USA > Iowa > History of the Thirtieth Iowa Infantry Volunteers : giving a complete record of the movements of the regiment from its organization until mustered out > Part 6
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On the 27th we had another hard fight at Ringgold. Ga., where our lowa brigade was ronghly handled at Taylor's Ridge, which
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was a bold, rocky faced ridge, and very diffienlt of ascent. Bragg's army had all the time they wanted to get there and formed in line on the crest, almost out of danger from any attacking force. We went up under a killing fire, in which attack our division lost over 800 of as good soldiers as ever fought for the stars and stripes. They were the flower of Sherman's grand and noble army. They had been tried and true up to that time. Here is what General Sherman said of the division:
"I offered to go into action with my three divisions supported by . General Jeff C. Davis' division, leaving one of my best divisions, Osterhaus', to act with General Hooker, against Lookout mountain. That division had not joined me yet, but I know and feel that it has served its country well, and know it has reflected honor on the 15th army corps, and the army of the Tennessee. I leave the record of its history to General Hooker, or whomsoever has had its services during the late memorable events, confident that all will do its merits honor. In reviewing the facts, I must do justice to the men in my command for the patience, cheerfulness and conrage which officers and men have displayed throughout, in bat- tles, on marches and in camp, for long periods without regular ra- tions or supplies of any kind. They have marched throngh ind and over rocks, sometimes barefooted, without a mmmur; without a moments rest after a march of over 100 miles, without sleep for three successive nights, we crossed the Tennessee river, fought our part of the battle of Chattanooga, pursued the enemy out of Ten- nessee, and then turned more than 120 miles north and compelled Longstreet to raise the siege of Knoxville, which gave so much anxiety to the whole country. It is hard to realize the importance of the events withont recalling the memory of the general feeling which prevailed in all our minds prior to our arrival. I cannot speak of the 15th army corps without a feeling of vanity; but as I am no longer its commander, I assert that there is no better body of soldiers in America than it. I wish all to feel a just pride in its real honor."
Here is a little description of Lookout mountain: It is lo. cated near Chattanooga, is 2200 feet above the sea level, and justly ranks with the Mammoth Cave, Niagara Falls and Yellowstone Park. as one of the " show" places of America. The scene from the top of the mountain is beautiful, grand and inspiring. Seven states may be seen there-from on a clear day. The line between Georgia and Tennessee, running east and west, back of Summer- town on Lookont mountain, the edge of the rocky cliff that laps
HISTORY OF THE THIRTIETH IOWA INFANTRY.
the Cumberland tableland, may be traced in a northerly direction for fifty miles or more. The Temessee river, which washes the base of the mountain, curves in a grand convolution, making a strik- ing representation of an Indian shoe or moccasin, and for this rea- son is called Moccasin Bend. Just below the city of Chattanooga is a whirl pool, known as the " Suck, " where the water rushes with a fearful velocity between two rocky walls that risc sheer from the water's edge nearly one thousand feet. There are many beau- tiful views from the point, from sun set rock, and from other places on the mountain. Among these is Lalu falls, which is a "thing of beauty." It is about sevon miles back from the point of Lookout mountain, and has a fall of 130 feet.
On the 24th of November, 1863, on Lookont mountain, was fought the battle "above the clouds" which has been cherished in song and story. The mountain is now reached from Chattanooga by an incline electrie line from the city to the foot of the mountain and by an incline railroad from the base to the top of the moon- tain. This incline is 67 feet to the 100. Lookont hin, now open the year around, is one of the most commodions resort hotels in the country. It can accommodate six hundred guests, and the ar- rangements for lighting and drainage and for the supply of the purest and best water, are perfect. This structure is 365 feet long and contains 350 rooms.
The breaking of the bridge at Brown's ferry, which sent the first division of the 15th army corps with Hooker, instead of Sherman, should make every survivor of the first division kindly considerate of the sight of a broken bridge.
From Ringgold the regiment marched back via Chattanooga and Bridgeport to Woodville, Alabama, which point we reached De- cember 27, 1863. During the entire term of the regiment's service the camp at Woodville was the only one ever occupied under any other condition than to be ready to move at short notice. Here it remained continuously until May 2nd, 1864, except a short period spent in guarding the ferry southwest of Huntsville.
CHAPTER IV.
ATLANTA CAMPAIGN.
May 2nd, 1864, began the Atlanta campaign. The march was via Stephenson, Bridgeport, Chattanooga, Gordon Mills. Villanow, and Snake Creek gap. While passing through Snake Creek gap, on May 9th, our regiment, being in advance on that day, was haulted for lunch, in the gap, near a very large frame house, hay- ing a porch its entire length on the east side. I volunteered, with other parties, to stand guard, while the regiment ate dinner. We went about 100 yards, or probably more. There was a small house there, just by the side of the road. Munn Seranton, of Co. A, was with me. We went to the house to see if any rebels were in it. I asked Munn if he would go in and see, or if I should. He said 1 could go if I liked; he would stay at the door and guard. I went in and got on an old wooden bottom chair. I had just got my ,head in the loft when I heard the crack of a carbine, and the bullet just missed me. I got down, and as I did Seranton had his gum to his shoulder. There was a large cavalryman on a medium sized bay horse. Scranton shot and the man fell off, while the horse started toward our regiment. I got my gun, ran to the door, and there was another cavalryman on a black horse headed the way we were going. His horse was running when I shot, and I missed him. After these shots were fired the regiment came up to where we were. They picked the cavalryman up and carried him back to the frame house, laid him on the porch, and about two o'clock he died. I know all the boys there will remember this. The wo- man that was living there cried for us to take him away, but we did not. We started on the march again about 3 p. m. We went through the gap and camped.
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On May 13th we fought General Hardee's corps and on the Fith we charged and drove them out of their works about 11 a. m. About 2 o'clock we charged them again, where the writer was wounded twice inside of five minutes, but not severely as he was never off duty. We drove the rebels over one hill, and they stop- ped and made a stand. We laid down and fought them, then made another charge and drove them back and captured some IS or 20 prisoners. When we took the last hill, close to Resaca. it was be- tween 6 and 7 o'clock p. m., and we were relieved by the 25th Wis consin of another division. Our regiment lost & killed and 30 wounded; some severely but many never stopped for wounds. Men at that time would not even go the doctors with a wound. when a year before they would have gone to the hospital and stayed for a month or so.
We had a good lesson at Vicksburg. Our regiment now hardly numbering 250 men, would have whipped one twice as large in the condition in which we went out. Then we knew nothing of taking advantages that we, through experience, later learned to take. We lost twice as many at Arkansas Post and it was not half as hard a fight as at Resaca. The farther on we went the more we learned how to take care of ourselves and do more execution, for the boys got to be expert marksmen. When we were brought into line un- der fire and standing in our places, we would lie down if in open . field and if in woods, would get behind trees, then fire from behind them and always watch our man on the other side. The express- ion of all of us at this time, when going into action, was * who or which of ns will it be this time?" for we did not know when it would be our time. This was the general feeling, as none of us could tell who or how many would be killed or wounded or answer to the roll call on the morrow.
The battle now being over, JJohnson had moved his forces back and left us at Resaca. We resumed our march the 15th; crossed the Dostanaula river at Calhoun ferry. continued our march by Adairsville and Kingston, Georgia, reaching Dallas the night of the 25th. Repulsing an assault at the latter place on the 28th, we lost two men killed and eight wounded. Our regiment was fighting behind as fine a line of earthworks as it over constructed It worked all night of the 25th on the works. Then they stood us a fight until the 28th, when they made a dreadful charge about two o'clock in the afternoon. They charged several times in the even- ing, and later made a night attack which was as fine a fight as we ever experienced while in the service. The firing from the muskets
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HISTORY OF THE TIRTIETH IOWA INFANTRY.
and batteries made a line war picture. Our soldiers will never forget General Logan when, on the 28th, he rode his fine black mare around the line after the first charge from the rebels. He and part of his staff stopped and talked with Colonel Roberts and Major Creamer, with his hat in his hand, swinging it and saying: "Give them h- 1, boys"" and rode along the line to our right. That showed courage and bravery, which we all knew he had, and plou- ty of it. We will say right here, we thought him equal to any , of our generals and far superior to many. He was the conunand- or of the 15th corps. I think our confidence in him was, to a great extent, the reason for our great success. More of him will be said farther on.
On June 10th we were moved to Big Shanty, a station on the Nashville railroad, where we had a fine view of the enemy's posi- tion, which embraced three prominent hills known as Kenesaw, Pine and Lost mountain. Heavy masses of infantry could be seen with the naked eye, and it was manifest that JJohnson had chosen his ground well, and with deliberation had prepared for battle. Ilis army, at that time, was estimated at 60.000. Our position was to the left, following the railrord, which curved around the north base of Kenesaw. The Etowah bridge was burned, was rebuilt and completed, the railroad was repaired up to our very skirmish line, at the base of Kenesaw mountain. . A train of loaded cars came from Big Shanty. All the boys will recall the fact of the locomo- tive being detached and run up to the watering tank, within range of the enemy's guns on Kenesaw, and the enemy opened fire ou the locomotive. The engineer went on with his task and returned to his train, answering the guns with a whistle from his engine, and being heartily cheered by our boys. That feat will always be remembered. You will remember how the rain poured down in torrents -- and boys, you know how it could rain down there when it wanted to. On the 14th the rain slackened.
In the fight at Kenesaw, our regiment lost two killed and six wounded. Two afterwards dies from their wounds. The 15th of June our division and brigade was on the front line, joined onto the 17th corps, it being to our right. This was the day that the rebel Lieutenant General Polk was killed. Our regiment charged the line: the 17th corps did not advance just when we did and sey- eral of us came near being taken prisoners, We obliqued to the left and saved ourselves, as the rebels were coming behind us. Just then the 17th corps advanced, and we captured all the rebels in be- twoou. some 10 altogether, who were sent to the rear. We still
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advanced and captured all the rebel skirmishers in front of us, which was about 53 in all. Here, on the morning of the 15th, about 2 o'clock a. m., our regiment captured as many or more reb- els as there were men in our regiment -- a whole regiment, the 11th Alabama, 320 strong, with the exception of the Colonel. Kenesaw was one of the proudest times in our service. In two days we had captured 413 rebels, so you see we should be proud of our work. Such a chance only comes once in a lifetime. We were present at other times when we, as an army, captured far more, as for in- stance, Vicksburg, Arkansas Post, Lookout Mountain, Atlanta, Ga., and the surrender of Johnson, April 26, 1865. But this time, as it happened, it was just our regiment that got them. If the re- port had been kept correctly, we should have had this high honor in history.
On the 27th of June the attempt of General Sherman to carry Kenesaw mountain, took place. The propriety of this move, as well as the attempt to dislodge the enemy from Buzzard Roost, has been warmly discussed by those of opposite views. However, the order having been given for the disposition of troops, they moved out to the attack, which was universally believed to be ill advised. It was, to say the least, one of the strongest proofs exhibited dur- ing the campaign, of the complete discipline and soldierly qualities of the volunteer soldier of the western army. Our corps moved promptly at 8 o'clock in the morning, and after an hour and a quar- ter had cleared two lines of abattis, had carried a line of earth- works with a charge, followed the route of the enemy up the rugged stronghold, under a murderous cross fire of artillery and a storm of bullets, conquered every obstacle, and planted the flag on their works.
On an insurmountable array of cliffs, we threw up defenses of logs and stones, and held the line in spite of the persistant efforts of the rebels to dislodge us. We lost in our corps, 60 officers and 400 men killed and wounded. The rebels abandoned their position and we followed them, by the way of Marietta, Roswell and Deca- tur, toward Atlanta, Georgia.
The Iowa brigade in the 15th corps, on July 22nd, 1864, in the morning about 8 o'clock, was moved on the north side of the Georgia railroad, which runs south and west from Decatur to Atlan- ta. We were on the right of the army of the Tennessee, on the MeClendon plantation. The DeGrasse battery of four twenty-pound black Parrott guns, was on the north side of the railroad, abont 150 yards distant. We were advanced a quarter of a mile closer.
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HISTORY OF THE THIRTIETH IOWA INFANTRY.
toward the rebel works, to what was known as the Greath planta- tion. There was a range of hills running north from the railroad to the General Howard honse. The second division of our corps was on the railroad. Our division, the first. commanded by Chas. R. Wood, occupied the position with the right. close to the Howard house, the left joining onto the second division. It was now about one o'clock in the afternoon and up to this time the 15th corps had not been attacked. The whole effort of the enny had been di. rected against the left wing of the Army of the Tennessee. At 3 o'clock the enemy made an attack upon the second division of the 15th corps They advanced from the direction of the main works about Atlanta in columns of regiments. The attacking columns' moved rapidly upon the second division, commanded at that time by General Lightburn. The first assault was repulsed. The line was, however, rapidly reformed, and the assault renewed repeated ly, Init without success. At this point was a deep ent of the rail- raad, on the right of which fonr guns of battery A. First ilinois Artillery were in position, and firing by the right oblique at the broken lines of the enemy. Under the smoke of battery A, the robal columns marched rapidly by the flank up the main dirt road, and through the deep ent of the railroad. and were in the rear of our line before officers and men were aware of it. The second division at once fell back, the greater part halting in a ravine be- tween the two lines. Some, however, retreated back to the old line. Battery A and the four twenty-pound guns of battery Il, first Illinois artillery, were left in the hands of the enemy. The officers and men fought with great gallantry, serving their guns while being surrounded by the enemy. Battery H was Captain De- . Gress' battery. The third brigade had been so advantageously posted in the gap heretofore mentioned, that they were able to suddenly check the advancing columns and their well directed vol. leys. aided by the 30th Towa, now in their works, soon drove the enemy back to the timber, from which they had emerged with such confidence, taking back with them, however, part of our guns which they had captured.
On the 22nd we fought Mangaulte's brigade which was in A. P. Stewart's corps. Here are the divisions that were fighting that day, in our front. according to the report given by some ev emfel erate soldiers when I was in Atlanta. . April 15. 1905: Stovall, Baker. Gibson, Brown, Hutzelan and Hindman's. divisions. Hence it will be seen that Stewart had a large corps. This he had massed on the railroad close to the Hurt house. We could plainly see them
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coming through the railroad cut, which was from 5 to 18 feet deep. Our men had left it unguarded and General John C. Brown's di- vision of Stewart's confederate corps, came through the out and filed behind General Morgan L. Smith's division of our corps. Some reports say that the rebels broke through the second division. We did not see it that way; they did not break through, but came down the railroad cut and filed behind our second division, before they were discovered by those in command of our forces. From where we were near the Howard house, we could see them very plainly. When they were discovered behind the division, it ro- treated about an eighth of a mile. None of the boys who were with us will forget how we looked on with sad hearts, because it seemed as though our army was going to defeat. Neither will we forget how our brave and beloved Colonel Roberts and Major Creamer looked. The Major said, "Boys, it looks like Libby or death," to which the response came, "Death, not Libby, for we will never be taken alive." We had heard so much of Libby and bad seen so many of our boys when they came back from prison, that none of us were hankering after a job at that place. Just at this time General John A. Logan came up and ordered General C. R. Woods to take his division, and Woods in turn ordered Colonel G. A. Stone, then commanding the third brigade, to charge the rebels from their works, which they had just taken from the sea- ond division. The order was to wheel to the left, to advance and strike the enemy in flank. General Schofield brought all his batter- ies that were not in use, eighteen or twenty guns in all, into play, and occupying a position behind and above us, firing over our heads and into the ranks of the enemy. We advanced and encoun- tered the rebels, Stone's right, crossing the parapet, which we swept back, taking it in flank, crossing a little ravine, and on a hill, next to the enemy's works, we stopped and formed a line, then charged on. Our second division, rallied by General Logan in person, now came to aid, and fought to regain their former works. On com- bined forces drove the rebels out of their works, back toward At- lanta. On regiment, the 30th, came up to where De Gress' bat- tery was located, Company D coming up co the gun farthest north, or to the right. One rebel lay wounded in the thigh. He said: "For God sake don't shoot for I am already wounded." He was taken to the rear and sent to the hospital. He belonged to the 10th South Carolina regiment.
The rebels charged us six times, but we succeeded in holding our ground until they gave up in dispair. We lost 10 killed and 10
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wounded. Here is what General John C. Brown, of Stewart's corps said of the action of the brigade: "The stubbornness and coolness with which they contended every inch of the ground, won my admiration, and the manner and method with which the lines were retaken, must have been seen to have been appreciated." The troops that fought us on that memorable day was John C. Brown's division of Stewart's corps composed of the 10th and 19th South Carolina and 24th, 28th and 31th Alabama regiments. These are the regiments that have the honor of taking De Gress' battery. Sharp's brigade of Mississippi troops is also entitled to a share of this honor.
General Mangault said of this fight of the 22nd of July, 1861: "It did seem hard; we had built these breast works, given them up to the enemy and retaken them at a very heavy sacrifice, and now we had to give them up again. The whole struggle of the after- noon, the lives lost, the suffering inflicted, had all been for nothing. This was an example of what happened to ns of the western ar- my very often."
In the charge, our brigade captured 1017 prisoners. When in Atlanta, in 1905, the Colonel of the 42nd Georgia said to me of the fight, "he was the officer in charge of the burial of the rebel dead, and that in the fight of July 22nd, by actual count, and that was all he had to do, there were 6,381 killed and 10,386 wounded." The official confederate report of the losses were 3,087 killed and 7000 wounded. I said to him, why is it that you gave so much less in your official report and he said "that they were afraid to give the correct account for fear their men would give up. If they could make them believe they were killing twice as many men as . they were loosing, it would make them feel good, and encourage them." Here it is seen what deception was used.
On the night of July 27th, our corps started about 10 o'clock p. m., to march around the city of Atlanta, to the north, and on the morning of the 28th we arrived to the west of Atlanta abont sun- rise. There were three trains of cars in Atlanta at the time, and just as we reached the track one of them pulled out. The other two were stopped by tearing up a few rails. The rebel prisoners said they were loaded with people from other parts of the south, who heard that Sherman had retreated, and had come up to take part in the jollification. . But instead of the army falling back it had marched nearly around Atlanta within one and a half miles of the city limits.
About 11:30 o'clock a. m. while our corps was marching to anoth
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er position, we were met by the rebel corps of Hardee and Lee, and then occurred one more desperate and bloody battle. The rebels tried to break our lines seyen different times, but each time were repulsed. The battle lasted until 1 p. m. The determined effort which they made to break our lines at that point was such as I had never witnessed during my whole service. They came in double lines and kept coming; the lay of the ground, however was in onr favor. We were in such a position that if our firing was too high for the first line it was sure to catch the next line or thor following. When the battle was over, that evening, I walked over the battle field. It seemed as though a whele line of battle had fallen, with the front rank only a few yards away fromn ūs. This was the most sickening sight I have ever witnessed. It look od more like a slaughter than a battle. Their own estimate was 3987 killed, and 7586 wounded. Our regiment lost, in the two bat. tles, 14 killed and 51 wounded. Their charging on us was just what we wanted. We had charged upon them all the time, until Gener- al Hood took command as successor to General Johnston.
The rebel president thought changing commanders would drive Sherman out of Georgia, as he and Governor Brown said would be done, but it was an utter failure. If General Hood had been ju command from the time we started on the compaign from Chatta- nooga, on May 2nd, I doubt if the army of the Tennessee would have had the honor or opportunity of going with General Sherman to the sea, or through the Carolinas, for three or fonr such charges would have almost annihilated the whole confederate army under General Hood. The rebels called this last day's fighting the "kill ing at Ezra Church."
When we consider that in this, the greatest battle of the cam. paign, the little army of the Tennessee met the entire army of Hood, secretly thrust to its rear, and its flank, and upon its ad- vanced center, with its idolized commander, General MePherson. killed in the first shock of the battle and at nightfall found the Quemy dead and wounded in front of it, showed that no disaster, no temporary rebuke could discourage the army. Every man at his post, doing a heroie duty, proved that they might be wiped out but never made to run. They were invincible. Regarding so great a battle and against such odds, with such losses, the question is often asked why it was that this battle was never put further ahead of many others, which were inferior but better known to the world, and on which more comment is made. It is apparent to us today, as it was that night, that we had lost our best friend, that
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