USA > Iowa > History of the Fifteenth Regiment, Iowa Veteran Volunteer Infantry, from October, 1861, to August, 1865, when disbanded at the end of the war > Part 27
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W. Q. GRESHAM. BRIG. GENL.U.S.VOLS.
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Corps, Major-General Geo. H. Thomas commanding in the centre; and the Army of the Tennessee, 15th, 16th and 17th Corps, Major- General James B. McPherson commanding on the left, besides a cavalry corps under Brigadier-General J. Kilpatrick .
June 10th the regiment and brigade took part in the advance towards Big Shanty, pushing the enemy on that and subsequent days towards Kenesaw Mountain. On the 15th of June the Army of the Tennessee made a general advance upon the enemy, then holding a well fortified position upon the first chain of rising ground and connected timbered hills, six miles northwest of Ken- esaw.
A heavy and desperate fight was kept up by the enemy along and close to Noonday Creek, the winding waters of which, and the muddy, wide basin along its banks making it extremely difficult for the troops of the 4th Division to throw their lines across in sufficient force to dislodge the enemy until 4 o'clock, when Leggett's 3d Di- vision on the left, being re-enforced by Harrison's Division of the 15th Corps, succeeded in flanking and charging the enemy's extreme right, by which the 4th Division was enabled to push its lines across the creek. The enemy was forced back to the second chain of higher ground and steep hills on the so-called Brushy Mountain, which, besides offering the best natural line of defense, was im- mensely strengthened by an unbroken chain of solid fortifications and rifle-pits, affording the necessary salients for a sweeping cross- fire by musketry and artillery, and made more complete by a well- finished, first-class abatis facing our lines.
Skirmishing of the heaviest kind, often intermingled with a spir- ited artillery fire, was kept up between the contending lines for several days and nights, we being at the disadvantage of a lower ground, with dense underbrush and young timber, and being in constant close view of the enemy from their magnificent position.
On June 19th another general advance was made by the Army of the Tennessee amidst a torrent of rain, when, after six hours
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struggle well kept up by the enemy, the 3d Division on the left flanked the enemy's line, and with a vigorous advance the 4th Di- vision gained the works of the enemy, who fell back to their well- connected line of defense from north of Marietta along the foot of Kenesaw Mountain.
The position thus gained, however, the men camping in rear of the works, exposed them to a constant and destructive fire from the enemy's sharp-shooters posted on the higher hills beyond an inter- vening low, timbered, marshy ground. This was especially the case on the line occupied by the 15th Iowa and other regiments of the 3d brigade. Constant skirmishing and artillery fire, throwing shot and shell, were kept up in this position for several days and nights.
COMING IN HE KNOCKS ON THE INSIDE.
While encamped on the slope of Brushy Mountain a splendid view of the top of Kenesaw was had from the front end of Colonel Belknap's fly, (tent, he had none). One sunny morning Darby spread a storm flag, which had been out in the rain the night be- fore, over the Colonel's shebang to dry. During the forenoon Colonel Belknap laid down on his bed of chestnut leaves, which were kept in place by a good-sized sappling on each side, and com- menced reading a newspaper. It was not long before a Reb artil- leryman on the top of Kenesaw Mountain saw the flag, which un- intentionally signaled him that it was headquarters around there, and he began shelling that vicinity, but his shells mostly exploded before reaching our works. One 20-pounder did not; it struck up the hill and rolled down into the fly, knocked on the Colonel's right leg and reported his arrival. The Colonel glanced over, saw what it was, and started instantly towards Kenesaw to whale the battery- man who had been shelling him, but he thought some of his friends would like to see the " very latest " from Joe Johnston, so return- ing he asked Assistant Surgeon Fisk to come and see what he had
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under the fly . The Doctor looked in at the rear end of same, and found the business end of the shell staring him in the face. He was surprised, blushed and fell back behind a tree to recover, and at once issued orders to the hospital attaches to remove his camp equipage nearer the suburbs of Big Shanty, which was done with great alacrity .*
Gen Sherman in his report says: " Kenesaw, the bold and strik- ing Twin mountain, lay before us with a high range of chestnut hills trending off to the northeast terminating to our view in another peak called Brushy mountain. To our right was the smaller hill called Pine mountain and beyond it in the distance Lost mountain. All these, though links in a continuous chain present a sharp conical appearance prominent in the vast landscape that pre- sents itself from any of the hills that abound in that region. Kene- saw, Pine mountain and Lost mountain form a triangle, Pine mountain the apex, and Kenesaw and Lost mountain the base, covering perfectly the town of Marietta, and the railroad back to the Chattahoochie. On each of these peaks the enemy had his signal stations. The summits were covered with batteries, and the spurs were alive with men busy in felling trees, digging pits, and preparing for the grand struggle impending. The scene was en- chanting, too beautiful to be disturbed by the harsh clamors of war; but the Chattahoochie lay beyond, and I had to reach it. On approaching close to the enemy I found him occupying a line full two miles long, more than he could hold with his force. General McPherson was ordered to move toward Marietta, his right on the railroad. On the morning of the 15th Pine mountain was found abandoned by the enemy. General McPher- son advanced his line, gaining substantial advantage on the left,
*Soon another shell exploded over our works, and a large piece coming over the Colonel's fly, hit the upper fork of a young hickory, splitting it to the roots. It then "went for" and knocked over the cross pole, upset the kettle of beans Metz, Bosworth & Co. were boiling for dinner, and then dug a hole in the ground as large as a mess pan between Tyler's thighs, (who was sitting on the ground), and continued on towards the supply train, But the flag remained, sunning itself.
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we continued to press at all points, skirmishing in dense forests of timber and across most difficult ravines, until we again found him strongly posted and intrenched, with Kenesaw as his salient, his right wing thrown back to cover Marietta, and his left behind Nose's creek covering his railroad back to the Chattahoo- chie. This enabled him to contract his lines and strengthen them accordingly. From Kenesaw he could look down upon our camps and observe every movement, and his batteries thundered away, but did little harm on account of the extreme height, the shot and shell passing harmlessly over our heads as we lay close up against his mountain town. During our operations about Kenesaw the weather was villainously bad, and the rain fell almost continuously for three weeks, rendering our narrow wooded roads mere mud gulleys, so that a general movement would have been impossible; but our men daily worked closer and closer to the entrenched foe, and kept up an incessant picket firing galling to him. Every op- portunity was taken to advance our general lines closer and closer to the enemy.
ON PICKET AT KENESAW MOUNTAIN.
On the 21st of June, 1864, our pickets were close up to the rebel works; so close that conversation could easily be carried on. Some of our boys agreed with the rebel pickets to cease firing, meet them between the lines and exchange coffee for tobacco. Lieutenant McArthur, of H Company was in command of our picket line, and hearing the agreement being made started to the Post making the arrangements. On his arrival at that point he found the " Yanks and Rebs " between the lines shaking hands with each other. Ascertaining that two rebel officers were back of their works, Mac suggested they be called out, and he and Sergt. W. W. Rose, H Company, would meet them; which was done; before going however, Mac ordered the remainder of his men to fix bayonets and if any treachery was shown by the Rebels to charge
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double quick. At this interview, which lasted about an hour, one of the very few if not the only case of the kind during the war, that day's Atlanta paper was secured, announcing the death of the Rebel General, Leonidas Polk, the first authentic news of his de- mise. Immediately after this meeting closed, and hostilities were resumed, Mac sent the paper to General McPherson, commanding the Army of the Tennessee.
On June 27th another general demonstration being ordered, and while the 3d division, on the extreme left, with Garrard's Cavalry on its flank, wheeled to the right, steadily changing front from facing east to facing south, south-cast, towards Marietta-the line of the 4th division was pushed close to the works of the enemy at the foot of Kenesaw proper. After an uninterrupted, terrible fire, from 8 o'clock in the morning, during which the advanced line of the division, especially the 3d brigade, was partly in the rebel fortifica- tions, and several companies of the 15th Iowa were holding their position in same for half an hour, the whole line was forced back in the afternoon . Though this advance of the left of the army did not succeed in holding the works of the enemy, exposed as the same were in their rear to a concentrated artillery fire, kept up with great rapidity during the whole time, it was a successful demonstration however,* enabling Hookers and Schofield's forces on the extreme right of the army to force the enemy's weakened lines across the Noose creek, some six miles to our right, by which Kenesaw and Marietta became encircled from north to west, and to south, our troops thus gaining the Sandtown road towards the
*During one of the many heavy demonstrations on Kenesaw mountain, the enemy were shelling our line with a rapidity only attained by artillerists of long service, the lowa brigade were supporting some batteries, and of course took advantage of all protection in the timber that they could. Gen. Blair and staff halted near by and inquired for Col Addison H. San- ders, of the 16th Iowa, Adjt. Herbert of that regiment pointing to something on the ground, head towards a tree, said, "Here is Add trying to get into his hat." The Colonel weighed about ninety pounds, and always wore a hat three or four sizes too large for him. Every soldier who knows Col. Sanders can testify that no braver officer ever led men to battle, and it is believed to this day that the Colonel was only endeavoring to save his hat.
ONE OF GEN. B'S. STAFF.
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Chattahoochie river and approaching the railroad line from Ma- rietta to Atlanta.
Lieut. Col. J. M. Hedrick, of the 15th left the Regiment at Huntsville, Ala., ( May 24th) as Delegate at Large from Iowa to the Baltimore convention for the nomination of President; re- turned on June 28th.
The soldiers of the command upon learning the particulars of the unanimous re-nomination of Abraham Lincoln, expressed their patriotic consent and satisfaction by an increased energy and endu- rance during the ensuing days of hard contests.
July 1st and 2d lively demonstrations were made against the enemy's lines opposite the troops of the 3d and 4th divisions of the 17th Corps. The rattle of musketry and roar of artillery did not cease until near midnight on the 1st, and until 8 o'clock in the evening of the second day, when the artillery pieces ( with wheels muffled in blankets to prevent noise ) were brought down from the hills, while at the same time the skirmish line continued a furious fire. At half past 8 o'clock, P. M. , all troops of the 17th Corps left their positions under cover of darkness, and marched during the night in rear of the lines held by other corps formerly forming the centre of the army, in front of Kenesaw, and by 2 o'clock A. M. of July 3d they had gained the Sandtown road, leading due south towards the Chattahoochie river; thus the 17th Army Corps became the extreme right of the army.
This flanking movement was entirely successful. The 3d brig- ade of Gresham's 4th division, in lead of the corps, arrived at 3 o'clock P. M. on July 3d, to within two and a half miles of Widow Mitchell's farm, finding the enemy on the south side of a creek, their skirmishers close to the creek, and their troops in line on the opposite rising ground sloping towards the creek. While the two divisions of the 17th corps were allowed a rest of two hours, Gen- eral Giles A. Smith's brigade, of General Morgan L. Smith's divi- sion, 15th corps, being on grand guard near the stream, tried to dis-
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lodge the enemy from its position. Failing in this, however, at 5 o'clock P. M. the Iowa brigade of the 4th division was ordered to the front; the 11th and 13th in advance, supported by the 15th and 16th Iowa, soon crossed the creek, and after a lively fire from both sides, forced the enemy from his position, slowly but steadily driv- ing him for a mile, when night intervening, the movement was stopped by order of General Blair.
From General Sherman's report : " On the 1st of July I ordered General McPherson to be relieved by General Garrard's cavalry in front of Kenesaw, and to rapidly throw his whole army by the right down to and threaten Nickajack creek and Turner's ferry across the Chattahoochie. * General McPherson commenced his movement the night of July 2, and the effect was instantaneous. The next morning Kenesaw was abandoned, and with the first dawn of day I saw our skirmishers appear on the mountain top."
In his memorial, ( Vol. 11, page 62), Sherman says: " It was really a continuous battle lasting from the 10th day of June till the 3d of July, when the rebel army fell back from Marrietta towards the Chattahoochie river."
July 4th the advance continued, Colonel Belknap in charge of the 15th and 16th Iowa, and the 1st Minnesota battery under Lieu- tenant Harter, pushed the enemy well towards Widow Mitchell's farm, then taking the direction east along the road leading towards the Nickajack creek, and leaving the Sandtown road in charge of Stoneman's cavalry, the line of the enemy was steadily forced from one position to another; the entire 15th, and two companies of the 16th Iowa being under the immediate command of Lieutenant Col- onel Hedrick, deployed as skirmishers, gallantly driving the enemy from their advance line of outer works, and being supported by the remaining companies of the 16th Iowa, and the battery. At noon the 11th and 13th Iowa, being brought up, formed the advance of the brigade, supported by the 15th and 16th lowa. During the
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afternoon Major Foster, of the 11th Iowa, having charge of the skirmish line, the ground was gained up to the heavier outer works of the enemy.
July 5th, * the Iowa brigade continued the advance. In the morning the line of breast-works defending the approach to the creek was taken and at 3 o'clock P. M. the Nickajack was reached. The situation at the creek soon became extremely interesting. While the skirmishes and the lines of battle of infantry were stead- ily descending into the extended valley of the creek, and the fire of the skirmish line was often mingled with the sound of volleys by companies of the slowly retreating enemy, the massive rebel forts and fortifications became visible on the high and bare ground be- yond the creek, near Turner's ferry on the Chattahoochie. These forts received the fire of our artillery posted on the high ridge in rear of the division lines with entire silence until noon, when they commenced to answer with such rapidity and well-directed shots as to elicit the admiration of all who stood near by.
During this fire in front of the 4th division, Leggett's 3d division arrived from the Sandtown road, and went into position on the right of the 4th division, close to the confluence of the Nickajack with the Chattahoochie river. In the evening the order was given
*Soon after sunrise, and then very warm, in response to word that one of the 15th had been severely wounded, at the first post on the right of the road, Metz, Cunningham, Bosworth and Tyler took a stretcher and hastened to the front. From a cot in the road at the edge of the timber they saw the rebel picket poste, and some 150 yards ahead were our skirmishers with rails and dirt thrown up in front. On the left of the road behind a tree in an old split. bottom chair sat Lientenant Muir, of E Company, commanding our line, and feeling that he was Monarch of all he surveyed (he was-viewing the rear), he raised his hand and signaled the advance of the 15th to go back, but they had orders from higher authority to bring the man in, and at the command, Forward, Trot, they lit ont, incited by the yells and balls from several rebel posts, hut the bloodthirsty Texans were not good shots on the wing, and hit no one. In less than Mand S. time the tour fell panting among the Vets. behind a rail pile. When time restored their breath they laid the wounded man on the stretcher, and at the command Prepare to Git, they got-up, and immediately the Johunies greeted them with yells, and 50 of them, (more or less), from posts on both sides of the road, opened fire and slung lead all around them, scattering dirt and gravel and accelerating the speed of the quar- tette, who ran like the devil youbet, until they reached the protection of the cut, when they dropped again, plnm exhausted. On reaching the bivouac, Surgeon Gibbon in strong terms censured the party who reported the man severely wounded, and had caused four others to risk their lives needlessly, when the wounded man could as well as not have walked back to camp alone.
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to the troops of the 4th division for an advance, preparatory to a charge upon the heavy line of fortifications, which order, however, was soon countermanded, it having been ascertained that the Nick- ajack could not be crossed in force, without several bridges being previously built, on account of its depth, and sinking, muddy ground; at the same time it was known that the left of the 4th di- vision was entirely unprotected, there being a gap of over half a mile to the next division on the right of the 15th corps.
July 6th, while all the batteries of the 4th and 3d divisions of the 17th corps, re-enforced by Captain De Gress's battery of twenty- pound parrots of the 15th corps, were keeping up a terrific artillery fire, concentrating it upon the enemy's fortifications, as well as upon their double skirmishes on the opposite side of the Nickajack; the skirmishers of the 4th division were gaining the opposite bank, and firmly established themselves in solid breast-works, thrown up during the night. Each brigade was busy, on that and subsequent days, constructing bridges across the creek and fortifying their lines temporarily. On the 7th of July General Stoneman was ordered to move his cavalry across the Chattahoochie, some ten miles below the extreme right of the 17th corps, and to make strong demon- strations against and upon the railroad line from Atlanta to West Point .
Early in the morning of July 10th, the enemy having evacuated their massive works in front of the two divisions of the 17th corps, the works were at once occupied by our brigade, and the skirmish line advanced to the Chattahoochie, keeping up a lively musketry fire at the skirmishers of the enemy posted on the opposite bank of the river. Upon inspection, the works of the enemy were found to be of tremendous strength, thirty-six by forty feet base, twenty- five feet high, and over twenty feet in thickness, and could have resisted a daily cannonading by the heaviest pieces for several weeks, while at the same time they admitted of a concentration of fires, from the several forts, and connected massive breast-works upon the
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only practicable ground an assaulting column must have marched over, of sufficient quantity to destroy and ruin half of the division in five minutes, had it undertaken a charge.
Daily constant musketry fire, mingled with shot and shell from the artillery, was kept up while near Turner's Ferry, until the 16th of July, when the whole corps being relieved by Stoneman's cavalry returning from its last raid, the two divisions of the 17th Corps left their positions along the Chattahoochie, and marched around by way of Marietta, Roswell, crossing the river twenty- five miles above Turner's Ferry, passing through Cross Keys, and arriving at Decatur six miles east of Atlanta, at noon of July 20th. Thus the 17th Corps became the extreme left of the entire army . Next on its right were the 15th and 16th Corps; then the 23d, 4th, 14th, and 20th Corps, already encircling the Gate City of the south, from the Augusta railroad in the east to the North railroad, and across the same towards Ezra Church, west of Atlanta.
The several brigades of the corps having passed through Deca- tur, the head of the column turned west, marching on side roads nearly three miles in a thick, brushy timber, about two miles south of the Augusta railroad, when it arrived on a bare, high ridge, running nearly north and south, and opening an extended view to the west, across a low and deep valley, which appeared to be a deserted field. Here, without any forewarning by any of their skirmishers, the enemy's artillery opened a rapid fire from the cle- vated, high ridge beyond the valley, upon the head of the column. Soon the Infantry of the 17th Corps formed line of battle, the 3d on the extreme left and after throwing out a line of skirmishers, moved on steadily across the several ravines and ditches in the basin of the field, without eliciting any sign or display from the rebel infantry until it fairly reached the first elevation of ground on the opposite slope. Here a heavy musketry fire was opened upon the advancing lines of the brigades of the 4th division. The left of the line ( Iowa Brigade ) being entirely without support on
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its left, General Force's brigade, of the 3d division, just arrived, was ordered to its left and rear; while the line stopped here for the purpose of putting Captain Spear's battery into position, Gen. W. Q. Gresham, commanding the 4th division, was severely wounded and carried to the rear, when Colonel Hall, commanding 3d brigade, assumed command of the division, and Colonel John Shane, of the 13th Iowa, that of the brigade. Meanwhile, night coming on, operations were stopped for the day.
July 21st, early in the morning, a heavy skirmishing was opened by both sides, and soon after daylight orders were received by Col. 1 Shane, commanding brigade, to advance upon the enemy's works on the crest of the opposite ridge. The advance was promptly made.
THE CHARGE OF JULY 21, 1864.
Headquarters 15th Regiment Iowa Infantry Vet. Vols,
In the Field on the Left Flank, 17th A. C., July 22, '64. 5 LIEUT. O. D. KINSMAN, A. A. A. General 3d Brigade, 4th Di- vision, 17th Army Corps:
SIR :- I herewith transmit a report of the movements of the 15th Iowa in the charge of the 21st inst .:
The 3d brigade, advancing on the afternoon of the 20th, took position in front of the enemy's works in two lines, the 13th and 15th Iowa in front-the former on the right with the 11th in the rear of the 15th, and the 16th in the rear of the 13th Iowa. At 8 o'clock on the morning of the 21st, skirmishing having been constant after daylight, the order was received from Colonel Shane, commanding brigade, to advance on the enemy's works in front, the 15th Iowa being ordered to keep its right on the left of the 13th Iowa, with its left extending in the direction of Force's brigade of the 3d division. The whole front line advanced rapidly, with cheers to the crest of the hill in full view of the rebel works, and fought with valor and determination, and the brigade would doubtless have been successful in carrying the works had not the right of the line, beyond the 3d brigade, broken and been driven back by
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the heavier line and artillery of the enemy. In the front of the 15th Iowa, a battery of several guns, previously masked, opened upon us with grape and cannister, and when the line was ordered to retire it did so in good order, notwithstanding the withering fire from the battery. The attack was successful in enabling Force's brigade to hold the hill on our left and compelling the evacuation of the line by the enemy on the next morning. The officers and men of this Regiment did their duty as they always do, and have my thanks, and merit commendation for their laborious efforts, not- withstanding the fatigues of the long march just concluded from the right.
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