USA > Ohio > The history of Fuller's Ohio brigade, 1861-1865; its great march, with roster, portraits, battle maps and biographies > Part 20
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The Twenty-seventh and Thirty-ninth Ohio were selected to make the assault, the Eighteenth Missouri being behind the center in reserve. At six o'clock in the evening the order to charge was given, and was success- fully made. The works were held and reversed, during the night.
. The loss in the day's operations was fourteen enlisted men killed and seven commissioned officers and eighty-two enlisted men wounded.
On the 5th march was made on the Sand Town Road, halting near the Chattahoochee River. On the 9th, moved on the Marietta. On the 10th, proceeded eastwardly to Rosswell, on the Chattahoochee. River, which we crossed by wading on the 11th. On the 17th we advanced to Nancy's Creek. General Fuller having assumed command of the Fourth Division. the command of the Brigade devolved to Colonel Morrell, of the Sixty- fourth Illinois. Decatur was reached on the 19th. On the 20th march was made to Atlanta. On the 21st a position was taken behind the Seventeenth Corps, and the command was held in reserve.
About 12:30 P. M., of the 22nd, orders were received to move the brigade as rapidly as possible to the rear and report to General Fuller, in an old field in which the trains of the different Corps were parked. In a very short time the brigade was in line. The regiments had the following relative positions : the Thirty-ninth Ohio on the left and on the extension of the line of the Second Division, Sixteenth Corps; the Twenty-seventh Ohio on the right of the Thirty-ninth, with the Eighteenth Missouri and the Sixty-fourth Illinois in the rear forming a second line. Our position was somewhat retired from the crest of a ridge in the open field.
217
COLONEL CHURCHILL'S REPORT.
Skirmishers were sent forward, but had barely reached the wood, a short distance in the front, when they met the heavy lines of the enemy. At this juncture, an order was given to advance to the crest of the ridge. but through some misunderstanding of the order, the line continued to push forward after reaching the crest. The enemy had by this time emerged from the woods into the open ground, but gave way before the charge of our men and fled in confusion. Our right being unprotected, and the line being exposed to a severe flank fire, it became necessary to halt at the edge of the woods instead of following up the advantage gained and finally to withdraw to the crest of the ridge. This last was accomplished without any noticable confusion on the part of any of the command, not- withstanding the severity of the enemy's fire. Pending these movements on the part of the first line, the Eighteenth Missouri and Sixty-fourth Illi- nois were doing good service in endeavoring to dislodge the enemy from his position, in the woods, in our right and rear. We maintained our posi- tion with some unimportant changes in direction, until four o'clock in the afternoon, keeping up a fire that prevented the enemy from reforming his lines or attempting any further advance. All our dead and wounded were brought off.
The Brigade during the engagement lost two commissioned officers and forty-five enlisted men, killed ; nineteen officers and two hundred and seventy-six enlisted men wounded; and nine enlisted men missing. The command of the Brigade devolved upon Lieutenant-Colonel H. T. Mc- Dowell, Colonel Morrell having received a severe wound.
At one o'clock in the morning of the 27th, we withdrew from our works and marched west to a position near Proctor's Creek, with our lines facing east, remaining until the 26th, during that time making several ad- vances which brought us within easy range of the rebel works, then with- drawing to a refused line of works. We marched at night and reached a point one mile from the Montgomery and West Point Railroad, destroying the road near Fairburn. We marched on the 30th, from seven o'clock in the morning to midnight. bivouacked one mile from Jonesborough, on the Macon and Western Railroad. On the 31st we intrenched our position on the right flank of the line facing south.
September 2nd, marched near to Lovejoy's Station. On the 6th to our old position near Jonesborough. On the 7th marched to Morrow's Mill. On the 8th reached East Point and camped. The loss of the Brigade dur- ing the campaign has been as follows: Eighteenth Missouri ; fifteen enlisted men killed, four officers and forty-eight enlisted men wounded. and one enlisted man missing : Twenty-seventh Ohio, two officers and twenty-six en- listed men killed, fourteen officers and one hundred and sixty-nine enlisted men wounded, and six enlisted men missing : Thirty-ninth Ohio, twenty-four enlisted men killed, eight officers and one hundred and fifty-eight enlisted men wounded and two enlisted men missing : Sixty-fourth Illinois, three officers and forty-three enlisted men killed, eleven officers and one hundred and seventy enlisted men wounded, and nine enlisted men missing.
H. T. McDOWELL, Lieutenant-Colonel of the Thirty-ninth
Ohio Infantry, commanding First Brigade, Fourth Division.
Sixteenth Army Corps.
CAPTAIN C. CADLE, JR., Assistant Adjutant General,
Fourth Division, Sixteenth Army Corps.
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FULLER'S OHIO BRIGADE
Report of Lieutenant-Colonel Mendal Churchill, Twenty-seventh Ohio Infantry, of operations, July 22.
HEADQUARTERS, TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT OHIO VOL. INFANTRY.
BEFORE ATLANTA, GA., JULY 30, 1864.
Sir :- In compliance with special field orders. No. 45, from headquar- ters left wing, Sixteenth Army Corps, I have the honor to submit the fol- lowing report of the part taken by this command in the engagement on the 22nd inst. :-
The brigade of which this regiment formed a part on that day was in position in reserve in rear of the Fourth Division of the Seventh Corps. At about 12:30 P. M. the order was sent me by the commanding officer to move into the road and follow the Thirty-ninth Ohio at double-quick to the rear and left, where firing was then heard. This order was executed instantly so far as to set the regiment in march. After passing out of the woods, we came into open fields, on the south side of which the enemy were advancing. After moving across the fields about 400 yards we fornied line on the right of the Thirty-ninth Ohio, having double-quicked about a mile One company, under command of Lieutenant Charles H. Smith, was imme- diately thrown forward as skirmishers, when the General commanding di- vision ordered the line forward to the top of the crest in our front. The skirmishers sent forward were driven back almost immediately by the coi- umns of the enemy which then advanced in our front. General Fuller gave the order to fix bayonets and charge the enemy. The line moved forward in good style at double-quick, causing the enemy to halt, waver, and finally give way in disorder. We drove them across the field into the timber and over a ridge. In advancing the regiment had to pass through a thicket of briars and willows in the edge of the timber. which somewhat disordered the line. I gave the order to reform before resuming the charge. as I ex- pected to meet the enemy in force after passing the ridge. While doing this a column of the enemy advanced into the field on our right flank and rear, which point was unprotected. Under the circumstances I did not deem it prudent to advance further. General Fuller directed me to refuse my right which was promptly done. The enemy still advanced on our right and rear. It was almost impossible to execute a change of front under such a flank fire as we were sustaining. I ordered the regiment to about face, and make a right wheel, and to fall back behind the ridge to face this new danger. This movement was made in good order considering the difficulty of executing such a movement under a galling fire. I am greatly indebted to General Fuller for his assistance in reforming the line. After this was done the regiment again charged to the top of the hill, and by a few well directed volleys sent the enemy hurling back to the timber. from which they continued to fire on us, though not inflicting serious loss, as the men were lying down. We remained in this position until about 4:30 p. m., when a new line was formed further to the rear and we were ordered to withdraw to the new alignment which we did in good order. It is proper to add that all the movements above enumerated (after form- ing line) were executed under a constant fire from the front and right flank.
219
CAPTURE OF KENESAW MOUNTAIN.
.
The losses sustained in the action by the regiment were as follows : Killed, 19 enlisted men: wounded, 6 commissioned officers, and 113 en- listed men ; aggregate, 138-a detailed list has already been forwarded. I have the honor to be, captain, very respectfully your obedient servant,
CAPT. J. W. BARNS.
M. CHURCHILL, Lieut. Colonel, Commanding
Colonel Mendal Churchill made the following notations in a diary which he kept on this march. This diary is invaluable to the members of his regiment, containing as it does many items, incidents and facts of im- portance that took place during the great struggle through the mountains. No doubt it was intended to summarize the matter gathered to incorporate in his official report, but owing to the constant strain, day and night, no opportunity was afforded to complete the work.
Notations by Lieutenant-Colonel Mendal Churchill, commanding the Twenty-seventh Ohio Regiment Infantry.
MARIETTA, GEORGIA, SEPTEMBER 19TH. 1864.
I submit the following report of the part taken by my command in the campaign from May 1st, to September 19th, 1864.
On Sunday, May 1st. the Twenty-seventh Ohio Regiment numbering five hundred and fifty-seven men for duty, left camp at Decatur, Alabama, crossed the Tennessee River on a pontoon bridge, marched part of the way to Chattanooga and on the 8th, marched to the mouth of Snake Creek Gap. We passed through the Gap with the troops of the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Corps, and made a demonstration on Resaca, Georgia. We drove in the outposts of the enemy and then withdrew with our forces to the Gap where we built earthworks. The command bivouacked without tents or blankets. The weather was unseasonably cold with rain.
On May 13th, the regiment moved with the brigade in light marching and fighting order to the front of Resaca. The troops deployed into bat- tle, three lines deep, with the precision of parade, stretching away in the fields to the left. Our battle flags unfurled, the gleam of arms in the sun- light, and the rattle of musketry along the front, made an imposing battle picture rarely seen even in the army. The Twenty-seventh Ohio Regi- ment supported the Fourteenth Ohio Battery and later in the day supported the Second United States Regular Battery.
On the 14th, we again supported the Fourteenth Ohio Battery, now located on a high point, overlooking the Camp Creek bottom and the town of Resaca. Our troops from the timber issued and charged and drove the enemy back into the town. The firing was incessant until nine o'clock at night. Constant and heavy skirmishing continued all the next day. On the 16th, we marched in pursuit of the enemy, crossing the Oostanaula at Lay's Ferry, going via Kingston to Dallas. We skirmished with the enemy up to and through the town, and bivouacked closed en masse. At sun-
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220
FULLER'S OHIO BRIGADE.
rise on the 27th, our pickets were vigorously assailed. I ordered the bugler to blow the assembly. Two companies, A and F, were sent forward to re-enforce the picket line. Captain Sawyer was killed and Lieutenant Die- bolt was mortally wounded and died in the evening. The regiment took position to the front and fortified in the timber. Many of the rebel wounded were brought in through our works.
May 29th, we crossed a ravine in our front into a new line of works, nearer the enemy, with constant skirmishing. About ten o'clock at night heavy firing began on the extreme left, several miles distant, and soon afterward on the extreme right. extending quickly down to us. Our artil- lery in the rear posted on high ground, fired over us, the rebel artillery re- sponded and the air was full of screeching missiles. Fighting ceased at midnight. Our line was attacked the next day and Captain Green of Com- pany E was wounded.
June 1st, at my request, Charles H. Smith of Company B, Twenty- seventil Onio Regiment who was appointed May 17th, by special order Number 41, General James C. Veatch commanding the Division, to serve as assistant commissary of subsistence, on the staff of Captain Kellog, was relieved from that duty to receive promotion and was assigned to Company A.
On June 1st. we marched toward the left flank to Ackworth, reaching Big Shanty on the 10th, constantly advancing our lines, working all night digging rifle pits and preparing for battle. On June 16th, during heavy firing, First Lieutenant James F. Day of Company K was killed and eight enlisted men were wounded. On the 18th, we lost seven men wounded in the regiment.
During an incessant rain the following night, the rebels evacuated their line in front, into which we moved, to find not only mud but filth. On the 20th, we moved forward to higher ground at the base of the Mountain, the Eighteenth Missouri on our right, the Thirty-ninth Ohio behind them, the Sixty-fourth Illinois in the rear of the Twenty-seventh Ohio. Following the movement, heavy cannonading and infantry firing commenced and lasted until nine o'clock in the evening.
June 21st, we moved to the front through Colonel Sprague's Brigade and after many changes and alignments, threw up intrenchments connecting with the Thirty-ninth Ohio on our left. On the 22nd. Sergeant Plummer of Company G was killed on the skirmish line and Private Geer was wounded. June 24th. one of our men in Company F was killed and two were wounded, during a fierce artillery duel. The concussion to the air made by the continuous firing was painful to endure. It rained almost con- stantly for three weeks.
June 27th, the Twenty-seventh Ohio Regiment advanced in support of a formidable assault on Little Kenesaw Mountain by our forces. At ten o'clock that night this regiment relieved the Sixty-fourth Illinois high up on the Mountain side. The Sixty-fourth regiment was armed with Henry repeating rifles. The ground was so rough and stony and the rebel fire so constant at short range that the men were obliged frequently to pros- trate themselves prone upon the ground. until its fury was spent and the greatest care was required. Nearly the whole night was consumed in get-
221
COLONEL FULLER CARRYING THE FLAG.
ting posted. Captain Hamilton of Company I, three sergeants and five others of my men were wounded in this movement. Captain Hamilton died a few days afterwards.
Our men sought shelter as the trees and rocks afforded. No change of position or movement could be made, because the rebel fire raked the whole face of the mountain. Sergeant Frayly of Company B. behind a huge boulder was holding his hat to one side of the rock to draw the rebel fire, trying meanwhile to get in his shot from the other side, when he was wounded, as were also James Thomas of Company G and William T. Law- son of Company B, while trying the same tactics.
Heavy firing continued until the night of July 3rd, when the enemy evacuated his position on Kenesaw Mountain top, and the flags of our Regi- ment floated first from the summit. The Regiment marched to Nick-o- jack Creek crossing the creek on the following morning. We drove the enemy back into his works. All the small timber had been cut about three feet from the ground and the tops pointed toward our line, affording the enemy an unobstructed view in his front, and making the approach on his works very difficult. We halted in the standing timber, in the edge of the tangled abbatis, above rescribed, to assault the enemy's works, laying down for protection from the constant fire of the enemy.
The order to charge was given and countermanded several times during the afternoon, meanwhile a force of 5,000 of the Army of the Tennessee was massed in our rear with the Second Division of the Sixteenth Corps on the right. At six o'clock in the evening, the Twenty-seventh on the left and Thirty-ninth on the right, with fixed bayonets made the charge in good style, not a shot was fired by us in advancing, the first firing being done at the fleeing enemy after the works were reached. We had to face in the assault a direct fire from the works in front and an oblique fire from our right and left. We captured fifty prisoners. The Twenty-seventh lost five men killed and forty-six wounded, including three commissioned officers. The Thirty-ninth Ohio had one man killed and forty-five wounded, includ- ing Colonel Noves. The captured works were entirely vacated by the enemy so far as we could see to the right and left. The troops of the Second Division on the right and those on the left, that had formed for the assault, failed to charge with us for some unexplained reason. This was the only fortified line of earthworks captured by assault during the campaign.
July 7th, Twenty-seventh Ohio with the Division, marched to, and camped at. the Chattahoochee River. on the right flank of our army. The opposing pickets made a truce by which no firing was done by either side for some time and the men of both armies fraternized to the extent of wad- ing the river and exchanging coffee for tobacco. On witnessing the move- ment for the withdrawal of our line, the rebel asked if we were going. and being answered in the affirmative, shouted "Goodbye Yanks!", and did not fire a shot.
July 10th, after two days of marching in excessive heat and dust, we forded the Chattahoochee River at Rosswell on the extreme left of Sher- man's Army, and bivouacked on the south side, remaining until the 16th engaged in fortifying. On the 17th we moved toward Atlanta and drove back the rebel cavalry, and, while passing through Decatur, we were shelled
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FULLER'S OHIO BRIGADE
by the enemy. On the 20th, skirmished with the enemy. On the 21st we took position in the rear of Giles A. Smith's Division of the Seventeenth Corps, from which place the church steeples and many prominent houses in Atlanta could be seen. On the 22nd, at about 12:30 p. m., the order was sent me by the commanding officer to follow in the road and move with the Thirty-ninth Ohio Regiment at a double quick to the rear and left, where firing was then heard. This order was executed instantly-many asking the question, "What is the cause of that firing?" After passing out of the woods we came into open fields, on the south side of which the enemy was advancing. After moving across the fields about four hundred yards, we formed line on the right of the Thirty-ninth Ohio Regiment, having double- quicked about a mile. By my order Company A, under command of Lieu- tenant Charles H. Smith, was thrown forward as skirmishers, while the enemy was advancing in the open field. General Fuller commanding the Division, ordered the men to fix bayonets and wait before charging until the enemy should march half way across the open field. then to rice fire a vallay and charge the enemy, but Lieutenant Smith, having just came from the front with the skirmishers and knowing their position, said it was best to strike the enemy quickly and before they were all out of the woods to form a solid line, and he ran along the line ordering a charge. The color bearer sprang to the front with the colors, the line moved forward in good style. over the crest in our front, at double-quick, causing the enemy to halt, waver and finally to give way in disorder. This charge proved our salva- tion. We drove the enemy across the field and over a ridge.
In advancing, this regiment had to pass through a thicket of briars and willows in the edge of the timber, which somewhat disordered the line. I gave the order to re-form, resuming the charge. While doing this a column of the enemy advanced into the field on our right flank and rear which point was unprotected. My right was promptly refused, the enemy still advancing. It was almost impossible to execute a change of front under such a flank fire as we were sustaining. I ordered the regiment to make a right wheel, then fall back behind the ridge to face the new danger. This niove- ment was made in good order considering the difficult'es of executing such a movement under a galling fire.
After this was done the regiment again charged to the top of the hill, and by a few well-directed volleys, sent the enemy back to the timber from which they continued to fire on us. While the men were lying down, many were shot in the head. We remained in this position until four o'clock in the afternoon, when we were ordered to withdraw to a new line in the rear. All the above movements were made and executed under a constant fire from the front and right flank. The losses sustained in this battle by the regi- ment during the four hours it was under fire were as follows; one hundred and thirty-eight killed or wounded including six commissioned officers. At the beginning of the battle we numbered about three hundred and fifty men. No company went into the fight with more than two commissioned officers and some companies had but one. The regiment formed its first line, and made all subsequent movements under fire, fought a stand up, open field fight, without protection of any kind, with its flanks uncovered and sub- jected to a front and infilading fire in every position occupied.
223
COURAGE SHOWN BY VETERANS.
It was just after the regiment had changed front and the men were lying down and firing, that I raised to my feet to give an order and was struck with a minnie ball, which passed through all my clothing cutting the skin. The wound became quite painful. I turned the command over to Captain Lynch and went to the rear to have the wound dressed. A metal button had turned the ball sideways and no doubt by that my life was saved. I became very sick and faint, but being refreshed by a drink of water, I soon returned to the regiment. Just at this time, General Fuller took the flag of the Twenty-seventh Ohio, carried it to the front and led. the last charge which drove the enemy to final defeat.
This was the hardest fought battle of the campaign and the whole cam- paign will rank in history as one of the most brilliant and remarkable of the war. Fighting was continued for four months across mountains and rivers, a distance of one hundred and sixty-one miles, making many flank movements during that time. The Federal forces occupied the battle field and finished bar, ing the dead on the 23rd. All wagons and ambulances were sent away preparatory to a grand flank movement to the right. Mov- ing from our works at midnight on the 27th, canteens and accoutrements were muffled by the men so that they would not rattle and attract the at- tention of the enemy. We were the last to leave the picket lines. We passed to the rear of the Fourth, Fourteenth and Twentieth Corps to the extreme right of the Army, to the west of Atlanta. In the evening we moved for. ward under fire to get into position. On the 28th, we advanced and fortified cur position on the picket line.
On September 2nd, 1864, Atlanta was occupied by Union Troops.
On August 10th, the regiment was ordered to Marietta and bivouacked near the town on the Rosswell Road. The entire loss of the regiment during the campaign in killed and wounded was fifteen commissioned officers and two hundred and two enlisted men and two missing-Total two hundred and nineteen. August 14th, I was detailed to take a guard from the non-veter - ans and proceed to Chattanooga with prisoners. I returned to Marietta and remained until Atlanta was occupied by our troops. On the 19th of September, I turned the command over to Captain Nichols and issued the following farewell order to the regiment :
HEADQUARTERS, TWENTY-SEVENTH OHIO REGIMENT VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
MARIETTA, GEORGIA, SEPTEMBER 19TH, 1864.
"In taking leave of the officers and soldiers of this regiment. with whom I have so long been associated and whom I have had the honor to command for the past eight months, I do so with many regrets, and cannot leave without tendering you my sincere thanks for the alacrity and cheerful- ness with which you have obeyed every order and seconded me in my efforts to maintain the good reputation of the regiment and to add new laurels to its fame.
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FULLER'S OHIO BRIGADE
"You endured every hardship and braved every danger incident to the long, ardous and bloody campaign just terminated, with a heroic self-sacri. fice and devotion that may have been equalled by other commands, but could be excelled by none.
"At Resaca, Dallas, Big Shanty and Kennesaw Mountain, you proved yourselves trusty and reliable soldiers, never shrinking from any duty or danger.
"On the 4th of July, you stormed the enemy's works at Nick-o-jack Creek, and by your irresistible onset carried them at the point of the bayonet.
"On the 22nd of July, you fought largely superior numbers, and at great disadvantage, and were repeatedly flanked, but by your indomitable pluck, you held your ground against great odds, with a courage and steadiness never shown but by veterans. It is an honor to any man to command such troops.
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