USA > New Jersey > Reminiscences of the war, comprising a detailed account of the experiences of the Thirteenth regiment New Jersey volunteers in camp, on the march, and in battle > Part 13
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There were frequent engagments along the line in front of Atlanta, the charge of a corps of Hood's army on the Fifteenth Corps. July 28th, being the most desperate. When it became apparent that Atlanta would have to be taken by seige, a Battery of 20-pound Parrot guns was placed in position near the railroad, and an incessant firing on the town was kept up. Frequently some of the shells would burst inside of our lines, and there were many narrow escapes from severe injury and death. Fred. Har- rison of Co. E, of Orange, was wounded on the 8th of August by a piece of shell from one of these guns. The shell exploded just after leaving the cannon and the frag- ments of it went whirring among the troops, most of them falling about where our Regiment was stationed.
As a fair illustration of daily life in front of Atlanta, the following incident is related: Our tents were pitched behind the inner line of breastworks. Two and sometimes four men "bunked" together, and each would take turns in going for wood and water. Our fires were built close by the breastworks, where all the cooking was done. One day I left my comrade. Charles Donglass, in the tent, while I went for water and made preparations for cooking the coffee, salt pork and hard tack which comprised our daily bill of fare. I had been gone about twenty minutes, and
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on my return there was a commotion in the camp about my tent. Going up to see what the matter was, I learned that a mail had arrived just before, and Douglass was lying down in the tent reading a letter ; while thus engaged, a piece of shell from one of the enemy's guns came through the tent striking him in the hand. He lost two fingers and was disabled for further duty. Every soldier can relate similar experiences, which were of frequent occurrence in those days.
About this time I was again detailed for duty at Division Headquarters. a General Court Martial having been ordered by Gen. Williams. The Court held its sessions in a house about a mile from the breastworks. There were two or three poor families living in the vicinity who managed to make a living by doing work of various kinds for the officers and men. They had become accustomed to the dreadful scenes of active war, and though the enemy's shells frequently bursted around their homes they ex- hibited no more trepidation than the soldiers around them. It was a strange thing to see women so cool in the midst of such excitement. One morning before daylight the enemy opened a fierce artillery fire upon our position. The men were all asleep behind the breastworks, and the sounds of bursting shells soon roused all from their slumbers. The firing was continued for about half an hour when it suddenly ceased. The next morning about the same hour a concentrated fire upon a large fort in the enemy's lines was begun by our batteries, and we had the satisfaction of witnessing an explosion of considerable magnitude. No doubt the enemy were moved to this attack upon us by the constant shelling of Atlanta by the siege guns posted at the head of the pike. All night long they sent forth their destructive shells into the heart of the city, and we used to watch them by the hour, their course being plainly traced by the light of their fuses, which glowed like a burning coal. The boys dubbed these guns
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the " Atlanta Express." and took great delight in watching the delivery of " packages." ·
Little progress was apparently being made in our ap- proach to the city. The idea of battering down the de- fenses or making a wide enough breach in their works for the passage of a "forlorn hope" seemed too absurd for belief, and a feeling began to manifest itself that Sherman was in a bad fix. There was considerable speculation as to the possibility of our taking the city, but while we were thus discussing all sorts of warlike problems. Sherman was actually carrying out a magnificent plan of operations.
Gen. Hooker had been relieved of the command of the Twentieth Corps at his own request on the 27th of July, and Gen. Williams assigned to the temporary command. Gen. O. O. Howard succeeded Gen. McPherson in command of the Army of the Tennessee, and Gen. Stanley was appointed to the command of the Fourth Corps. On the 1st of August our lines were extended to the right and left. the Fourth and Twentieth Corps holding a line of intrenchments full five miles long. There were frequent sallies by our troops on the right and the city was being constantly invested by the closing in of our lines. The enemy organized a strong cavalry force under Wheeler to destroy our communications. and that bold raider pushed North to Dalton, from thenee marching into Tennessee, but he failed to interrupt the accumulation of supplies for Sherman's army. On the 16th a new plan of operations was decided upon by Sher-
man. Kilpatrick was sent on a raid to the rear of Atlanta for the purpose of destroying Hood's communications and compelling him to fight or abandon the city. Kilpatrick encountered Jackson's cavalry at Fairburn and succeeded in destroying the railroad station, public buildings and the telegraph and railroad for about three miles. On the ISth, with Garrard's cavalry. in all about 5.000 men, Kil patrick moved to Jonesboro, defeated Ross's cavalry and commenced the destruction of the road. While thus engaged he was attacked by Jackson's cavalry and a
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brigade of infantry, and was compelled to draw off toward McDonough. He then made a circuit to Lovejoy's Station where, breaking the road, he was attacked by the same force. Perceiving that he was almost surrounded. he charged the cavalry and cut his way through, capturing four guns and many prisoners, but being hard pressed he could not incumber himself with all of his captives, and brought in but seventy men, three flags and one gun. Kilpatrick's injuries to the railroad were not such as to embarrass the enemy for any great length of time, and Sherman then repeated his order for the fiank movement. which necessitated the raising of the seige of Atlanta. The sick, all surplus supplies, wagons and incumbrances were sent beyond the Chattahoochee River, and on the night of the 25th of August, we received orders to move. We marched back to the Chattahoochee River and took up posi- tion covering the railroad bridge. The next night the Fourteenth Corps and the Army of the Tennessee fell back leaving Schofield alone in front of the city. Gen. H. W. Slocum. our old commander, made his appearance on the 26th of August, and took command again of the Corps. He was warmly greeted and enthusiastically cheered as he passed our camp.
When all our forces had withdrawn from in front of the city. the enemy went into ecstacies of rejoicing over the retreat of the Yankees. There were sounds of revelry in Atlanta the next night. Delegations of enthusiastic Geor- gians from Macon and intervening places gathered at the Gate City, and celebrated Hood's " great victory " in true Southern spirit.
The main army cut loose entirely from Atlanta and en- tered upon that memorable movement the success of which gave us possession of the city.
The Twentieth Corps remained at the Chattahoochee River, where we erected a strong line of works. On the night of September Ist we were aroused by what seemed to be a terrific canvonading in Atlanta. Two explosions
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burst upon our sight and there was strong presumptive evidence that a desperate battle was being fought or that the enemy were preparing to leave Atlanta. Capt. Mat- thews of the Thirteenth, who commanded the picket line of the Regiment that night, received the first intelli- gence of the evacuation of the city by deserters who came inside our lines, and the explosions alluded to made the intelligence certain. Gen. Slocum, with the 107th New York, of our Brigade, and other troops moved at daylight to reconnoitre the situation and entered the rebel fortifica- tions without opposition. The Thirteenth broke camp about three o'clock in the afternoon and reached the enemy's deserted lines at dusk. The fortifications of At- Janta were of the strongest kind. Outside of the main line of works there were felled trees, cheveaux de freize, pit- ;ails and every device the ingenuity of man could invent for the defence of the city. Inside of their breastworks they had made deep caves in the ground, where they went for safety during the periods of artillery firing from our Jines. There were also numerous subordinate lines of trenstworks which could be used by them should their main line ever have been successfully assailed. We halted for a short rest after passing through the breastworks, and the Brigade Band struck up a number of lively airs to the music of which we marched gaily into the city with flags flying. Arriving at Gen. Slocum's headquarters the band Mayed "Hail to the Chief," after which we marched to the outskirts of the city and went into camp. The campaign, which began on the 1st of May, was thus brought to a suc- czasful close on the 2d of September-a period of four months of almost continuous fighting.
The fall of Atlanta was brought about by the movement of the army, as above partially portrayed, to Jonesboro, eighteen or twenty miles to the rear of Atlanta. On the weight of the 1st of September the Fourteenth Corps marched right up to the enemy's works and with such im- Totuosity, that they captured a whole brigade of troops
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and ten pieces of artillery. The next morning it was found that Hardee, who was in command of the rebel forces as this point, had fallen back to Lovejoy's Station, and on the same day, Gen, Sherman received the joyful intelligence from Slocum that the Twentieth Corps had entered Atlant, without opposition. When the news of the capture of the city was communicated to Gen. Thomas, he thought the news too good to be true. "He snapped his fingers. whistled, and almost danced, and, as the news spread to the army, the shouts that arose from our men, the wild! hallooing and glorious laughter were to us a full recom- pense for the labors and toils and hardships through which we had passed in the previous three months."*
On the 3d of September Gen. Sherman telegraphed to President Lincoln : "Atlanta is ours, and fairly won." The President wrote a letter of thanks to Gen. Sherman and his army in which he said: "The marches, battles, sieger and other military operations that have signalized the cam- paign must render it famous in the annals of war, and have entitled those who have participated therein to the ar- plause and thanks of the nation." Lieutenant-General Grant, before Petersburg, on the 4th, ordered a salute to be fired in honor of the victory " with shotted gans from every battery bearing upon the enemy." On the 12th. General Sherman received from the President a commission making him a Major-General in the Regular Army.
*Sherman's Memoirs.
CHAPTER XVI.
Summary of Events-Life in Atlanta-Sherman's Order to the Citizens -Hood's Campaign Northward-Burning of Atlanta.
It was a great relief when the formal announcement of the close of the campaign was made. While no general engagement, after the battle of Resaca, had taken place the campaign had been a severe one. There was scarcely a day between the 15th of May and the 1st of September that we were not in front of the enemy, either skirmishing with them or erecting breastworks for defence against sudden assault. It happened, in our case. that we did more fighting in open field than behind barricades, vet after each day's march, as soon as the line of battle had been formed. axes, hatchets, picks and shovels were brought into immediate requisition and a line of breast- works erected. When a new picket detail was sent out the first question asked was. "Are the skirmishers pro- tected by anything ?" If not. the work of digging trenches or skirmish pits would be prosecuted under cover of night. While one or two men kept close watch in the direction of the enemy. the others would vigorously ply their bavonets into the earth and scoop out a hole large enough to lay fat lown in, and by placing a log or a few stones in front of the pit were well protected from the enemy's fire. The number of narrow escapes from death or serious injury cannot be computed. It is impossible for any man who
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passed through the campaign to estimate the number of almost miraculous escapes that he experienced. Often- times he was in the greatest peril when he felt most secure. In the preceding chapter I have given the names of the killed and wounded in the Regiment so far as my informa- tion went, but the names of a few others have been brought to my mind since. First Lieutenant Samuel R. Beardsley, Co. B, and Smith P. Brown of Co. I, were both wounded in the battle of Resaca, Ga., May 15th. The former re- signed on the 23d of August because of the injuries then received, and the latter died on the 26th of July in the United States General Hospital at Chattanooga. William Lear of Co. B. was killed outright in the same battle. and John Condrey, of the same company, died at the United States General Hospital, in Jeffersonville, Ind., on the 14th of June. from wounds received in that fight. First Lieu- tenant Peter M. Ryerson of Co. C. was wounded at Pine Knob on the 15th of June and died on the 1st of July fol- lowing. James Dobson. Co. D. was wounded on the picket line near the Chattahoochee River on the 14th of July and died in Chattanooga on the 24th of August.
There were several changes in the Regiment, occasioned by the death and resignation of officers. Surgeon J. Addi- son Freeman was commissioned Assistant-Surgeon United States Volunteers on the 26th of April. 1864, and ordered to Nashville, Tenn., and Dr. James I. B. Ribble, Assistant- Surgeon of the Eighth New Jersey Regiment, was com- missioned Surgeon. On the 23d of June, Albert Delano. Hospital Steward of the Regiment, was discharged at Nashville, whither he had gone after the battle of Resaca in charge of our wounded. and appointed to the same office in the United States Volunteer service. George B. Swain of Co. D, was promoted to fill the vacancy thus oc- casioned. On the 21st of July, Dr. Wm. Wallace Corriell, Assistant-Surgeon, resigned. Major David A. Ryerson resigned July 16th, 1864, and Captain Fred. H. Harris of Co. E was promoted to the vacancy. Sergeant John P.
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Decker of Co. D, was promoted Sergeant Major on the 31st of August, vice Van Orden promoted Second Lieutenant of Co. I. John McDougall was promoted First Lieutenant of Co. B, vice Beardsley resigned ; First Sergeant Andrew Jackson of Co. B, was promoted Second Lieutenant of Co. K on the 28th of October, 1864. John R. Williams. Ser- geant of Co. A, was promoted on the 11th of July First Lieutenant of Co. C, vice Ryerson, deceased. July 17th Lieut. Chas. W. Johnson of Co. I, was promoted Captain of Co. E, vice Harris, promoted. Sebastian Duncan, Jr .. was promoted First Lieutenant, Co. E. on the 1st of June, vice Pierson, promoted. Adjutant William G. Cunning- ham resigned on the 30th of Sept., 1864, and on the 1st of November Granville W. Bodwell was promoted First Lieu- tenant Co. I, vice Van Orden, transferred to Co. K. Lieut- Colonel Grimes was discharged from the service on the 1st of September by special orders from the War Department. and Major Harris was promoted to fill the vacancy. A large number of recruits, mostly one year men, joined the Regiment at Atlanta.
Our Division, the First, encamped inside the enemy's breastworks, and the Second Massachusetts Regiment, of our Brigade, was selected for provost duty in the town. with Lieut-Col. Morse Provost Marshal. We were given full liberty to go anywhere about the city, and the day after we entered a number of us visited the ruins of the railroad depot and the arsenal. The debris. formed of old car wheels, parts of locomotives, cannon of every style and calibre, exploded shells, burning timbers, &c .. was a fascinat- ing sight. Eig Eighty car loads of ammunition were destroyed, and the explosions we heard on the night of September 1st. were occasioned by the bursting of the shells. For weeks afterward shells frequently exploded and there were many narrow escapes from serious injury. The hotels, -- the most notable of which was the "Trout House"-and all the stores were of course closed. Soldiers went through the several streets of the city in search of tobacco, and a ware-
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house containing large quantities of it being discovered, a rush was made for the place, and its contents were speedily confiscated. We found a number of Jerseymen who were citizens of Atlanta. They had taken situations in the machine shops there before the war, and had succeeded somehow in avoiding conscription. I saw several who claimed to have formerly lived in Trenton and Elizabeth.
A few days after we took possession of Atlanta, a Review of the Division was ordered by Gen. Slocum. The review ground was about three miles from the camp, and after a brisk march the Regiment, under command of Col. Carman. took its position in line. The three Brigades of the Divi- sion were formed in a continuous line, with open ranks. As Gen. Slocum and his staff appeared the troops presented arms, the Bands struck up " Hail to the Chief," and the reviewing officers rode briskly along the lines of each Brigade. When this ceremony was over, the ranks were closed, each Regiment formed " division front,"-two com- panies abreast-and in this order the whole Division marched past the General and his staff. A review of a large body of troops is a fascinating sight to the spectator, and though to old troops it has somewhat the appear- ance of playing soldier, yet there is a charm in it even to them. On our way back to camp we marched through the city and passed the headquarters of Gens. Sherman and Thomas who were given three hearty cheers by each Regi- ment as it came opposite them.
When the Division Court Martial again convenel I was, as usual, detailed as clerk, Lieut. English. of the One Hundred and First Illinois Regiment. being Judge Advo- cate. This brought me to the city, and in accordance with my former habit I sought out a family with whom to board. I was fortunate in this respect and thus obtained consider able information about matters and things in Atlanta dur- ing Confederate rule. The following retail price of gro- ceries and dry goods on the 31st of August-just before the fall of the city-will prove interesting at this time :
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Flour, $1.25 to $1.50 per pound; corn meal, $15.00 to $18.00 a bushel : rice, $1.00 per pound; salt, $1.00 per pound ; syrup, $24.00 to $32.00 per gallon ; soda, $5.00 per pound; beef, $3.00 per pound ; bacon, $4.00 to $5.00 per pound : lard, $5.00 per pound; butter, $8.00 to $10.00 per pound ; chickens, $7.00 to $10.00 each; sweet potatoes, $12.00 a peck; beans. $4.00 a peck ; coffee, $19.00 to $20.00 per pound ; soap, $1.00 to $1.50 per pound; ladies' shoes. $100.00 a pair ; common calicoes, $5.00 a yard.
Gen. Sherman almost immediately on taking possession of Atlanta ordered all the families to leave the city, to go South or North, as they should select. His reason for this seemingly harsh order was that he needed all the houses of Atlanta for military stores and occupation; he contem- plated also contracting the lines of defence which would make it necessary to destroy many houses then occupied. Further he claimed that as Atlanta was a fortified town. was stubbornly defended and fairly captured, as captors the United States had a right to it. The residence of a poor population in the city who would sooner or later be compelled to starve, unless fed by the government,-an impossibility under the circumstances .- was also given as a reason for this action. Gen. Hood was exceedingly wroth when informed by Sherman of what the latter intended to do, and in a letter written to Gen. Sherman, after accepting the proposition to declare a truce for two days. or such time as may be necessary to accomplish the purpose men- tioned, he says:
"And now, sir, permit me to say that the unprecedented measure you propose transcends, in studied and ingenious cruelty, all acts ever before brought to my attention in the dark history of war."
A neutral camp was established at Rough and Ready Station to which place all who desired to go South were escorted.
Gen. Wheeler had for some time threatened the Nashville and Chattanooga railroad with his cavalry, and rumors
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being circulated that Forrest was on his way to Tennessee from Mississippi to aid him in this scheme, Gen. Sherman sent one Division of the Seventeenth Corps to Rome and instructed the commanding officer at Decatur and Chatta- nooga to adopt the most active measures to insure the safety of our roads. About the 21st of September Hood began to show signs of activity, and Sherman despatched troops to Rome and Chattanooga. On the 1st of October Hood's army was across the Chattahoochee river. and at once Sherman determined on a line of action. He had sent General Thomas back to Chattanooga on the 29th of September, and Morgan's Division of the Fourteenth Corps was ordered to Tennessee to confront the danger expected to our roads from the enemy's cavalry. On the 3d of Oc- tober orders were issued for the Twentieth Corps to hold Atlanta and the bridges of the Chattahoochee, while the other corps were put in motion for Marietta. Gen. Sher- man accompanied the army in pursuit of Hood, who was endeavoring to reach and capture Allatoona, our principal depot of supplies. The defence of Allatoona was one of the most heroic achievements of modern times. and when the troops garrisoning it were called upon by Gen. French to surrender, and thus prevent needless effusion of blood. the gallant Gen. Corse replied : " We are prepared for the 'needless effusion of blood' whenever it is agreeable to you."
The enemy had succeeded in doing considerable damage to the railroad, burning the ties and bending the rails for eight miles. It was about this time that rations became short in Atlanta, and on the 12th of October our Brigade went out on a foraging expedition which proved highly successful. They brought in large quantities of corn. bacon, sweet potatoes, chickens, honey, sorghum, and other eatables. The other Brigades likewise instituted foraging expeditions with similar gratifying results.
Hood kept on his northward course, Sherman employing his whole army, except the Twentieth Corps, to bring him to bay somewhere.
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We led a happy life in Atlanta. Occasional reconnois- sances were made in search of the enemy's cavalry who were frequently found roaming about the country. The churches were opened on Sundays, and on week nights the " Opera House" was run by a variety troupe, the principal performers being furnished by the Third Wisconsin Regi- ment. The men had full liberty to go about the city until ten o'clock at night. when the streets were patrolled by the Second Massachusetts. The Paymaster put in an appear- ance the latter part of October and we received eight months pay. He was a most welcome guest, as we had all been strangers to money for a long time.
On the 9th of November, Gen. Harris, with a few Georgia militia, tried to frighten us out of Atlanta, but he was driven off. The Thirteenth was sent on a reconnois- sance to ascertain the whereabouts and strength of the enemy, but after a march of about eight miles we re- turned to camp without finding any trace of them. On Saturday, the 12th of November, the railroad from Atlanta to Marietta was torn up and destroyved. All the sick and disabled soldiers, and surplus stores of every kind had been sent back to the rear a few days before, and we were now in the heart of the Confederacy isolated from everybody. The army was reorganized and called " The Army of Georgia." The right wing, composed of the Fifteenth and Seventeenth Corps, were commanded by Gen. Howard, and the left, comprising the Fourteenth and Twentieth Corps, Gen. H. W. Slocum, Commander. Gen. Williams, our Division Commander, was placed in command of the Twentieth Corps, Gen. N. I. Jackson succeeding him as Division Commander. Gen. Ruger. our Brigade Commander, had been assigned to a Division in the Twenty- third Corps, and Col. Carman of the Thirteenth Regiment succeeded him as Commander of the Brigade. Lieut. Col. Fred. H. Harris commanded the Regiment.
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The depot, the round house and machine shops of the railroad were fired on the 12th, and the flames commu- nicating to other buildings soon made a great conflagration. For three days and nights the fire raged in Atlanta, and all the railroad buildings and some stores and dwellings were consumed. On Tuesday, the 15th of November, the orders to move were given and we prepared to leave the burning city.
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CHAPTER XVII.
The March to the Sca-Incidents of the Raid-Milledgeville-Invest- ment of Savannah-Why Hardee Evacuated the City-Entry into Savannah.
T the military situation on the 1st of November, 1864, was a peculiar one. While Sherman had possession of At- lanta his former antagonist. in imitation of his tactics. had instituted a movement northward, and was marching through the State of Tennessee. Sherman had detached a large portion of his army to pursue Hood. who moved with a celerity that was as remarkable as it was confusing. Finally Sherman, becoming tired of chasing an army that either would not or dared not make a decisive stand for battle. renewed his desire to march across the State to the Atlantic. On the 19th of October previous, he had written to Gen. Halleck that he considered himself authorized to execute his plan. namely. "to destroy the railroad from Chattanooga to Atlanta. including the latter city, strike out into the heart of Georgia, and make for Charleston. Savan- nah or the mouth of the Appalachicola. Gen. Grant prefers the middle one, Savannah, and I understand you to prefer Selma and the Alabama. I must have alternatives, else. being confined to one route, the enemy might so oppose, that delay and want would trouble me: but. having alter- natives. I can take so eccentric a course that no General can guess at my objective. Therefore, when you hear I am off, have lookonts at Morris Island, South Carolina, Assa
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