On the 13th we marched to Resaca and took position in the rear of the First Division, Fourteenth Army Corps. That night we moved to the right and took a position on the front line, where we lay until the evacuation of Resaca, which took place on the night of the 15th. On the 16th we marched back to Snake Creek Gap, where the men's knapsacks were left. We then took the road which we were told led to Rome, Ga. We stopped that night eighteen miles from Rome. On the 17th we continued our march, and at noon had arrived at Jones' Mill, eight miles from Rome, where we remained until 9 o'clock that night, when we again started, and before morning had joined the brigade within sight of the city, where we remained until the 22d. On the 23rd we packed up and moved across to the city. Two companies were then detailed to cross the river in pontoons to drive the rebels away from the farther side. They crossed and drove the enemy away, from which the rest of the regiment crossed. On the 24th we left the camp on the river and took the main Atlanta road and camped that night at Cave Spring. The next day we moved off and took the Dallas road, and on the 26th arrived at the town of Dallas. Three companies were deployed as skirmishers and drove the rebels from the city. The next day we moved into position in front of Dallas, and threw up fortifications. We had two companies on picket and lost 5 men.