Numbers 668.

Report of Colonel Bushrod Jones, Fifty-eighth Alabama Infantry, commanding Thirty-second and Fifty-eighth Alabama Infantry, of operations May 7-28.

HDQRS. 32nd AND 58TH ALABAMA REGIMENTS,
May 29, 1864.

CAPTAIN: I respectfully submit the following report of the engagements at Rocky Face Mountain, Resaca, and New Hope Church from the 7th to the 28th instant in so far as my command was engaged:

I was ordered into line of battle on Rocky Face Mountain on the right of Clayton's brigade about 9 o'clock on the morning of the 7th instant. I was ordered to hold the gap above Jefferson' house, connecting with Colonel Holtzclaw on my left and connecting with Pettus' brigade on my right, at the signal station. The movements of the enemy were in full view in the valley below, but they made no demonstration against my position Saturday or Sunday until late in the evening of Sunday, a little before sunset, when their skirmishers advanced within 200 yards of the crest of the mountain and began a picket-firing, which was continued with little variation during the whole time we remained on the mountain.

On Sunday, the 8th, General Lewis, with his Kentucky brigade, took position on my right, occupying the mountain fro the right of the gap to the signal station and a little beyond. In the evening he was relieved by General Maney's brigade. I afterward held only the gap, with my entire command concentrated in one entire line of battle. On the evening of the 9th, at 3 p.m., I was relieved by the Eighth Tennessee Regiment, of Wright's brigade, and was ordered to report to Brigadier-General Clayton near the battery, the farthest north on Rocky Face Mountain, where I was assigned a position on the left of the brigade, and remained until daylight next morning, when I relieved the Eighteenth Alabama Regiment, then on the right of the brigade. In the afternoon of the 11th I was again relieved by the Eighteenth Alabama and resumed my position first taken, relieving Eighth Tennessee. On the evening of the 12th General Gibson took position on my right. During the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th the enemy shelled our position heavily at irregular intervals.

At 8.20 p.m. on the 12th, by orders, I withdrew my command directly to the rear, leaving one company as pickets under Major Thornton, which withdrew and rejoined the command on the march to Resaca early the next morning. Arriving at Resaca, my command was assigned its regular position in line and constructed breast-works of logs along the whole front. Captain Avirett's company was detached as one of the skirmishing companies in front of the brigade, under charge of Major Thornton. In the evening of the 14th, about 6 o'clock, I went with the division to the right, and turning the enemy's flank, advanced a mile or more in a charge; but as the enemy fled before our skirmishers almost without resistance, the regiment did not fire a gun or sustain any loss. During the day a few men were wounded by stray balls. We captured a few prisoners and many knapsacks left by the fleeing enemy. We returned to our position at the breast-works a little after 12 o'clock that night. On the morning of the 15th we were move about half a mile to the front and constructed a new line of breast-works. About 3 or 4 o'clock in the evening I received orders from General Clayton to get ready to advance to the front and attack the enemy. He explained to me in