USA > Ohio > Four years in the saddle. History of the First Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Cavalry. War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865 > Part 19
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ment, and the officers of each company one pack mule. Only one tent was allowed each headquarters, and officers and men carried their own shelter tents. A shelter tent, or dog tent, as they were usually called, was composed of two pieces of muslin or tent cloth, about four by six feet, and on one edge of this cloth was a row of buttons, and on the opposite side was a row of button holes. Each soldier carried a half tent and two bunked together. The two pieces of cloth were buttoned together and then stretched over a fence-rail or stick for a ridge pole, driving down about three stakes on each side, and the tent was pitched ready for sleeping. By the time two cavalrymen put their saddles, bridles, carbines, sabers, revolvers, haversacks and canteens under this shelter, there was not an over abundance of room for two soldiers, and the six-footer usually slept with his feet out in the rain. It is safe to say that no army during the war was stripped down to fighting weight and put in better condition for hard campaigning and rapid marching than was Sherman's army when they started on the Atlanta campaign. The army moved May 5 and drove the enemy back steadily from Dalton on to Resaca, and on the fifteenth the opening battle of that great campaign was fought at Resaca. Our loss in that battle was six hundred killed and about thirty-four hundred wounded. Johnson retreated on the night of the fifteenth and did not halt until he reached Cassville, near Alatoona Pass, a very strong position. Instead of attacking Johnston's army at Alatoona, which was a very strong position, Sherman moved his whole army to the right toward Dallas in order to flank Johnston's position and compelled him to evacuate the Pass. . Johnston anticipated Sherman, and near Dallas our army, in , moving by the flank, struck the Confederates, May 25, and fight- ing ensued from that date to June 1, with heavy loss to both armies. June 4 Johnston evacuated Alatoona Pass and fell back to Kenesaw Mountain, and Sherman's army moved forward to Big Shanty. The casualties in our army during the month of May was: Killed and missing, 1,863; wounded, 7,436; total, 9,299.
According to the reports of the Confederate army Johnston had 64,465 men in line during the fighting about Dallas and New Hope Church, and his loss in the month of May was: Killed, 721; wounded, 4,672; missing, 3,245; total, 8,638.
By the fourteenth of June Sherman's army was in position in front of Johnston's fortified army with a battle line ten miles long, and there was continuous skirmishing all along the battle front, around Kenesaw Mountain, Little Kenesaw and Pine Mountain.
On the fourteenth Sherman was riding along his lines tak- ing observation and, noticing a rebel battery on Pine Mountain with a group of what he supposed to be a General and his staff
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observing our lines with glasses, he directed General Howard to have a battery fire three volleys at the group and disperse them. General Polk was killed by a shell fired at this time, and our army learned of his death that afternoon, as one of our signal officers had deciphered their "key" and caught the signal sent from Pine Mountain to Marietta, "Send an ambulance for Gen- eral Polk's body." It rained in torrents from the fourteenth to about the twenty-fifth, but in spite of the storms, fighting was continued incessantly all the time, our army moving for- ward steadily, fortifying daily, and Sherman estimated at that time that Johnston had fifty miles of "connected trenches with abatis and finished batteries."
Every soldier in Sherman's army well remembers the great artillery duels that were of daily occurrence along the line, and of the rebel battery on the summit of Kenesaw, that kept boom- ing away day and night for about three weeks, and how the white smoke puffed up near the "Lone Tree," then hear the screaming of the shells and next the report of the guns, and how we would, with watch in hand, calculate the distance. June 27 Sherman attacked Johnston's fortified army around Kenesaw Mountain, but our army was repulsed with heavy loss, as the Army of the Cumberland lost upward of two thousand killed and wounded, and the Army of the Tennessee about five hun- dred. Johnston admits his loss in killed and wounded at eight hundred and eight. The fighting was desperate from nine o'clock to eleven A. M., and up to that time it was the hardest fought battle of the campaign. Sherman decided to make another flank to the right to compel Johnston to evacuate Kenesaw. The movement was commenced on the night of July 2, but Johnston anticipated the move and evacuated Kenesaw the same night and fell back to his next line on the Chattahoochie River, where he had strong fortifications. The battle had been almost con- tinuous from June 10 to July 3, and our losses during the month of June were: Killed and missing, 1,790; wounded, 5,740; total, 7,530. Confederate losses for June: Killed, wounded and pris- oners, 5,948. On the fourth Thomas attacked Johnston in his works and a hard battle ensued, and there was more or less fighting every day up to the ninth, and that day Schofield crossed the river at Soap's Creek and Garrard's cavalry crossed at Ros- well, and that night Johnston evacuated his works on the west side of the river, crossed the river and burned the railroad bridge. Sherman's main army crossed the Chattahoochie on the seven- teenth, and the general movement against Atlanta commenced, and our army closed in on Atlanta from the north and north- east by way of Decatur. On the eighteenth Johnston was re. . moved from command of the Confederate army and Hood was given command. On the twentieth Hood left his works and made a sudden.and impetuous attack on Thomas' army, and
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the blow was principally against Hooker's corps, the Twentieth. The fighting was very severe and in some places hand to hand, but in two hours the enemy were driven back into their works with heavy loss.
Hooker's loss was about fifteen hundred killed and wounded, and Hood's loss was estimated at four thousand. On the twenty- second was fought what is generally called the battle of Atlanta. Hood again sallied out of his works and attacked the left and left rear of Sherman's army, commanded by General McPherson. The battle raged from noon until night, and the losses in both armies were very heavy. General McPherson was killed about 11 A. M. and General John A. Logan at once assumed command of the Army of the Tennessee, which he handled with great skill and courage throughout the battle. General Logan reported the total loss of the Army of the Tennessee at 3,521. Hood's loss was: Killed, 3,220; prisoners, 1,017; wounded prisoners, 1,000; total, 5,237.
The losses of the enemy as reported above were those that fell into our hands, and Logan estimated that at least four thou- sand wounded were kept within the rebel lines. General O. O. Howard was assigned to the command of the Army of the Ten- nessee July 24.
The cavalry divisions of Stoneman and Garrard were sent to the rear of Hood's army to make a break in the railroad about Jonesboro, and the Army of the Tennessee was ordered to swing around to the extreme right of our army and all of these move- ments commenced on the twenty-seventh. On the twenty-eighth Hood again sallied out of his trenches and attacked our right flank. The brunt of the battle fell on the Fifteenth Corps, com- manded by Logan. Hood's army, the corps of Lee and Hardee, made six successive charges and each time were repulsed with great loss.
The loss of the Fifteenth Corps was five hundred and sev- enty-two killed and wounded. Logan reported that his command buried five hundred and sixty-five rebels and captured one hun- dred and seventy-three prisoners, and he estimated the rebel loss at about six thousand, all told, as they were literally slaughtered, our army being protected by barricades.
The campaign during July had been one of constant fight- ing, and the losses in both armies were heavy. As shown by reports of the Confederate army, Johnston's and Hood's losses were: Killed, 1,341; wounded, 7,500; missing, 1,550.
In Sherman's army the losses were: Killed and missing, 3,944; wounded, 5,965; total, 9,909.
The month of August opened with Sherman's army closely investing Atlanta, and the cavalry expedition under Stoneman had met defeat, lost many prisoners, and General Stoneman himself had been captured with seven or eight hundred men
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near Clinton, Ga. There was some hard fighting on the right toward West Point on the fifth, sixth and seventh, mostly by the Twenty-third Corps, under Schofield, and a continuous artil- lery battle was kept up against the fortifications, and into Atlanta shells were tossed daily. Thus the two armies kept pounding away until the eighteenth, and on that date Kilpatrick was dispatched with three divisions of cavalry to make a raid in the rear of Hood's army. He made a successful raid, made a complete circuit of Hood's army, destroyed several miles of railroad track, and reached our lines safely again on the twenty- second. On the night of the twenty-fifth Sherman commenced his great flank movement to the right. There was considerable of fighting during the movement, but the only hard battle fought was at Jonesboro on the evening of September 1. The Fourteenth Corps drove the rebels back and captured in their fortifications Govan's brigade with ten pieces of artillery.
Hood blowed up his magazines and evacuated Atlanta on the night of September 1, and "Atlanta was ours and fairly won." The losses in our army during the months of August and September were: Killed and missing, 1,408; wounded, 3,731; total, 5,139.
Hood's army : Killed, 482; wounded, 3,223; prisoners, 3,738; total, 7,443.
Johnston and Hood, in reporting their losses in the Atlanta campaign, only reported the killed and wounded, while Sherman reported killed, wounded and missing in his army. Sherman's army captured and sent north during that campaign 12,938 Confederate soldiers, and in compiling Confederate losses these prisoners have been added to the Confederate reports of their losses, stating as near as possible the number captured in each battle.
Total loss in the Atlanta campaign: Union Army: Killed, 4,423; wounded, 22,822; missing, 4,442; total, 31,687. Confed- erate army: Killed, 3,044; wounded, 18,952; prisoners, 12,983; total, 34,979.
Extract from report of Major-General Geo. H. Thomas, U. S. Army, commanding Army of the Cumberland:
Headquarters Army of the Cumberland,
In the Field, near Dallas, Ga., June 5, 1864.
Colonel: General Garrard, commanding Second Cavalry Division, informed me that he was camped on Pumpkin Vine Creek, about three miles from Dallas, and that, in moving on that place, and when within a quarter of a mile from it, he was attacked by what was reported by prisoners to be Bate's divi- sion, the advance of Hardee's corps. Garrard repulsed this force and drove it back toward Dallas.
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Extract from report of Major-General Frank P. Blair, Jr., U. S. Army, commanding Seventeenth Army Corps:
Rome, Ga., June 5, 1864.
General: I marched with the Third and Fourth Divisions, commanded respectively by Brigadier-Generals Leggett and Crocker, on the twenty-fifth ultimo, in the direction of Decatur, reaching that place on the twenty-sixth, where I was joined by Colonel Long with his brigade of cavalry, twenty-five hundred strong. As Roddy was reported to be encamped near Court- land, fifteen miles distant, I ordered Colonel Long to move on him with his brigade on the morning of the twenty-seventh. In order to give the enemy the impression that this corps was mov- ing in that direction I sent one brigade of infantry, which I obtained from the garrison of Decatur, to support him, with instructions to display the infantry to any force they might meet. This was done successfully, and Roddy's command, after a brief skirmish, fell rapidly back, abandoning his camps. Colonel Long then, under my instructions, moved in the direction of Moulton, which place he reached without molestation. On the morning of the twenty-ninth he was attacked in camp by Roddy's whole force with four pieces of artillery. After a sharp fight the enemy was routed and driven from the field, leaving his dead, wounded and a number of prisoners in our hands. For particulars I refer you to the enclosed copy of Colonel Long's official report. I desire to call your attention to the very handsome manner in which Colonel Long carried out his instructions and fought his com- mand, by which I am satisfied that our march was relieved from any molestation and Roddy's projected raid on our communica- tions at Athens and Pulaski postponed, if not prevented.
Headquarters Second Cavalry Division, Cross-roads, Ala- bama-Lovegood and Marietta Roads,
June 10, 1864.
General: My headquarters are where they were last night. This morning I sent Long's brigade down on the Marietta and Lovegood's bridge road and secured the intersection of that road with the Big Shanty and Roswell Factory road, which is the main road leading from Big Shanty east. I sent a part of Long's brigade, nine hundred men, down the Big Shanty road to come in on the flank of the enemy, but neither Minty or Long could make any headway, though they both charged and took a line of rail breast works. General Wheeler and three divisions of cavalry are said by prisoners to be in my front, and two bat- teries. I have prisoners from Iverson's, Allen's, Williams' and Ferguson's brigades, and from Martin's division. The fight to- day was at Doctor McAfee's. I send you a sketch, which please show to General Sherman and also this letter, and say to him
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that the rebel cavalry is still here. Do you want me to try to hold both the Alabama road and the Big Shanty road, or shall I move down the Marietta road and hold only the Big Shanty road? The roads are over two miles apart, and I may not, if attacked in force, be able to hold both. The Big Shanty guards your flank and, if I lose it and hold only the Alabama road, it would put the enemy between us. Brush Mountain is about twelve miles from the Kenesaw, and in this space are three good roads to Marietta.
K. GARRARD, Commanding Division.
Major-General McPherson.
Headquarters Second Cavalry Division, in the Field, near Kene- saw Mountain, Ga.,
June 21, 1864.
Respectfully forwarded.
Colonel Long had one regiment on picket guarding the crossing of Noonday Creek on the Bell's Ferry road, and two regiments dismounted to meet any emergency. The fight lasted until after dark. From all information received it is just to ยท conclude that the loss of the enemy was very severe, and that two divisions attacked me, supported by other troops.
K. GARRARD.
Headquarters Second Brigade, Second Division Cavalry, Near Roswell, Ga., July 12, 1864.
Captain: Please find annexed a report of the operations of the Second Brigade, Second Cavalry Division, since leaving Decatur, Ala., on the twenty-sixth of May, and up to the present month, which I have the honor to forward for the information of the Brigadier-General commanding corps:
Leaving Decatur, I proceeded on the Courtland road toward Courtland, Ala., and soon found the enemy, a portion of General Roddy's cavalry command. Attacking them at once, they were thrown into a hasty retreat, and we captured twelve prisoners and two stands of colors, besides wagons, horses, mules, arms.
Next day Roddy's entire command was met near Courtland, and, after an engagement of half an hour, I drove him through the town, taking three prisoners and killing Major Williams. We had one man wounded. On the twenty-eighth we had no fighting, but surprised and captured six of Roddy's men.
May 29, near Moulton, Ala., I was attacked at 4 A. M. by General Roddy with four pieces of artillery. After a severe engagement, lasting two hours, the enemy was completely re- pulsed on all sides, and compelled to retreat in great disorder toward Moulton, leaving his dead and some wounded on the field. Roddy's loss was twelve to fifteen killed; the number
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of his wounded not known. We took thirty-six prisoners, includ- ing one Lieutenant-Colonel and two Lieutenants. Our own cas- ualties were three killed and fourteen wounded. Marched that morning at eight o'clock, passing through Somerville, Ala., and on the thirtieth of May overtook the Seventeenth Army Corps, Major-General Blair. Remained with this command until the sixth of June, when we arrived at Kingston, Ga. Crossing Ra- coon and Sand Mountains was very severe upon our horses, although the roads by this route were generally good and water abundant.
Crossed Lookout Mountain on the third of June and marched toward Rome, Ga., surprising and capturing sixteen rebel sol- diers and one Lieutenant-Colonel. June 6 marched from Rome to Kingston, and on the following day to Etowah Bridge, thence toward Marietta. June 11, while encamped ten miles from Mari- etta, I sent out the First Ohio Cavalry on a reconnoissance toward that town. They met a force of the enemy and drove them some four miles. Our loss here was twelve wounded and two missing. The enemy had several wounded and we took one prisoner. Remained in camp at Noonday Creek, having frequent skirmishing with the rebel pickets, until the fifteenth, when I received marching orders. At 2 P. M. I attacked Gen- eral Wheeler's cavalry command, and fought him for about an hour, but was at length compelled to fall back, Wheeler being well fortified and intrenched beyond our power to drive him out. In this engagement we lost two killed, sixteen wounded, and two missing. Rebel loss unknown. On the sixteenth of June I moved toward the front and encamped near Kenesaw Mountain, remaining here until the nineteenth, when, upon orders received, I moved my command and drove the enemy to Noonday Creek. The enemy made a stand on the opposite bank of the creek and fought stubbornly for several hours. June 23, crossed Noonday Creek, and was attacked by the enemy some five miles from Marietta. The attack was handsomely repelled, and the enemy driven back, with a loss of one killed and several wounded.
Since leaving Decatur, the brigade has marched (the main column) two hundred and fifteen miles, much of this distance being mountainous country. Besides horses, mules, wagons and arms taken, we captured a total of five officers and fifty-four men, and lost, in killed, five; wounded, forty-five; missing, six.
ELI LONG, Colonel, Commanding Brigade. Captain J. E. Jacobs, Assistant Adjutant-General.
Headquarters Second Brigade, Second Cavalry Division, Near Roswell, Ga., July 14, 1864.
Sir: , I have the honor to forward, for the information of
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the division commander, the following report, showing the movements and operations of the Second Brigade from the first of the present month to date:
Being encamped near Noonday Creek, north of Marietta, I remained there until the evening of the third, then marching to Big Shanty. On the following day I received orders to follow the enemy, who was retreating, and, marching via Marietta, I pursued him some four miles southeast of that town. At 3 A. M. of the fourth I again had marching orders, and on moving out of camp found the rebels in considerable force a short distance in front of the pickets, with strong breast-works thrown up. This was found to be Wheeler's cavalry re-enforced, as nearly as could be ascertained, by a division of infantry. Fighting im- mediately ensued and was continued at intervals throughout the day with heavy skirmishing, in which my loss was but one killed and seventeen wounded, the men being protected by rail breast-works hastily thrown up. We took two prisoners. Not being able to dislodge the enemy or effect any decided result, the command returned in the evening to camp. On the fifth I marched to within one mile and a half of Chattahoochie River, near the town of Roswell. July 9, upon orders received, I sent the Fourth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, at 3 A. M., to McAfee's bridge, across the Chattahoochee, eight miles above Roswell, with instructions to hold it and prevent the enemy from cross- ing or destroying it. The other regiments of my brigade were held as a reserve, saddled and in readiness to move at the shortest notice. The enemy held the further end of the bridge and skir- mishing with them was continued until evening, when they fell back.
ELI LONG, Colonel, Commanding Brigade.
Captain R. P. Kennedy, Assistant Adjutant-General, Sec- ond Cavalry Division. :
Headquarters Cavalry Division, July 19, 1864, 10 P. M.
General: I have to report that, owing to the appearance of the enemy in this vicinity last evening, I sent a regiment to the Peach Tree road, one to McAfee's bridge, and ordered Colonel Long with his two regiments up. They met strong opposition just outside of my pickets and had heavy skirmishing to within a mile of the depot. I then moved up Long and we went into the town. We fought two brigades. We captured one set of colors, which they dropped in their hasty retreat. The depot, containing large amounts of quartermaster and commissary stores, was burned; also about two hundred bales of cotton; also the rail- road as fast as we advanced. We had to use artillery to drive
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them out of the houses. I could only spare five regiments for this duty, and I am to guard such an extended flank it will be impossible for me to do anything else. I would suggest the destruction of McAfee's bridge and that my line be contracted. K. GARRARD.
Headquarters Department of the Cumberland, Near Atlanta, Ga., July 25, 1864.
Brigadier-General Garrard, commanding Second Cavalry Division, has just returned from a raid upon the Georgia Rail. road, having lost two men and brought in two hundred prisoners and a fair lot of fresh horses and negroes. He destroyed the rail- road bridge across the branches of the Ocmulgee and the depots at Conyers, Covington and Social Circle.
By command of Major-General Thomas:
WM. WHIPPLE, Assistant Adjutant-General.
In the Field, near Atlanta, Ga., July 24, 1864, 2 P. M. General Garrard, Decatur:
General: I am rejoiced to hear that you are back safe and successful. I will give you time to rest and then we must make quick work with Atlanta. I await your report with impatience, and in the meantime tender you assurance of my great consid- eration.
Your friend,
W. T. SHERMAN.
Headquarters Second Cavalry Division, Decatur, July 24, 1864.
General: I have the honor to report that your instructions have been carried out. Results, three road bridges and one railroad bridge, five hundred and fifty-five feet in length, over the Yellow River, and one road and one railroad bridge, two hundred and fifty feet in length, over the Ulcofauhachee, were burned, six miles of railroad track between the rivers were well destroyed, the depot and considerable quantity of quartermaster and commissary stores at Covington were burned, one train and locomotive captured at Conyers and burnt. One train-platform was burnt at Covington, and a small train, baggage, at station near the Ulcofauhachee, captured and burned. Over two thou- sand bales of cotton were burnt. A large new hospital at Cov- ington, for the accommodation of ten thousand patients of this army and the Army of the Virginia, composed of over thirty buildings, besides the offices, just finished, were burnt. In the town of Oxford, two miles north of Covington, and in Covington, were over one thousand sick and wounded in buildings used for hospitals. The convalescents able to walk scattered through the woods while the fire was going on in town, and I did not have
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time to hunt them up before dark. Those in hospitals, together with their surgeons, were not disturbed.
From the two other brigades I have received one hundred and forty prisoners and eleven officers and about two hundred negroes. I cannot mention too highly the zeal and promptness of my whole command, and to their good conduct and earnest- ness I am indebted for this success. Since leaving Marietta, this division has been so constantly in motion that it is now very much out of condition. I would be pleased to have a few days' quiet to shoe horses and repair equipments. I was absent from Decatur less than three days and as a division marched over ninety miles.
K. GARRARD.
General Sherman, commanding army.
Extract from W. T. Sherman's report:
Near Atlanta, July 20, 1864, Midnight.
General Garrard, commanding Cavalry Division:
General: Take the road by Lattimar's, touching the rail- road at or beyond Lithonia, and thence substantially along the railroad, destroying it effectually all the way, especially the Yellow River bridge this side of Covington, as well as the road bridge over the Yellow River, after you have passed. From Covington send detachments to destroy the rail and road bridges east of Covington over the Ulcofauhachee. Try and capture and destroy some locomotives and cars, and the depots and stores at Covington, but of private property only take what is neces- sary for your own use, except horses and mules, of which you will take all that are fit for service, exercising, of course, some judg- ment as to the animals belonging to the poor and needy.
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