HDQRS. THIRD DIVISION, FOURTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Jonesborough, Ga., September 7, 1864. CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part performed by this division in the campaign which began with the movement of the army from Chattanooga, Tenn., in May last, and terminated with the capture of Atlanta, Ga., on the 1st instant: On the 22d of February this division marched from Chattanooga, together with the other two divisions of the corps, to Tunnel Hill and Buzzard Roost Gap, for the purpose of making a reconnaissance of the enemy's position in front of Dalton, and having ascertained by feeling him closely for two days that his army was still there in force, strongly posted and fortified, we withdrew upon the night of the 26th to Ringgold, where this division took post, the remainder of the troops being removed to other points. From February until May the division continued to occupy that place as the extreme advance post of the army. Our pickets and those of the enemy were always in close proximity, and affairs of minor importance between them were of constant occurrence. On two occasions, reconnoitering parties of large force were sent as far as Tunnel Hill, both of which were highly successful, and chiefly useful in inspiring our cavalry with greater confidence in their superiority over that of the enemy. In each of these expeditions Brigadier-General Kilpatrick, whose division of cavalry was placed under my charge, commanded the cavalry, and Col. F. Van Derveer, of the Thirtyfifth Ohio, an infantry brigade. Both of these officers displayed on these occasions the high soldierly qualities for which they are known, energy and boldness, guided by the coolest judgment. During the interval from the 1st to the 6th of May the divisions and corps of the Army of the Cumberland were concentrated about Ringgold, the Army of the Ohio taking a position on our left, and the Army of the Tennessee a line of march passing to our right. My division was at that time constituted as follows: Second Brigade, Col. F. Van Derveer, 35th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, commanding: 2d Minnesota Volunteers, Col. J. George.. 35th Ohio Volunteers, Maj. J. L. Budd.. 9th Ohio Volunteers, Col. G. Kammerling. 87th Indiana Volunteers, Col. N. Gleason 105th Ohio Volunteers, Lieut. Col. G. T. Perkins. 101st Indiana Volunteers, Lieut. Col. Thomas Doan. 75th Indiana Volunteers, Lieut. Col. William O'Brien • 19 23 INFANTRY-Continued. Command. Third Brigade, Col. G. P. Este, 14th Ohio Volunteers, comdg.-Continued. Total Total infantry. Command. ARTILLERY. Officers. Men. May 7, leaving Colonel Este's brigade (the Third) in garrison at Ringgold, the remainder of the division marched on the morning of the 7th to Tunnel Hill. The other two divisions of the corps being in advance, had already brushed away with their advanced guards the pickets of the enemy at that place, and had gone into position when we arrived. This division went into line on the right a little to the south of the village, where it remained during the night. On the morning of the 8th the division moved south three miles upon the Villanow road, so as to form a connection with the corps of Major-General Hooker and at the same time to cover the right flank of Brigadier-General Johnson, who was swinging forward onto the south end of Tunnel Hill ridge. In the afternoon we crossed that ridge and moved up in support of Brigadier-Generals Johnson and Davis, then in front of Buzzard Roost Gap. May 9, 10, and 11, during these days we remained in our position in reserve, no active operations being carried on in our front. May 12, my division, in advance of the corps, marched at daybreak toward the right, to the support of Major-General McPherson, who had passed his army through Snake Creek Gap and had taken position. in Sugar Valley, threatening Resaca. Being detained by the Twentieth Corps in advance of me, I did not get into position until after dark. The other divisions of the Fourteenth Corps were behind me, and they were followed by the Twenty-third Corps. May 13, moved forward at noon along with the remainder of the army, and about dark got into position on the left of Brigadier-General Johnson's division, upon a series of steep and difficult hills, covered with a dense wood and undergrowth. Major-General Schofield was somewhere on my left and rear, but not connecting. Brigadier-General Johnson's skirmishers became engaged with those of the enemy, but mine did not come in contact with them. 1 RESACA. May 14, having received orders during the night from the majorgeneral commanding the corps to swing forward my entire line along with that of Brigadier-General Johnson, his right being taken as the pivot, and to push on until the enemy was encountered, I put my troops in motion at daybreak. Colonel Van Derveer was on my right, formed in two lines, and Brigadier-General Turchin on the left, formed in the same manner. My right had moved some threefourths of a mile, and the direction of our line was about due north and south, facing east, when I received another order from the same source, informing me that Major-General Schofield, whose corps was then in line half a mile to my rear, with his right overlapping nearly the whole of my left brigade, was about to advance and charge the enemy's works, and directing me to move forward with him and assault at the same time. I had not previously known that the enemy had works in our vicinity, nor was I then informed as to their position, their character, or the manner in which the attack was to be made. There was, of course, no time for a reconnaissance by me without neglecting to advance along with Major-General Schofield, as ordered. I had barely time to give the proper instructions to Brigadier-General Turchin on my left, and was communicating the same to the right brigade, when the troops of BrigadierGeneral Judah, on General Schofield's right, came up with my left. His front line passed through my rear line before mine began to advance, and, thus interlaced, both went forward together. It was subsequently ascertained that the rebel line of works ran along the western slope of a ridge, which extended from near Resaca northward, on the west side of the railroad. A narrow valley, intersected along its length by a boggy creek, separated this from another ridge which lay parallel with and in front of our line. This our troops had to pass. It was covered for a space of nearly half a mile in width by so dense a growth of wood that an individual alone could make his way through it only with difficulty. It was utterly impossible in this thicket for a regiment, much less for a brigade commander, to see and control the two extremities of his command. Yet our lines of battle worked through it and reached the crest overlooking the valley in as much order as could have been expected. From this position the rebel works could be distinctly seen, and could our men have been allowed to halt here, to reform and to readjust their lines, while an examination of the position should be made, better results might have ensued. It would appear that Major-General Schofield's left, in open ground, did not encounter the same difficulties as his right, and, pressing forward, the impulsion was communicated along the line to his right, and carried my left brigade along with it. It was the affair of a moment, and before I could learn (at 300 yards' distance upon the right) of the condition of affairs, it was too late to stop the movement. Descending about 100 feet the almost vertical slope of the ridge, our men emerged into the open valley, and into direct view, at short range, of the rebel works, and immediately received a fire of artillery and musketry. The tried veterans of this division, who had never failed to accomplish anything that was possible, did not falter, but pushed forward until they had reached the creek. Few got beyond this. Many stuck under the miry banks of the stream, and the few isolated groups that got beyond, hot being in sufficient force to sustain themselves, were soon driven back. It was at once apparent that this effort had failed and was at an end, and most of the men were withdrawn to the summit of the ridge to be reformed. A few, unable on account of the sharp fire from the rebel works to leave the banks of the creek, remained there until dark, doing valuable duty as sharpshooters. The movement of the First Brigade, along with Major-General Schofield's troops, had been so sudden, and the distance to go being less, the Second Brigade did not reach the crest of the hill until after the failure of Major-General Schofield's right and my left had become known, and I did not have it advance farther. Our whole line, from the right of the Twentieth Corps to the left of the Twenty-third, continued to occupy this ridge during the afternoon, and, having placed numerous batteries in position, shelled the rebel works with fine effect. The loss which my command sustained in the operations of this day was as follows: Casualties May 14, 1864-killed, 2 officers and 14 enlisted men; wounded, 7 officers and 112 enlisted men; total, 9 officers and 126 enlisted men. During the day the Third Brigade, with the exception of the Eighteenth Kentucky Volunteer Infantry, which remained to garrison Ringgold, came up and was placed in reserve behind the other brigades. On the morning of the 15th my division was withdrawn from the line and sent to the extreme right of the corps to aid in filling a gap caused by Major-General Hooker being taken out to operate on the left of Major-General Schofield. I there connected on my right with the left of the Fifteenth Corps of the Army of the Tennessee. The position was an important one, and my men worked industriously during the day and following night in advancing and strengthening our works, so as to give more perfect command of those of the enemy in our front. Our skirmishers were during this time hotly engaged with those of the rebels. May 16, during the night the skirmishers in front of my Third Brigade discovered signs of a movement of the enemy, and pressing forward shortly before daybreak, entered his lines and found them evacuated. Together with a party from the First Division of the corps, which advanced about the same time, they pushed on into Resaca and were the first to enter that place, and the first to discover the entire withdrawal of the rebel forces to the south side of the river, Lieutenant-Colonel Wharton, of the Tenth Regiment Kentucky Volunteers, in charge of skirmishers from my Third Brigade, being the first officer who entered Resaca. The division was marched into the town and remained there until night to await the construction of bridges on which to cross the Oostenaula in pursuit. At Resaca the Eleventh Regiment Ohio Volunteers was detached from the First Brigade and left in garrison at that place, thus reducing the command by 278 men. It was soon after mustered out of the service. May 17, my wagons having been crossed over during the night, the division passed the river at 3 a. m., and, following closely upon the heels of the Fourth Corps, encamped at night two miles north of Adairsville. The advance guard of Major-General Howard had closed up with the enemy and was skirmishing throughout the afternoon with his rear. May 18, the march was continued as upon the day previous, the enemy resisting strongly to cover the withdrawal of his trains. Passing through Adairsville, my division encamped for the night four miles north of Kingston. May 19, marching through Kingston, I was there informed by Major-General Palmer that the enemy was exhibiting himself in a threatening attitude in our front, and I was ordered to post the division on a range of hills south of the town. This order was duly executed, but later, during the afternoon, other orders were received directing me to move out to the east of the town and go into line on the right of the Fourth Corps. When I got to the position designated, that corps was already four miles out from the town. My line when formed connected with the right of Brigadier-General Wood, my right resting on the railroad. During the afternoon, previous to my arrival, I was informed that the enemy had displayed quite a formidable line of battle, but before my division reached the ground it had been retired from view. May 20, on this morning the rebel force was found to have again fallen back, having succeeded in passing his trains over the Etowah River at or near the railroad bridge, which was afterward destroyed. Throughout this and the two following days our troops remained in position, fitting themselves with supplies, so as to be able to quit the railroad and move upon the enemy's flank. On the 22d, the Ninth Ohio Regiment, of the Second Brigade, whose term of service had expired, went North for the purpose of being mustered out. At the same time the Twenty-fourth Regiment Illinois Volunteers from the First Brigade, and the Tenth Regiment Indiana Volunteers from the Third Brigade, were detached and left, in garrison at Kingston. The Twenty-fourth Illinois never afterward rejoined the command, as its term of service soon expired. May 23, my division again marched, and, crossing the Etowah at Island Ford, encamped on Euharlee Creek. From this time until the end of the month we remained in rear guarding or escorting trains, generally not far from Burnt Hickory. June 1, leaving the First Brigade in charge of the trains at Burnt Hickory, I marched to the front with the other two and joined the main army, then going into position on the line running northerly from Dallas toward Acworth, east of Pumpkin Vine Creek. June 2, having relieved a portion of the First Division, Fourteenth Corps. and extended the line to the left, I at once advanced my front to a more commanding position and intrenched. We were then in close proximity to the strongly constructed works of the enemy, my right connecting with the First Division, Fourteenth Corps, and MajorGeneral Schofield operating at a little distance on my left. During the 3d and 4th my men worked constantly, both night and day, advancing our lines by pushing our skirmishers to the front, and then intrenching the troops upon the ground which they had gained. I thus, with trifling loss, drove the rebel skirmishers into their main works and put up batteries within short range of them. June 5, at daybreak, it was discovered that the enemy had withdrawn under the cover of night, abandoning a line of elaborately constructed fieldworks of great strength. We received no orders to pursue, but remained all day in our position. June 6, we again marched to the front upon the Burnt Hickory and Big Shanty road, and at night I got into line on the left of the Twentieth Corps near Durham's house. Continuing at this point until the morning of the 10th, the First Brigade, relieved from duty with the trains, came up and joined the division. It had lost while away two regiments, the Eleventh Ohio and Twenty-fourth Illinois, by expiration of service. The Tenth Indiana, of the Third Brigade, came up to us about the same time. June 10, this division marched at 6 a. m. in front of the corps, the Army of the Tennessee on our left, moving along the railroad. We took such roads as we could parallel to it, and, after crossing Procter's Creek at the old mill, our advance guard of the Third Brigade soon struck the rebel skirmishers. These were readily driven back, and my line formed upon an eminence in front of Pine Mountain, in full 47 R R VOL XXXVIII, PT I |