USA > New York > Memories of the 149th Regt. N. Y. Vol. Inft., 3d Brig., 2 Div., 12th and 20th A. C > Part 21
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On the Confederate side, Hood's Corps occupied Brush Mountain, with its left on the Ackworth and Marietta road ; Polk's Corps extended from Hood's left to Pine Mountain, and
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PINE MOUNTAIN.
Hardee's Corps occupied Pine Mountain, and thenee south to Gilgal Church ; Bates's Divisjon on Pine Mountain.
The movements of the 13th developed the weakness of Johnston's line ; Howard's men of the 4th Corps having ad- vanced into the loop in Noonday Creek between Brush and Pine Mountains, in connection with the advance of other troops of the Union forces further west, threatened to ent off Bates's Division ocenpying the latter mountain from the main line. During the day of the 14th Johnston, Polk, Hardee and other Confederate officers held a conference on Pine Mountain to consider the advisability of abandoning that portion of their works. These officers made a conspicuous group, standing to- gether on top of the mountain, and could be distinctly seen by the 119th men, who, as part of the 2d Division of the 20th Corps, were occupying breastworks thrown up the night be- fore half a mile distant and joining Howard's Corps. At day- light that morning Knap's Battery took position in line a little in rear of the works occupied by this regiment. While the men were looking at the group on Pine Mountain, Gen. Sher- man, accompanied by Gen. Howard, Gen. Hooker and other officers, came riding by, and observing what the men saw, di- rected Knap's Battery to fire by volley upon and disburse this gathering of the enemy, the men of the regiment standing by witnessing and admiring the wonderful accuracy of the firing of this gallant old battery. It is supposed that the second volley killed Gen. Polk.
Gen. Sherman in his memoirs aseribes this incident to a bat- tery in the 4th Corps, and Gen. Howard in his "Century" article follows his lead, but we prefer to trust for accuracy to the memories of men who stood by and saw the shots fired, knew the participants, and noted the facts in diaries at the time : and they are corroborated by Lossing, the historian, who investigated the matter immediately afterwards, and who in his history of the war gives the name and address of one of the men who fired the guns.
That night the enemy evacuated Pine Mountain and fell
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back a mile in rear, the Union skirmishers and pickets taking possession of the vacant works early in the morning.
At ten o'clock in the forenoon of the 15th the 24 Division moved to the right of Pine Mountain, marching about a mile, formed in line of battle, and at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, moved forward southerly about a mile, in double lines and re- serves, driving the enemy's outposts and skirmishers before it. In the formation of the charging lines the 149th at first occu- pied a position in the second line, but afterwards, by the giv- ing way of troops before it, passed forward to the front line, following the 111th Pennsylvania thrown forward as skirmish- ers, and in advancing crossed a creek and charged up a steep hill, driving the enemy's skirmishers from the erest. After a short halt on the brow of the hill the line again moved forward foreing the enemy back into his works, which were protected in front by heavy abatis and double rows of chevaux-de-frise, and were occupied by a strong force of infantry and artillery. The line developed was found too strong to be carried by as- sult, without great loss of life, so the command halted within one hundred yards of the Confederate entrenchments, taking advantage of the inequality of the ground and such other cover as could be found. hold the position until midnight, and then was withdrawn to a line of rifle-pits which had been prepared by the pioneers one hundred yards in rear.
At one time during the advance the brigade suffered from an enfilading fire of the enemy on the right, but the 1st Divis- ion afterward coming forward on that flank, abreast with the brigade, the danger threatened in that quarter was averted.
. About dark one hundred men of the regiment under com- mand of Capt. May drove a troublesome body of skirmishers within his works to the relief of the Union line.
The next day strong skirmish lines maintained the fight be- tween the opposing forces, Maj. Stegman of the 102d being among the severely wounded, but no advance of the main body was made by either side.
Johnston's line from Brush to Lost Mountain (ten miles) was.
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PINNE MOUNTAIN.
too long to be maintained in its whole length by his infantry, so south of Gilgal Church it was occupied only by cavalry. Gen. Schofield advancing the Army of Ohio on the south over- lapped Hardee's left, brushed away the cavalry south of the road from Gilgal Church to Marietta and turned his left flank. This necessitated the retirement of Harder to a new line east of Mud Creek, connecting with the old one in the center of the valley opposite Kenesaw. This took place during the night of the 16th.
The next morning the 3d Brigade found the works in its front vacated. This engagement is known as the "Battle of Pine Mountain", although the name Pine Mountain properly belongs only to the peak at the northern end of the ridge up- on which the battle was fought. The losses of the regiment were 6 killed and 2t wounded, total 27; four of the wounded afterwards died in hospitals.
At daylight of the 17th the skirmishers entered the enemy's works followed by the main line, and about eleven A. M. the 3d Brigade, on the right of the 2d, with the 78th N. Y. thrown forward as skirmishers, moved forward through the woods and den-e thickets south to the Sandtown road, running southeast from Gilgal Church, meeting the enemy's skirmishers on the way, but no considerable body of Confederates. The 23d Corps (Army of Ohio) was in occupation of the road, so the 3d Brigade changed direction to the left and moved southeast in connection with the gad Corps, with it- right resting on the road, to the cover of a knoll in the open fields bordering Mud Crock on the west, and four hundred yards from the works of the enemy on the other side of the stream.
In passing the open field to the knoll spoken of the brigade lost twenty men from the enemy's sharp-shooters, among whom wa. Louis Light of Co. A in the 149th, badly wounded in the left forearm.
A detail was then made to assist Bundy's 13th N. Y. Bat- tery to reach the knoll, when it opened on the enemy at four
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MEMOIRS 149th N. Y. INFT.
.o'clock in the afternoon. A part of the 23d Corps with a battery of that command also occupied a position under cover of the knoll in connection with this brigade. The infantry maintained a skirmish fire during the day and at night entrenched them- selves securely against assault by the enemy. The engagement at this place during the day has been called " The battle of Lost Mountain", having occurred near that peak.
Where Johnston's new line east of Mud Creek, now occupied by Hardee, joined the old one on the divide south of Noonday Creek was a salient angle strengthened by outlying works. The nature of the hills about this position was such that Thomas's batteries, ocenpying them, were able to enfilade the main lines as well as cover these works. After severe cannon- ading these outlying fortifications were carried by a part of Howard's men and firmly secured against recapture. At the same time Hardee's left was again turned by Schofield just south of the position occupied by the 149th. These two in- cidents, principally the former, occasioned another and entire change of line, which took place during the night of the 18th, Johnston leaving a strong body of skirmishers in the old works to contest and impede the movements of the Union army.
The new line commenced in the open country north of Mari- etta, and extending in a semi-circular course, passed partially through the railroad gap south of Brush Mountain, over the brow of Kenesaw and along the range of hills south of it, east of Nose Creek, to the road from Powder Springs to Marietta. The general order of troops from right to left along the new line on both sides was about the same as before.
In the morning of the 19th the 149th found the works in front of it abandoned and the Union troops again in motion. Leaving the Sandtown road the ed Division moved east on an- other from New Hope Church by Lost Mountain to Marietta, and crossing Mad and Nose Creeks, came upon the enemy's skirmisher- in an open field protected by rifle-pits, half a mile east of the last-named stream. The 1st and 3d Divisions fol-
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lowed the 2d east of Nose Creek and were deployed massed by brigades covered by skirmishers.
The next two or three days were spent by Sherman's army in taking positions before the enemy, fortifying, and then ex- tending to the right with a view of turning Johnston's left.
About ten o'clock in the forenoon of the 21st. the 2d Division, in its movements to the right, was deployed and built works on Culp's farm to the left of the Ist Division, whose right rested on the road from Powder Springs to Marietta. The next morning the Ist and ed Divisions, with Hascall's Division of the 23d Corps on the south side of the road. moved forward half a mile and occupied a range of wooded hills, with open fields in front, captured by the skirmishers. In making the ad- vance a few prisoners were taken who reported Hood's Corps had been taken from Johnston's right during the night and was now in front preparing to attack the position ocenpied. The work of entrenching commenced immediately.
The line of the ed Division, following the conformation of the hill on which it was situate, had a convex front, and was a little in advance of the line of the ist Division, and between the two divisions was a swale and a brook running into Nose Creek in rear ; this, owing to the nature of the ground, was unoccupied. The line of the 1st Division was in form similar to that of the ed Division, and there were ravines similar to that between the two divisions, running between the different brigades of that division. In the 2d Division the 3d Brigade ocenpied the center, with the ed Brigade on the right and the Ist Brigade on the left. Artillery was so placed in the general line as to cover all approaches.
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In the afternoon, before the several commands had com- pleted their works, Hood made an attack, with two divisions in front supported by the third, in his usual impetuous manner. The attacking colinun struck Williams's Ist Division, the left brigade of Hascall (esd) and the right brigade of Geary's 2d Division, but owing to a converging fire of artillery and mus- ketry by Geary and Hascall on the flank in aid of Williams.
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MEMOIRS 149th N. Y. INFT.
Hood was defeated and routed with great slaughter with com- paratively small loss to the Unionists. In the charge a body of Confederates entered the space between the two divisions, and being in open ground and subject to cross-fire from the two divisions, soon retired. The charge was very largely re- pelled by artillery, small arms being used only in close quar- ters, which was very brief.
The 149th, not being in the direct course of the charging column, suffered very little if any loss, but contributed its full share of duty in defeating the desperate attempt of the enemy to turn Sherman's right. The battle is known as the "Battle of Culp's Farm."
During the time the regiment remained at Culp's farm, Col. Barnum joined for duty from sick leave and recruiting service for the regiment conmeneing the preceding December; the officers and men gave him a hearty welcome.
Prior to the attack of Hood rain had fallen for weeks al- most incessantly : the streams that ordinarily at this time of year were dry now were foaming torrents overflowing the low- lands and carrying away bridges ; supplies for the army had to be carried long distances from the railroad over roads obliter- ated by wagon tracks running in every direction : the artillery could be moved only with great difficulty ; the attack of Hood demonstrated the peril attending the further extension of the Union lines : and the army could not remain inactive on ac- count of its dependence for supplies upon a single track rail- road running a long distance through a hostile country. These considerations impelled Sherman to attack Johnston's en- 'trenched lines. Three places were selected for this purpose : one by MePherson in front of Little Kenesaw, one by Howard (4th Corps) and another by Palmer (14th Corps) at places along the hills one mile south of MePherson and near the road to Marietta from Gilgal Church. In aid of these movements a strong demonstration was to be made along the whole line, and a flank movement by Schofield on the right.
The flank movement by Schofield commenced June 26th, but
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KENNESAW MOUNTAIN.
the main charge and demonstration along the line took place on the 27th at nine o'clock in the morning.
The 2d Division of the 20th Corps, under command of Gen. Geary, for its portion of the work in aid of the main attack, moved out of its entrenchments at Culp's Farm in column, several lines deep covered by skirmishers, and charged the en- emy in front, driving in his outposts and skirmishers from his ontlying works. In advancing the troops to the right did not keep pace with the division, so after proceeding nearly a mile, the line halted and entrenched itself on a new line.
In the formation of the charging column the 149th was as- signed to a position in the third line, but nearly half its men being on the skirmish line in front, it suffered an undue pro- portion of the losses sustained by the brigade. Three of its men were killed and thirteen wounded, total sixteen; three of the wounded afterwards died in hospital.
The main attacks were made in heavy columns with narrow fronts, mostly in regimental division two company fronts, and being delayed too long before the enemy's entrenehments by formidable abatis and entanglements, subject to a murderous cross-fire of musketry and artillery, were defeated with terrible results. The losses sustained by Sherman were about 2,500, and there was no compensation for the failure of the day in the loss of son by the Confederates. The only gain obtained was that by Schofield, who succeeded in capturing a valuable position on the right threatening JJohnston's railroad commumi- cations south of Marietta. The engagement of the 25th has been called the " Battle of Kenesaw Mountain", having taken place on Little Kenesaw and its southern continuation.
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After the Kenesaw engagement the weather became settled, and Sherman at once commenced a flank movement on the right to turn Johnston out of his position. This had so far progressed by the end of July that at night the Confederates evacuated Kenesaw and occupied a new line at Smyrna Camp Ground- five miles south of Marietta. The morning of July
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MEMOIRS 149th N. Y. INFT.
3d the 2d Division took a position in an open field to the left of the 3d Division in view of the enemy on his new line, and remained there until July 5th, when, the enemy having with- drawn to a second line of entrenchments covering the railroad bridge and two ferries over the Chattahoochee River, it marched down the Sandtown road to near Turner's Ferry. After two or three days the division settled down on a position fronting the enemy with its right resting on Nickajack Creek, and re- mained there until the 17th of July. The enemy in the mean time having retired south of the river, the division on that day marched to Pace's Ferry, crossed over on pontoons, and bi- vonacked on the Buckhead Road at Naney's Creek at three o'clock in the afternoon.
This ended the campaign about Marietta, which had been a critical one, full of hardships and great exposures; in fact, the fighting had been incessant, losses occurring daily ; still the occasions where severe fighting occurred were not always dig- nified with separate names, and even the participants cannot always locate or describe places where interesting incidents oc- curred, and stop short and say, "It was before Marietta." It was certainly the critical part of the Atlanta Campaign, and Sherman's men were glad when they crossed the Chattahoo- chee.
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THIRD BRIGADE HEAD-QUARTERS, ATLANTA, GA,
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CHAPTER XXVII.
PEACH TREE CREEK AND ATLANTA.
THE distance from Marietta to Atlanta is twenty miles, and the railroad from the former to the latter runs in a southeasterly direction crossing the Chatta- hoochee, which runs southwest- erly, half way between the two places in the form of the letter X. Atlanta, and Decatur tive miles east, are on a tableland from which the water flows in all directions ; on the north and west into the Chattahoochee, and on the south and east into the Ocmulgee. North of Atlanta, and between Stone Mountain on the east and the Chattahoochee on the west, is a large tract of country, at this time nearly covered with dense woods and thickets, which was drained by a large stream called Peach Tree Creck, flowing from east to west and joining the Chatta- hoochee just above the crossing of the railroad from Marietta. This creek has three lateral branches, North and South Peach Tree on the south, and Naney Creek on the north, and these branches are fed by numerous creeks and brooks which cut the country up into deep ravines and sharp hills running in all di- rections.
For reasons which it is not necessary to explain in this nar- rative, Sherman undertook to reach Atlanta by a course cast of the railroad, and his approaches were made through this
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MEMOIRS 149th N. Y. INNFT.
tract of country. McPherson crossed the Chattahoochee at Roswell, east of Marietta, Schofield and Howard at Phillip's Ferry, and the 14th and 20th Corps at Pace's Ferry, a short distance above the railroad crossing.
Johnston had contested every foot of way from Dalton to the Chattahoochee and with ceaseless vigilance watched every movement of Sherman ready to take advantage of any mis- take; the Confederate government was elamorous for an of- fensive service on his part at all hazards before Atlanta was reached, and the spires of that city were now in sight of the Union army; hence every intelligent soldier recognized the crossing of the Chattahoochee as a supreme moment in the war, that one or more great battles were about to be fought, and necessarily they were to be sanguinary and decisive; but no one could penetrate the vail of forests and thiekets sur- rounding Atlanta and tell where the struggle was to take place. The officers and men were much of mind of the man who gave himself as a Christmas present to his sweetheart. Describing his sensations, when concealed in a bag in the wood-house while the farmer's dog went sniffiing and growling about, he said he didn't eare so much about the bite of the dog as he did about the uncertainty of where he was going to take holl first.
Johnston's new line commenced at a point on the railroad two miles south of the river and ran east on the brow of the hill south of Peach Tree Creek six miles to Peavine Creek, near its junction with that stream, and thence south along the left bank of the latter creek to the Georgia Railroad between Decatur and Atlanta. The ground was well chosen, the works of a formidable character, and the line well concealed by dense woods and thickets.
After the destruction of the Georgia Railroad east of Decatur, it was the purpose of Sherman to discover and develop this new line of the enemy. With this purpose he ordered Thomas to hold fast with his right at the railroad, so as to cover the repairing of the railroad bridge over the Chattahoochee, and move forward over Peach Tree with his left, following the
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PEACHI TREE CREEK.
movements of Schofield and MePherson, who were closing in from the north and east in the direction of Decatur, thereby making a right wheel with the army.
From Pace's Ferry a road leads east through Buckhead, and from thenee southeasterly to Decatur; from this road at fre- quent intervals depart other roads running to Atlanta, or con- verging into others in that direction, like spokes in a wheel.
In furtherance of Sherman's order, Thomas on the 18th moved the 4th Corps to Buckhead, and the 20th Corps over Naney Creek, on the road to Buckhead, to a cross-road lead- ing to Atlanta past Howell's Mill on Peach Tree Creek ; here the 2d Division spent part of the night in building breast- works. Early the next morning the 2d Division, following the 102d N. Y. thrown forward as skirmishers, moved down the road to Howell's Mill, where it arrived about ten o'clock in the forenoon, finding the bridge partially destroyed, the enemy's skirmishers in force on the opposite side of the stream, and an outpost securely entrenched covering the point of cross- ing.
Peach Tree at this time was a wide, deep and muddy stream with swampy banks, and could not be crossed without bridges. After a little delay a place was selected for Geary's Division to effeet a crossing in a bend in the creek half a mile above the mill. Here a partial cover was found for the bridge- builders behind some bushes which lined the bank of the stream.
About four o'clock in the afternoon a temporary bridge was completed and the 3d Brigade, the 149th leading, made a crossing and drove away the enemy opposed. In the valley at the place in question were open fields four hundred yards in width, more or less swampy, through which flowed the stream. At the time appointed Companies A, B and F, Cap- tains May, Grumbach and Burhans respectively commanding, as skirmishers lead the advance at double-quick across the bridge, and then quickly deploying charged the enemy half a mile up a steep hill into the woods, closely followed by the regiment in line of battle. The 149th was followed by other
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MEMOIRS 149th N. Y. INFT.
regiments of the brigade, and then by the balance of the divis- ion which immediately entrenched itself along the high ground half a mile south of Peach Tree. In the charge the 149th lost one man killed and one man wounded, and captured a score or more of prisoners ; Gen. Hooker and Gen. Geary, who were present and eye witnesses, complimented the regiment for its gallantry and efficient service.
While these matters were transpiring, one division of the 14th Corps made a crossing half a mile below Howell's Mill, and one division of the 4th Corps a mile above, so at night Thomas had three or more divisions over Peach Tree, and early in the morning of the 20th, the whole of the 14th and 10th and one division of the 4th Corps ; the other two divisions of the latter corps, in compliance with Sherman's order, being on the Deeatur road east of Buckhead in support of Schofield then on the east bank of Peavine Creek connecting with Me- Pherson at Decatur, who, by the formation of the country and the direction of its roads, had become separated from Thomas by an interval of three or four miles.
In the fore part of the day of the 20th, Thomas's command, south of Peach Tree, made a general advance of half a mile to more eligible ground, driving the enemy's skirmishers before it. The general disposition of forces in line at that time was : Newton's Division of the 4th Corps on the left of the road from Buekhead to Atlanta; Ward's 34 Division of the 20th Corps on Newton's right extending to Shoal Creek, which ran northerly into Peach Tree : Geary's Division to the right of Ward on the other side of Shoal Creek, and Williams's Ist Di- vision between Geary and the 14th Corps, which prolonged the line to the extreme left. The lines in all the divisions were formed with two brigades in front, the other brigades being held in reserve.
Between the 2d and 3d Divisions of the 20th Corps, along Shoal Creek and about Collier's Mill on that stream, were open fields.
Geary in advancing his line in the morning moved forward
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the 1st Brigade on the left and the 2d Brigade on the right, and at three o'clock in the afternoon, when the 3d Brigade was brought forward in support, the 1st Brigade rested in open fields about Collier's Mill under cover of a ravine which ran from right to left into Shoal Creek ; and the 2d Brigade, which was somewhat in advance of the Ist, was on high ground with a heavily-wooded country before it and its right resting in air ; the 1st Division being a short distance in rear and not connect- ing. Bundy's 13th N. Y. Battery occupied a sharp hill or knoll, a little in rear of the right of the 1st Brigade, which commanded the open fields about Shoal Creek and Collier's Mill. The 3d Brigade was placed in reserve in column of regi- ments in a ravine in rear of the main line, at first to the left and afterwards in the woods a few rods to the right of the knoll occupied by the battery.
While Johnston was preparing to offer battle on the Peach Tree Creek line, he was unexpectedly supplanted by Hood, whose aggressive character was well known to the Confederate government, and the change of policy in the Confederate com- mand quickly came to the knowledge of the Union army in an impetuous charge on the afternoon of the 20th upon its forming lines. The attack was intended to take place early in the day, but MePherson appearing south of the Decatur Road, on the right of Hood's line, made a new disposition of forces neces- sary, and delayed the attack on Thomas until the middle of the afternoon. The charge was made by Hardee and Stewart's Corps in echelon falling upon the several divisions of the Union army from left to right successively. Newton's Division had covered itself with a slight barricade of rails and timber, but all the others were still in motion and without cover. The charge, although desperate, intended as decisive, and renewed again and again by Hood's division commanders, was unsne- cessful at every point ; but it is our purpose to describe only that portion relating to the 149th Regiment.
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