No. 80. report of Capt. George W. Spencer , Battery M, First Illinois Light artillery.

Hdqrs. Battery M, First Illinois Light Arty., Camp in the Field, near Rough and Ready, Ga., September 7, 1864 .

Captain: I have the honor to make the following report of the part taken by my battery in the recent campaign known as General Sherman 's great campaign in Georgia:

The battery marched from Cleveland, Tenn., May 3, 1864 ; arrived at Rocky Face Ridge, Ga.; was engaged May 9 and 10 in dislodging the enemy; put one section on top of Rocky Face Ridge; opened on the enemy from this position; kept up a scattering fire for two days. May 14 and 15 , engaged the enemy at Resaca, silencing their batteries. May 27 , was in action at Dallas Grove, Ga.; engaged one of the enemy's batteries; had a pretty lively engagement, but finally succeeded in silencing their battery.

June 1 , was in action at Dallas Grove, Ga.; had 1 man wounded. June 11 , I took position in front of Pine Mountain. I fired thirtyseven rounds, under direction of Captain Bridges , chief of artillery, Fourth Army Corps, without getting any response from the enemy. June 12 , fired sixteen rounds from the same position without arousing any fire from the enemy. June 13 , moved about threefourths of a mile to the left; went into camp; remained overnight. June 14 , moved still farther to the left; went into park in rear of Second Division, Fourth Army Corps; remained in that position until dark, when I moved about three-fourths of a mile to the front; went into position in General Wagner 's front, under direction of Captain Aleshire , chief artillery, Second Division, Fourth Army Corps; worked my men all night building fortifications. Opened on the enemy on the morning of the 16th; fired thirty-six rounds without getting any reply, but, as I afterward learned, did them some damage. On the night of the 16th I moved my battery about 600 yards to the front, by direction of Captain Aleshire , chief of artillery, Second Division, Fourth Army Corps, into a new work thrown up by General Wagner 's and General Kimball 's pioneers, and worked my men the balance of the night in fixing the embrasures and strengthening the works. This work was within 500 yards of the enemy's line and in full view of them. On the morning of the 17th , the enemy having evacuated, I moved with my division to the new line formed inside of the enemy's former line, where I lay in reserve until about 5 o'clock in the afternoon, when I was ordered into position by Captain Aleshire , about 600 or 700 yards to the left and front of General Kimball 's brigade. Took position in rear of skirmish line, without any works; fired 207 rounds, doing the enemy considerable damage; remained in this position until about 10 a. m. on the 18th , when I took position about 600 yards to the front and right, in open field, by order of Captain Aleshire , in rear of Colonel Gibson 's brigade, of General Wood 's division; opened on the enemy; had not fired but a few rounds when one of the enemy's batteries opened on me from the woods at my right, severely wounding 1 man. I immediately changed the position of one section of my battery, in order to bring it to bear on the enemy, and, with the assistance of Captain Goodspeed , who was in position on my right, silenced them in a few moments. We could not see the result of our fire, owing to the enemy's batteries being in the woods, but learned after the evacuation, by prisoners, that we punished them severely. Fired from this position 403 rounds, remaining in this position until 5 p. m., when I was moved by Captain Aleshire about 1,000 yards to the front and left, to General Wagner 's front line, within 200 yards of the enemy's main line of works; worked my men all night; got four guns in position about daylight on the morning of the 19th; fired four rounds, when I learned the enemy had evacuated. I lay in this position until about 8 o'clock, when I moved about 400 yards to the front, in rear of General Harker 's brigade; went into park; remained in this position about two hours, when I was moved to the front, by order of Captain Aleshire ; went into position in rear of the skirmish line; fired a few rounds at the enemy's skirmish line, and was ordered to stop firing; remained here until about 3 p. m.; was ordered still farther to the front; went into position in a corn-field, within 500 yards of the enemy's lines at the right of Captain McDowell 's (Pennsylvania) battery; opened fire on the enemy, who immediately returned it from a battery from the works, but, with the assistance of Captain McDowell , succeeded in silencing them in a short time; fired this day 263 rounds; had 2 men slightly wounded; moved about 500 yards to the rear; went into camp; remained over night. June 20 , I advanced my battery about half a mile to the front, with Captain Goodspeed , of Battery A, First Ohio. We relieved General Harker 's front with works partially completed. Opened fire, by order of General Newton , about 4 p. m. The enemy replied vigorously from three batteries-one in front, one on the right, and one on the left. We found that Captain Goodspeed could not reach the battery on the right, consequently we changed position under their fire, and shortly silenced their batteries. This action lasted from one to two hours. I lost 9 horses killed and 2 men slightly wounded. I fired 375 rounds. Was relieved about 8 p. m. by Battery I, First Ohio, and returned to my old camp in the rear, with my division. On the morning of the 21st I moved in rear of General Harker 's brigade, of our division, about one and a half miles to the right; went into park near the hospital of the Second Division, Twentieth Army Corps, remaining here about two hours; was then ordered into position on a hill to the front and left of the hospital; opened on one of the enemy's batteries in front of General Wood 's division, but did not get any reply. I then turned my battery on the enemy's skirmish line in my immediate front; drove them from their works, after which General Wood advanced his line across an open field and took possession of their works, without losing any men. I remained about two hours in this position, then moved about 500 yards to the front; went into position near a house; remained there a short time; moved about 300 yards to the front and right; opened on the enemy; don't know how much we injured them, as their lines were in the woods; had 2 men wounded; fired 103 rounds. 22d, moved about fifty yards to the left in an open field in rear of the fortifications; opened on the enemy; fired seventy-two rounds. 23d, opened from the same position; fired 164 rounds; lay in the same position for three or four days. On the morning of the 26th had 1 man killed by one of the enemy's sharpshooters. On the morning of the 27th moved about one mile to the right; went into park in an open field in rear of General Davis ' division, Fourteenth Army Corps; remained in this position until the p. m. of the 28th, when I was moved about 500 yards to the left and rear, by order Captain Goodspeed , chief of artillery, Second Division, Fourth Army Corps, and put into camp, remaining in camp until the morning of the 30th , when I was moved by Captain Goodspeed about 100 yards to the front and put in position, relieving Battery A, First Ohio Artillery.

July 1 , remained in same position occupied June 30 ; fired sixteen rounds without getting any reply from the enemy. July 2 , remained in same position; fired forty-one rounds; enemy did not reply; moved position in the evening about 1,000 yards to the left; took position on a hill; relieved one of General Wood 's batteries; remained over night, doing no firing from this position. July 3 , the enemy having evacuated during the night, marched in rear of the division through Marietta, Ga., and camped three miles southeast of that point on line of railroad at the left of track. July 4 , moved about 1,000 yards to the front ; went into position near a log house; remained in this position until noon; moved about 1,200 yards to the right; took position on General Stanley 's front, by order Captain Bridges, chief of artillery, Fourth Army Corps; remained in this position about three hours; was relieved and moved back to my division; had 1 man slightly wounded; moved into position on General Wagner 's front; did no firing. July 5 , the enemy having evacuated during the night, marched at 6 a. m. in rear of division eight miles to Chattahoochee River ; went into a position on a ridge near the river, commanding pontoon bridge. July 6 , threw up works in front of the guns during the night; remained in same position as that of the 5th; fired four rounds without getting any reply from the enemy. July 7 , remained in same position, everything quiet; opened on the enemy at 8 p. m., by order of Captain Bridges , chief of artillery, Fourth Army Corps; fired seventy-seven rounds; got no reply from the enemy. July 8 , lay quietly in camp; no firing on either side. July 9 , remained in same position; opened on enemy's battery at 2 p. m., which was in position in our immediate front; fired sixteen rounds; could not tell what effect our shot had on the enemy, as their battery was stationed in the woods. July 10 , remained in same position; all quiet in front. July 11 , remained in position quietly without doing any firing; all quiet in front of our position. July 12 , remained in same position. July 13 , left camp at 4 a. m.; marched about two miles to the left, joined our division, went into park, and remained about two hours; marched in rear of division about one mile to the left; crossed the Chattahoochee River; marched about two miles to the left; went into position on the right of the division about 12 m.; built works for four guns; did no firing; remained in same position over night. Remained in this position until July 18 ; marched at 5 a. m. in rear of General Wagner 's brigade about two miles, when I was ordered to the front; engaged one of the enemy's batteries at Nancy's Creek; fired a few rounds and drove the enemy from their position; moved about one mile; went into position at a church; engaged one of the enemy's batteries; drove them from their position; moved on to Buck Head; remained over night. July 19 , moved position about 100 yards to the front and left; commenced putting up works; remained in position until about 4 p. m., then marched two miles to the front on the Atlanta road; went into camp about 9 p. nm. July 20 , moved from camp at 5 a. m., and went about 1,000 yards to the right and went into position and built works; remained in position until 2 p. m.; moved across Peach Tree Creek; went into position on the left of the division; opened fire on the enemy, who were charging across the field; fired 260 rounds and drove the enemy back; about 5 p. m. moved one section about 2,000 yards to the left; remained in same position over night. July 22 , marched at about 9 a. m. in rear of our division about two miles to the front, where we came upon the enemy in their works; went into position on the left of the division; remained in this position but a few moments; moved from this to the right of the division, by order of General Newton ; took position on the right of Colonel Bradley 's brigade; built works and remained in this position over night ; no casualties, although we lay under a heavy fire from the enemy's artillery. Remained in this position without doing any firing until July 27 ; opened fire on the enemy by order of General Newton . July 28 , opened fire on Atlanta by order of Captain Bridges . July 29 , opened fire on Atlanta by order of Captain Bridges , firing one shot a minute during the day; remained in same position until August 9 , firing occasionally on the city, without any particular results; remained in same position until August 25 , shelling the city occasionally.

August 25 , marched at 1 p. m. with Artillery Brigade about five miles to the right and went into camp. August 26 , marched at 9 a. m. about six miles across the Euharlee [Utoy] Creek; went into position on the line, remaining over night. August 27 , broke camp at 9 a. m.; marched to Mount Gilead Church; went into camp about 4 p. m. August 28 , marched with the Second Division, Fourth Army Corps, about six miles on line of railroad south; got into camp about 10 p. m. August 29 , marched with division; did no firing. August 30 , marched with Artillery Brigade. August 31 , marched with Second Division, Fourth Army Corps.

September 1 , marched with Artillery Brigade and encamped with same. September 2 , marched with Artillery Brigade; went into position about 4 p. m. in rear of General Newton 's line, firing thirtysix rounds at the enemy's works. September 3 , remained in same position, firing 162 rounds into the enemy's works. September 5 , left position about 6 p. m.; fell back as far as Jonesborough, Ga. September 6 , marched with Artillery Brigade about one mile; went into camp, remaining until the morning of the 7th. Marched at daylight with Artillery Brigade about nine miles, and encamped within eight miles of Atlanta .

Casualties. Nominal list (omitted) shows 1 killed and 9 wounded. Expenditures of ammunition during the campaign (since May 3, 1864 ), 4,784 rounds.

I am, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Geo. W. Spencer, Capt., Comdg . Battery M, First Illinois Artillery. Capt. Lyman Bridges , Chief of Artillery, Fourth Army Corps.