Numbers 650.

Report of Lieutenant Colonel James M. Johnson, Thirtieth Mississippi Infantry, commanding Twenty-ninth and Thirtieth Mississippi Infantry, of operations July 28.

HDQRS. TWENTY-NINTH AND THIRTIETH MISSISSIPPI,
In the Field, July 30, 1864.

CAPTAIN: In obedience to circular of this date from brigade headquarters, I have the honor most respectfully to submit the following report of the part this command took in the engagement of the 28th instant:

On the morning of the 28th instant this command, with balance of brigade, was in line of battle in rear of the works at Atlanta on the left of the West Point and Atlanta Railroad. About 9 a. m. I received orders to put my command under arms and be ready to move, and in a few moments moved out of the fortifications, left in front, with balance of brigade on the Baker's Ferry road to a point about two miles and a half down that road, when I received orders to file left off the road and form line of battle; which I did, my right resting about 600 yards from the road. Agreeably to instructions of the brigadier-general commanding. I threw out as flankers upon my left flank twenty men, and then threw forward as skirmishers a company and part of another, in all forty men and three officers, under command of Captain McCulloch, Company F, Thirtieth Mississippi. This line of battle faced northwest. Immediately after I threw forward as skirmishers the command to move forward in line, guiding right, was given, and my command, with balance of brigade, moved forward till we reached the field upon this side of the Baker's Ferry road, where the command halted a moment and rectified its alignment, and then moved forward until we encountered the enemy's line, which was about 300 yards distant. We forced the enemy back near 800 yards upon first line of fortifications, which we carried and held for a short time; but being much weakened in the advance and having no support, and the enemy being re-enforced and charging us immediately, we were forced to retire a short distance, where we formed and repulsed the charge and held them in check, engaging the enemy at close quarters. The command remained in this position, when the troops upon the right of us were forced back, leaving our flank exposed, when we retired, and with the balance of the brigade reformed and advanced again upon the enemy, forcing him a second time, and engaged his main line at a very short distance, but were held in check by his superior numbers nearly an hour, when, under orders from the brigadier-general commanding, I withdrew my command to a position near the road, leaving skirmishers upon the line until new troops could be moved up to occupy it. The line of battle during the greater part of the engagement faced a little east of north. The command, with balance of brigade, remained in this position about an hour, when it was withdrawn to a position about a mile on the road to Atlanta, where it constructed temporary works of rails. It remained in this position about an hour, when, with balance of brigade, it moved by the right flank and took position in a line on the right of the Baker's Ferry road, and there constructed temporary works, remaining there until after night, when, with balance of brigade, it was withdrawn to the line it now occupies.