USA > New York > Dutchess County > The "Dutchess county regiment" (150th regiment of New York state volunteer infantry) in the Civil War; > Part 9
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At 4 o'clock, Friday afternoon, September 2nd, we received orders to move on Atlanta, the enemy having evacuated the city the previous night or early that morn- ing. Four hours later the 20th Corps entered the city from the north and west, and took possession of the rebel works.
The casualties of our regiment during the summer's campaign, from April 28th to September 2nd, had been I officer and 18 men killed; 4 officers and 83 men wounded, and one man missing. Total, 107. In his official report, made out a few days later, Colonel Ketcham has this to say of our behavior :
"During the long and fatiguing campaign through which we have just passed, my officers and men faithfully performed their duties, promptly and cheerfully complied with every order, and at all times evinced an anxiety and eagerness to meet and fight the enemy."
CHAPTER XI. ATLANTA OCCUPIED.
BY WILLIAM C. WILE.
Great Destruction of Property by the Enemy-City Surrenders-The Town and Its De- fences-Regulation of Trade-Inhabitants Sent Away-Sunday Observance- Foraging for Food-Fighting Off the Enemy-Preparations for Aban- doning the City-Last Scenes Spectacular and Fascinating -"As We Go Marching On."
In dispatching to Jefferson Davis the dispiriting intel- ligence of his evacuation of Atlanta, Confederate General Hood declared that it was not the loss of the city itself he cared so much about; he dreaded more the demoralizing effect on his troops of again turning their backs on the foe. But he considered it necessary, after General Sherman had gained a footing on the Southern railroad, to put the Confederate forces between the Union army and the town of Andersonville, which was only about ninety miles farther south.
At this place were fully 34,000 Federal prisoners, and he feared that a sudden cavalry raid from the Union army would succeed in releasing these men, "who could easily be furnished with arms," he said, "and turned loose to devastate the surrounding country." He therefore sug- gested to Davis that the prisoners be removed to some other locality, so that he should feel free to move his army into Tennessee and take the initiative against General Sherman by severing his communication with the North.
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His advice was acted upon, and before October Ist all the prisoners were taken from the prison pens of Macon and Andersonville, and confined near Charleston and Savannah.
General Hood was particularly incensed, at the time of the evacuation of Atlanta, because of the necessity at the last moment, of destroying several million dollars' worth of ordnance stores. He had given ample notice to his chief quartermaster to move a train of seven engines and 81 cars, already placed in position at the depot for that purpose, but this gentleman chanced to imbibe too freely of liquid stores, and neglected to perform the im- portant duty. As a consequence the Confederate rear- guard,-Loring's division of Stewart's corps,-was obliged, before leaving, to blow up the several car-loads of ammunition, small arms, stores, etc., and spike a splen- did battery which had just arrived from England.
The sound of these loud and repeated explosions came to our ears at Chattahoochee, eight miles away. The booming was first heard about I o'clock in the morning of September 2nd. It was even heard at our main army, at Jonesborough, 25 miles from the city. Large fires were also visible, and occasionally brilliant flashes would light up the heavens in that direction. The indications pointed to the destruction of magazines. Early in the morning therefore reconnoitering parties were sent out from our corps towards Atlanta, to find out the meaning of all this disturbance. The only regiment from our brigade to be ordered out on this service was the 107th New York.
At I o'clock that afternoon a courier brought the fol- lowing dispatch from General Ward of the 3rd Division,
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who led the reconnaissance :- " The city authorities have surrendered to my reconnoitering party, and my troops now occupy Atlanta." At 8 o'clock that evening, at the head of the 20th Corps, we entered with banners flying and bands playing, and took possession of the city without firing a gun.
No word can describe the sensations of that hour. Since May 5th we had been in one constant struggle or skirmish with the enemy. For the previous seven weeks the Union army had battled before earthen walls, making apparently little impression, and almost always within musket range of the enemy's main lines. It was the com- monly expressed opinion of men and officers, during the siege, that an assault would be simply slaughter. We were more than grateful, therefore, to the Confederate Commander-in-Chief when he vacated the city and pro- ceeded afterward to carry out just such a plan as General Sherman said he would have commanded him to do, had he the power.
Atlanta at this time was a city of about 12,000 in size, second in the state to Savannah. Situated most favorably on the rolling ground that separates the waters flowing into the Gulf from those emptying into the Atlantic, it had not only become the most important railroad centre in the state, but was the chief entrepot of trade between the Western and the Atlantic and Gulf states. It was the principal manufacturing town in the South, and had become the seat of various governmental works of the Confederacy. There were many machine shops, maga- zines, arsenals, foundries and public stores here. Though Milledgeville was the state capital, Atlanta was a place of greater military importance.
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Ten years after the war the city had not only been rebuilt, but had doubled in wealth and population, and to-day it is one of the largest cities in the South, having a population of over 90,000. It became the state capital three years after the war, upon the occasion of the recon- struction of the state and the adoption of its new consti- tution.
At the time of our occupation it had many beautiful houses fronting on wide streets, as well as large brick blocks of stores, warehouses and factory buildings. But everywhere was visible the sad work done by the artillery, for during the two previous months shells had been bursting day and night over the town. At the depot were the charred remains of what was estimated to have been seventeen million dollars' worth of ammunition, which had been burned and exploded the night before.
The city was surrounded by elaborate earthworks, from fifteen to twenty feet high, and as they were within the city itself none of the residential portions were safe from the wandering shells which sometimes skipped over them. In every dooryard was a hole dug in the earth, with a bank in front, where the family took refuge during the shelling. The houses which had been struck by shells looked as if they had been wrecked by an earthquake.
For the most part the inhabitants professed to be very glad to see our soldiers, and some of them brought out tobacco in large quantities, which was eagerly purchased by the men. Possibly these cash sales had something to do with the cordial welcome which they professed! Sev- eral bakeries were opened and did a brisk business, asking a dollar for a medium-sized loaf of bread, and the same for a pie with a crust like shoe leather. The tobacco how-
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ever was cheap. What cost at the sutler's, during the siege, from ten to fifteen dollars, was now procured for a pound of coffee. But this sort of trade continued for only a day or two. As soon as it was warranted by orders from General Sherman the Union soldiers took posses- sion of the bake-houses and everything was sold at a fair price and of a fair quality.
On the evening of our entrance into the city-Friday, September 2nd-our regiment marched across and took position in the abandoned rebel breastworks on the east side, our right resting upon the Decatur road. On the next day suitable quarters were erected by the men, which within a week were made more comfortable and uniform. The officers had wall tents, and at the rear large fire-places were built.
On the first Sunday, September 4th, the sun rose bright and warm, but a chilly north wind sent clouds of dust through the encampment, which proved very annoying to our chaplain, as it rendered open air service quite im- possible. He made an attempt to secure the First Presby- terian Church near by, but we found ourselves too busy to attend the meeting, and it was given up. It became the custom afterward, however, for the chaplains to take turns in preaching in the various churches, usually to large audiences of soldiers. During the week, too, meetings were held every night; first a sermon and then a prayer meeting. The thirty chaplains of our Corps formed an association during our stay in the city, and met on Mon- days in the Baptist Church. They afterward drew up a paper and forwarded it to President Lincoln, thanking him for the special privileges accorded them.
On the Monday following several buildings were set
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on fire by some irresponsible persons, and General Slocum offered $500 reward for the detection of the incendiaries.
September 6th General Sherman, with the main forces, marched up from below the city, and the three armies were assigned their respective positions. On the colors of every battery, corps and regiment, the word " Atlanta " was to be seen conspicuously inscribed. The Army of the Cumberland, consisting of the 4th, 14th, and 20th Corps, under General Thomas, occupied the rebel works about the city. The Army of the Tennessee, under General Howard, was grouped about East Point, nearly three miles below the city, while the Army of the Ohio, under General Scho- field, encamped at Decatur, three miles east of us.
All day long the last-named troops were marching past our lines and out on the Decatur road. Just before noon General Sherman himself, accompanied by his staff, rode past. In the afternoon Kilpatrick's cavalry passed by, the general seeming the very impersonation of a dashing soldier.
Two days later, September 8th, the people of Atlanta were notified that they must make speedy preparations to leave the city. All who were committed to our cause were to be sent to the North, while the rebel families were to be sent to the South ; arrangements being made to transport the latter, under a flag of truce, to the care of Confederate General Hood, thirty miles below, who would attend to their further removal. The town was to be thoroughly policed, and no citizen allowed to take quarters there. No traders, manufacturers or sutlers could settle, under pain of arrest and of being put to work on the defenses.
This order raised a storm of reproaches from the Con-
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federate civil and military authorities. General Hood, in one of his letters to General Sherman on the subject, ac- cused him of practicing "needless cruelty, unprecedented in the annals of civilized warfare." Three days after the issu- ance of the order the general also received a lengthy re- monstrance from the mayor and two councilmen ( who had been left in the city), begging him to reconsider his un- wise fiat in regard to sending the people away. They said-and it was probably true-that many of the poorer classes had no place to go to, and would be obliged to live in barns or out of doors. There were sick and preg- nant members of some families, who must be left behind without proper care and attention. The surrounding country was already overrun with fugitives who had fled from in front of the Union army on its way to Atlanta. "The order was unjust." "It was impracticable." "It would lead to much suffering, as winter was approaching," etc., etc.
We felt sorry for some of the families; still we knew well enough that our general had a good and sufficient reason for adopting such a course, and we believed that he was right in remaining firm. He told the mayor and his two assistants that it was not a question of "hu- manity," in the narrow sense they regarded it, but that a nation was involved, in which millions of people outside of Atlanta were to be thought of. He reminded them that "war is cruelty," not popularity seeking, and that if they wanted peace they and their relatives must stop war. He could not divulge his plans to them by giving the true reasons for the order, but the moment they cried "Quarter," he would share his last cracker with them.
Throughout the entire month of September (during
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most of which time there was a truce between the two armies in regard to the exchange of prisoners), we re- mained quietly in our encampment resting from the fatigues of active military service, and some of the de- serving officers were allowed to go home on a furlough. The railroad was employed to its utmost capacity in bring- ing forward supplies and recruits. Every day cars (averaging 150) came loaded with crackers replenishing our stores of food at the rate of a million rations a day. The expiration of the terms of service of many of the men occurred at this time, and the recruits that came in towards the end of the month were heartily welcomed. Forty-nine men were added to our regiment, and 190 to the 3rd Wisconsin, and this was a fair index of the whole army.
On Sundays business was stopped and all stores and public buildings closed, in accordance with orders from Colonel William Coggswell of the 2nd Massachusetts Regiment, who was Commandant of the Post. On the other days of the week we merely had drills, roll- calls, guard mount and dress parade. September 19th we raised a flag pole and ran up the garrison flag. Next day the 150th took a prominent part in the review of our division by General Slocum. We had paraded for this purpose two days be- fore, but the review was prevented by rain. The principal event in store for us at this time was the arrival of the U. S. Paymaster with his iron safe, when we re- ceived the long-looked-for and much-needed greenbacks. It was over eight months since our regiment had been paid, and the appearance of this gentleman was hailed with delight.
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During the month of October affairs took a decided change, and our duties became more active. On the Ist the startling intelligence was received that the enemy's cavalry and infantry were seen crossing the Chattahoochee near Powder Springs, 20 miles below the railroad bridge, marching northward. General Sherman at once ordered Wagner's Division of the 4th Corps, and Morgan's Divi- sion of the 14th Corps, to Chattanooga, and Corse's Division of the 15th Corps back to Rome, Ga., to pro- tect our communications. Three days later he put in motion the 17th and 23rd Corps, with the remainder of the 4th, 14th and 15th Corps, towards Smyrna, which he accompanied in person, determining to keep an eye on the movements of Confederate General Hood. Our army commander, General Thomas, had already been sent to Nashville (reaching there October 3rd), to take command of the troops at that place.
General Slocum, with the 20th Corps (to which we be- longed), was left behind to guard Atlanta, and it at once became necessary to construct a new line of works, such as could be manned by a smaller garrison. It is true that the several corps which had gone in pursuit of General Hood had left behind with us large detachments and a good part of their trains, great and small, men and animals about equal in numbers to those of our own corps (13,000) ; yet as the men were chiefly convalescents and unarmed, these detachments were more of a hindrance than a help, since comparatively few of them could be put to work on the new fortifications.
On the evening of October 4th we were removed to the northwest side of the city, taking up our position in the old rebel earthworks, in front of the position we had
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occupied during the siege. Our regiment was posted on the right of the brigade, near the large fort on the Marietta road, and here for the ensuing fortnight we were busily engaged in strengthening the old outer lines, by slashing and abattis, and working hard on the new inner chain of defences, forts and rifle-pits, which by the way, were never completed. From our single regiment from 80 to 100 men were detailed every day on these works, which were being constructed under the direction of Captain O. M. Poe, Chief Engineer.
It is interesting to note here that, before the railroad was cut, early in October, by Confederate General Hood's army moving northward, the supplies for both men and beasts in the city had been quite sufficient. Now however, though measures had been taken to graze the animals, the forage supply became limited, and it was soon found necessary to organize large foraging parties to be sent out under guard to the neighborhood of South and Yellow rivers, several miles beyond Decatur.
Four expeditions of this kind were made up, all of which were eminently successful, bringing back, on an average, 650 wagon loads of corn and fodder, besides supplies consisting of cattle, sheep, poultry, sweet pota- toes, syrup, etc. Though some show of opposition was made by the enemy's cavalry, not a wagon train was lost. The commanders of these expeditions, Geary, Robinson., Dustin and Carman, were highly commended for their skill, in the report of General Williams; as was also Colonel Garrard, commanding the cavalry brigade which went with each expedition.
Our regiment, with the rest of the brigade, accompanied two of these expeditions. On the first one (October
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IIth), we went in conjunction with a brigade from the 2nd Division, the whole being under command of General Geary. We started out at five o'clock in the morning and marched to Flat Rock Shoals, a distance of 18 miles. The next day we crossed the Shoals, turned to the right a few miles farther, where the men of our regiment helped to load 200 wagons of corn. On the following day, October 13th, we filled the balance of our wagons, 125 in number, and returned with the train of 500 wagons loaded with corn and oats to within six miles of the city, and there halted, it being about three hours after mid- night. At 11:30 the next forenoon we continued the march and arrived at Atlanta at 2 P. M., after an absence of four days.
On the other expedition we were gone three days, October 22nd, 23rd and 24th. This time the party was led by our new brigade commander, Colonel Ezra A. Car- man, assisted by Colonel Dustin, with three brigades from the 3rd Division, and two batteries. The advance sec- tion of the expedition (sent out the day before) had been closely threatened by the enemy's cavalry, and we were sent to Colonel Dustin's assistance. We went in light march- ing order to Latimer's, beyond Lithonia, forty miles east of Atlanta, and returned two days later with a train of 800 wagon loads, without accident.
We now remained quietly in camp until Tuesday, November Ist, when we received orders to prepare for active campaign service, at an hour's notice, after Novem- ber 4th. We at once began to ship to the rear all sur- plus baggage, provisions and forage that had been col- lected, machinery of repair shops, heavy siege guns, use- less wagons, inmates of field hospitals, members of the
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Sanitary and Christian Commissions, the indisposed and the refugees. Every locomotive and car on the Chat- tanooga and Atlanta railroad was employed in this work, and in return the trains brought in furlough men and recruits.
November 9th early in the morning, two brigades of rebel cavalry with a light battery, supposed to be led by General Wheeler, approached the city and opened fire with artillery upon the front of the 2nd Division, just at our left. They undertook, with dismounted men, an assault on our lines along the McDonough road, evidently think- ing we were evacuating Atlanta. They were soon re- pulsed by General Geary's Division, and drew off, leaving a few of their dead and wounded on the ground in our front.
Thinking to intercept the enemy's movements, our bri- gade, under command of Colonel Carman, was sent out at IO o'clock that forenoon to overtake them. We marched rapidly down to Turner's Ferry on the Chattahoochee, then across to the Sandtown road; but the rebels had eluded us and fled to Jonesborough. We came back to the city in the evening, having marched about twenty miles.
Our brigade, which previously consisted of six regi- ments, now contained but five. We had lost the 27th Indiana which had become so much reduced from various causes that, on November 5th, its remaining 119 men were consolidated with the 70th Indiana, of the Ist Brigade, 3rd Division. The five regiments of our bri- gade were all present (on the outskirts of the city), on the night of November 14th, except the 2nd Massachusetts, which had been left behind, with certain other troops,
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to assist Chief Engineer Poe in destroying public prop- erty in the city; churches and private dwellings being left unmolested.
A heavy mist hung over the encampment. Fires were lighted in every direction. Soon the air was filled with a dense smoke from the numerous fires made of wet pine brush. This the fog and dense woods prevented from blowing away, and our eyes became literally fountains of tears. It was fairly suffocating, and the only relief to be had was in lying flat on the ground and thus getting a little breath of air. In the morning the blankets were wet, not from rain, but from the heavy fog and dew.
There was something intensely exciting in this isolation of ourselves from the rest of the world, and during that last night through we gazed with fascination upon the forked columns of fire extending high in the air above the burning buildings of the city.
On Sunday morning, November 15th, at 5:30 o'clock, the last reveille was heard in Atlanta. A dark pall of smoke, like a vast mourning garment, hung over the desolate and half-burned city, as columns of troops moved out on every road to the eastward, with the long, swinging stride, and rifles carried at a "right shoulder shift," singing, --
John Brown's body lies mouldering in the grave,
As we go marching on.
CHAPTER XII. FROM ATLANTA TO MILLEDGEVILLE.
By WILLIAM H. BARTLETT.
Election in Camp-Field Orders-Reorganization of the Army-None but the Strongest Retained-More Destruction of Property- City Abandoned-Campaign of La- bor-Course Taken-Corduroyed Roads-Freak "Legislature"- Foraging-"Uncle Billy's Bummers"-Skirmishing.
Soon after the capture of Atlanta, Confederate Gen- eral Hood, who had retreated south with his army, started by a northerly route towards Tennessee, with the evident intention of cutting our line of communications and thus compelling a precipitate retreat of all of Sherman's forces. Leaving our Corps, the 20th, to guard Atlanta, Sherman took all of his other forces and endeavored to frustrate the design of the enemy. After several ineffectual at- tempts to catch up with or intercept him, he gave up the chase, and telegraphed General Grant that he had sent General Thomas's army, and several divisions of other corps, to look after General Hood, and believed that, with such reinforcements as could be hurried to Nashville from the West and North, Thomas could check-mate his adver- sary, and perhaps annihilate his army. At any rate, General Sherman did not propose to let Hood detain his army there, and thus spoil the "fine winter campaign" which he had planned for himself.
Therefore, leaving Hood to the tender mercies of our own good General Thomas, Sherman withdrew from his
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pursuit, and once more collected his remaining forces in and around Atlanta. Up to this time very few if any of us-probably no one but General Sherman himself, and the small circle of generals who shared his confidential plans-knew what was to be our destination. Some con- jectured that we were to be swung off to the east through North Carolina, and, entering Virginia, help General Grant to destroy the armies of Confederate General Lee. Others again that Macon or some city of the Gulf-or perhaps Augusta, Ga.,-would be our objective point. If any one guessed it would be Savannah, he did not com- municate it to his comrades of the line until he left Mil- ledgeville, after which time our destination was trans- parent.
As election approached, especial arrangements were made whereby the soldiers in the field could vote. The ballots were placed in sealed envelopes, and were by due authority conveyed to the various polls where the soldiers would have been entitled to vote if they had been at home, and there the envelopes were opened and the votes counted. By this election in which the regiment took part,-and in which some of the boys cast their first vote, having reached their majority since enlisting,-Abraham Lincoln was a second time elected to the presidency, and Colonel Ketcham, in command of our regiment, was elected a member of Congress.
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