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Hdqrs. Firt Division, Fourth Army
Corps,
1864
.
I have the honor to state that at 12 m. on the
3d day of May
the First Division, under my command, marched from its camp
at Blue Springs, under orders to move to Catoosa Springs.
The division took the main road to Dalton, and encamped the same
night
one mile
south of Red Clay
.
Marching early the next morning, we reached Catoosa Springs at
noon, near
Dr.
Lee
's house.
General
McCook
's cavalry, which was in advance of the infantry, exchanged shots with the rebel pickets, who
ran away in the direction of Tunnel Hill.
We remained in camp the 5th and 6th, and on the morning of the?th marched for Tunnel Hill, this division leading.
After passing
Dr.
Lee
's house the main road leading down the base of Rocky
Face was taken.
Skirmishers were deployed, and the enemy's skirmishers were soon encountered.
We found the road obstructed by fallen trees, but all difficulties were soon overcome, and we soon found
ourselves in sight
of the enemy's intrenchments upon Tunnel Hill.
As the force of the enemy was entirely uncertain,
Brigadier-General
Cruft
, with the First Brigade, was directed to attack the line in front, and
Brig. Gen.
W.
C.
Whitaker
, with the Second Brigade, was sent to move down the ridge near Rocky Face and attack in flank.
This movement at once dislodged the rebels, who seemed to have only cavalry and artillery.
Captain
Simonson
, chief of artillery, who promptly brought forward a section of rifled guns of the Fifth Indiana Battery, had a few fine shots at the retiring cavalry, and hurried their pace.
The division was formed in line of battle facing east, having before us Rocky Face, the summit of which we could observe occupied by the enemy in quite
strong force.
In getting possession of Tunnel Hill the division lost 4 men
wounded.
Early on the morning of the 8th the division advanced in line of battle to within 400 or
500 yards of Rocky Face
.
The enemy still held some round hills intrenched at the entrance of Buzzard Roost
Gap, from which they annoyed the division by a flank fire.
In the afternoon
General
Davis
formed, a force to charge these hills, and
Captain
Simonson
turning his batteries upon them they very easily fell into our hands.
The skirmishers of this division advanced with those of
General
Davis
' division, driving the rebels into their intrenchments and developing the full strength of the
position before us. Early the next morning
our skirmishers pushed up to the foot of the palisades under cover of the brushwood, and maintained a constant
fire with the
enemy all day. In the evening I received orders to press the enemy strongly in the gorge of Buzzard Roost.
This duty was assigned
Colonel
Champion
with his own regiment (the Ninety-sixth Illinois) and Eighty-fourth Indiana,
Lieutenant-Colonel
Neff
.
Our men drove the rebels quickly to their main lines, and pushed up to the foot of the perpendicular rocks of
the mountain
and maintained themselves until night, when all but the pickets were withdrawn.
The fire of the enemy was severe, much of it coming almost from overhead.
Our loss in this affair was 50 or 60 men killed and wounded.
Major
Boyd
, Eighty-fourth Indiana, a brave and devoted officer, here received a
mortal wound.
During the 10th we occupied our position, slight skirmishing going on. The enemy varied the performance by
throwing shells into the valley
we occupied from some howitzers they had dragged to the top of the ridge.
On the morning of the 11th we made arrangements to relieve
General
Davis
' division in the occupancy of the hills commanding the entrance to Buzzard Roost Gap.
It being reported that the enemy was leaving, a reconnaissance was ordered toward evening.
This was made by the First Brigade,
Brigadier-General
Cruft
commanding.
The Thirty-first Indiana and One hundred and first
Ohio were deployed as skirmishers, and pushing boldly forward drove the enemy from his first line (an
intrenched picket-line), but were met by a heavy fire of musketry and artillery.
Our men maintained their position until dark, and during the night, having relieved
General
Davis
' troops, we threw up works facing those of the enemy, and about 600 yards from them.
This reconnaissance cost us, as upon the 9th, about 50 men killed and wounded.
During the 12th we watched the enemy closely, the Fourth being the only corps before Dalton.
Early on the morning of the 13th we learned the rebels had left their works.
As soon as the evacuation of his works by the enemy was known, we started in pursuit.
Passing through Dalton we moved down the Sugar Valley road.
The enemy left but little behind him but his well-built earth-works.
A few cavalry opposed our progress.
We camped at night about
nine miles
south of Dalton
, camping in line of battle, facing toward Tilton, our
backs to Rocky Face.
On the morning of the 14th the division marched toward Tilton, to
ascertain if any of the enemy remained in that direction.
Upon reaching the main Dalton and
Resaca road
I received orders to move south toward Resaca, this division
being the only one on that road and forming the left flank of the army.
The division advanced to within about
two and a half miles of Resaca
, driving in the skirmishers of the enemy; but as
Wood
's division, on our right, had not yet come up, and as firing was heard in rear of our right,
the division was halted and directed to
barricade.
At 2 p. m.
Wood
advanced and made connection with the right of this division, and we advanced together until stopped by
the heavy fire of
artillery coming from the enemy's works.
I received about this time an order from the general commanding the corps to hold the Dalton road running by my left flank.
To do this I stationed
Cruft
's brigade upon the left of the road, posting two of his regiments upon a round-topped hill
about 100 yards from the road, and directing them to intrench themselves.
These troops were not yet in position when the enemy was seen forming to attack them in flank, and word was at
once sent the
corps and department commanders of this fact.
In the mean time
Simonson
's battery, which had been advanced, was, as a matter of caution, withdrawn and posted to sweep
the open ground to the rear of the threatened
brigade.
The attack came about an hour before sundown, and perpendicular to my line.
The Thirty-first Indiana, stationed upon the round-topped hill, found itself
fired into from three directions.
They did the best they could under the circumstances; they got out of the way with such order as troops can
hurrying through
a thick brush.
Directing their attack more to our rear than flank, the One hundred and first
Ohio and Eighty-first Indiana were soon driven back, and the enemy
was bursting exultingly upon the open field when
Simonson
opened on them with canister, which soon broke and dispersed that attack.
The enemy formed in the woods and attempted to cross the open field again, but met the same savage shower of
canister.
Robinson
's brigade, of the Twentieth Corps, had also arrived
and formed facing the attack.
The broken regiments of the First Brigade hPad reformed near the battery, and
the enemy was easily repulsed with very severe loss to him. The troops of the brigade
did as well as could be expected, situated as they were.
Attacked in flank, and greatly outnumbered, they could only get out of the way the best they could.
Had it not been for the timely aid of the battery it would have gone hard with the brigade.
Captain
Simonson
and the Fifth Indiana Battery deserve great praise; their conduct was
splendid.
The coming up of the Twentieth Corps was also timely, though, in my
opinion, the fire of the battery was in itself adequate to the successful repulse of the enemy.
The night and the day following our lines were adjusted and strengthened, and a constant fire was kept up upon
the enemy.
The division was formed ready to follow up
General
Hooker
's attack had he broken the enemy's line.
Artillery firing was kept up during the night upon the rebel position.
About 11 o'clock the rebels made a demonstration on our pickets, occasioning a general discharge of cannon and
muskets along the whole line.
Soon after, early on the morning of the
16th
, it was found the enemy had evacuated under cover of the night.
The loss of the division about Resaca, killed, wounded, and
missing, amounted to 200.
Early on the morning of the 16th the pursuit was commenced.
Finding the bridges at Resaca destroyed, this division built a
temporary foot bridge upon the ruins of the railroad bridge over the Oostenaula and pushed on the same evening,
camping near Calhoun.
On the
17th
marched in rear of
Newton
's division and formed line on his left at 5 p. m.,
three miles
north of Adairsville
, where the enemy had made a stand.
This division was not engaged.
On the
18th
passed through Adairsville, getting considerably
entangled with the Army of the Tennessee; camped at Cox's house.
Early on the morning of the 19th the division took up the line of march for Kingston, The cavalry pickets of the enemy were soon encountered and driven before
us through Kingston.
We found them posted in considerable force upon the hills east of Kingston beyond the crossing of the creek.
Cruft
's and
Whitaker
's brigades were formed in line facing the enemy, and
Colonel
Grose
was instructed to feel his way down to the left of the railroad and drive him from his position.
This was readily accomplished after some severe skirmishing.
The enemy upon the main
Cassville road
gave back very stubbornly, and at a point about
three miles from Cassville
the enemy was discovered, formed in three lines of battle perpendicular to the road, and very soon after
the appearance of the head of the column the entire rebel
line advanced toward us. The division was deployed as hastily as possible; batteries were put in position, and
other troops
were coming up to form upon the flanks of the division, when the enemy was seen to be withdrawing.
Some volleys from the rifled batteries caused them to move off in a good deal of confusion, and the whole
division advanced
in line to the rebel position.
Finding the enemy had left, the division moved on in accordance with orders, with a view of reaching Cassville.
When within about a mile of that place and while changing the direction of the skirmishers, the head of the
column received
a sudden volley from the enemy across an open field.
The division was again deployed, and as night had arrived, the men were instructed to fortify their position.
Very sharp skirmishing was kept up the early part of the night, and early in the morning we found the enemy had
again abandoned
his works and retired across the Etowah.
From the evening of the 19th to the morning of the 23d we remained in camp at Cassville preparing for our movement upon Dallas and thence Marietta.
The order was to take twenty days rations, but this division was only enabled, from limited transportation, to
carry seventeen days. The division crossed the Etowah the evening of the 23d and camped near Euharlee.
Made a tedious day's march on the
24th
, reaching camp
two miles from Burnt Hickory
at 10 o'clock at night in a rain-storm.
On the
25th
we marched for Dallas, keeping the roads to the right of
the main road.
At 3 p. m. were ordered to close up rapidly, as
General
Hooker
had found the enemy in force.
We crossed the Pumpkin Vine near sunset, and at night closed up to
Hooker
's left.
On the
26th
Colonel
Grose
's brigade went into line on the left of
Geary
's division.
We also put in a battery to play upon the enemy's lines.
Early on the 27th moved the division to the left to relieve
Wood
's division, which moved off to the left to attempt to turn the enemy's right.
The position of the division here remained substantially the same until the night of the
4th of June
, during which the enemy evacuated his line.
Cruft
's brigade was started back to Kingston as escort
to the wagon train of the corps on the
30th
.
On the night of the
3d of June
we relieved half of
Davis
' front on the left of this division.
Our time was constantly employed, whilst in this position, in pushing out works, by successive advances, close
to the enemy;
and a constant fire of musketry and artillery was kept up whenever we could annoy the enemy.
The 5th we lay in camp near New Hope Church.
On the
6th
the division moved on the Acworth road to the vicinity of
Morris Hill Chapel.
The division remained in position at Morris Hill until the
morning of the
10th
, when, moving through the lines of the Twentieth Corps, on the
Marietta road, we soon struck the pickets of the enemy.
Pushing forward, the enemy was found in force, with an intrenched line extending across the summit of Pine Top Mountain.
The division was formed facing this line of the enemy and intrenched in full view and under easy cannon-range of
them.
This position we maintained with some modifications until the morning of the 15th.
On the
14th
the position of the enemy was sharply cannonaded by all our batteries, and, as we learned subsequently,
the second shot fired from a rifled section of the Fifth Indiana Battery
exploded in a group of rebel generals, killing
Lieut. Gen.
Leonidas
Polk
.
Early the morning of the 15th it was found the enemy had abandoned his work on Pine Top. The position was at
once occupied by our skirmishers, and it was
learned that Pine Top was an advanced work, the main rebel line being in the rear and connecting Kenesaw and Lost Mountains.
Shortly after noon the division was formed in column of attack, following the Second Division, but the general commanding the corps having decided an attack
impracticable at the point the head of the column struck the
rebel line, this division formed in line and intrenched opposite to the rebel position.
On the
16th
the line was advanced under severe fire.
A heavy cannonade was kept up upon the rebel position all day. While laying out a position for a battery this
day
Capt.
Peter
Simonson
, Fifth Indiana Battery, chief of artillery, was instantly killed by a
sharpshooter.
This was an irreparable loss to the division.
I have not in my military experience met with an officer who was the equal of this one in energy, efficiency,
and ingenuity in the handling of artillery.
He never missed an opportunity and allowed no difficulties to deter him from putting in his batteries in every
position that
he could prove annoying or destructive to the enemy.
On the morning of the 17th it was found the enemy had again evacuated his line, and we advanced to find that he
had abandoned his hold on Lost Mountain with his left.
Again we had the experience of feeling for the position of the rebels and found him, as usual, strongly
intrenched on one of the small branches of Noyes' Creek.
On the
18th
the rain poured in torrents.
Kirby
's brigade was sent to support
General
Newton
's division, which engaged the enemy's lines closely all day. This night the enemy again
abandoned his line, and on the 19th we moved forward and found him in his intrenched line of Kenesaw Mountain.
Our lines were pushed up close to the rebel position and intrenched during the night,
Grose
's brigade on the left,
Whitaker
's in the center, and
Kirby
's on the right.
These positions were gained after severe skirmishing.
During the 20th we strengthened our position, and at 4 p. m. we made a demonstration with a strong line of
skirmishers on our whole line.
Colonel
Price
, in command of
General
Whitaker
's skirmishers, gallantly charged the hill in his front and took it, with a number of prisoners.
General
Whitaker
's main line was ordered to be established on the picket-line captured from the enemy.
The pioneers had only time to throw ap a few rails when the enemy advanced in strong force to repossess their
line.
Our men at once stood to arms and after a sharp contest repulsed them.
At sundown the enemy repeated his attempt and was again severely repulsed.
Not satisfied, about 8 o'clock at night, they made another determined attack, carrying a part of our line
occupied by the Thirty-fifth Indiana.
The good behavior of the Ninety-ninth Ohio, which coolly formed a flank and
poured a fire into the rebel force which had broken our line, saved the brigade.
The Fortieth Ohio was brought up and charged the rebel force which had broken
through, restoring our lines.
This affair, which was a very severe fight, reflects great credit upon
Whitaker
's brigade.
The men fought with great coolness and resolution.
The loss in the brigade was quite severe-5 field officers were killed, wounded, and missing, and the loss in the
affair amounted to 250 men.
Colonel
Kirby
's brigade carried the bald hill in his front, but the enemy rallied and drove him back.
This occurred three times, when, night having arrived, I directed the contest to stop.
On the morning of the 21st
Colonel
Kirby
was ordered to retake the hill for which he contended the day before.
As
General
Wood
's division moved forward at the same time, this was soon accomplished with slight loss.
During the 22d the division remained in position excepting five regiments of
Colonel
Grose
's brigade, which marched to the right to relieve part of
Butterfield
's division.
At night
General
King
's division, of the Fourteenth Corps, relieved us, and
we in turn relieved
Butterfield
's division by daylight in the morning.
We occupied the day strengthening our position, and about 5 p. m. formed a strong picket-line and charged that
of the enemy, capturing about 40 of them.
Shortly afterward the enemy made a counter-charge, and outflanking the skirmishers of
Whitaker
's brigade, forced them back.
Our loss in the affair was about 60 men. During the 24th, 25th, and 26th our lines were a little advanced and
improved.
Our position was in easy musket-range of the enemy.
On the morning of the
27th
, it having been determined to attack the enemy from the front of the First Division, this division was selected as the support of the assaulting columns
of the Second Division, which was selected to lead in the assault.
Whitaker
's and
Kirby
's brigades were formed in columns of regiments,
Grose
's brigade to hold the line of breast-works was deployed.
From the failure of the assault the troops of this division were not engaged,
Kirby
's brigade only passing out of the works, and yet so severe was the fire of the enemy that the
division lost over 100 men killed and wounded while waiting the movement of the Second Division.
Captain
McDowell
, Company B, Independent Pennsylvania Battery, my second
chief of artillery, a most excellent and accomplished young officer, was killed while superintending his
batteries just before the assault.
From this date until the night of the
2d of July
we merely maintained our lines, very little firing, even between pickets, occurring.
On the night of the
2d of July
the lines of the First Division were extended, relieving all
of
General
Newton
's division.
Early the morning of the
3d
, finding the enemy gone, the division followed their trail, leading through Marietta and taking the road east of the railroad leading to Pace's Ferry.
This division was in the lead and had some little skirmishing, and in the evening came again upon the enemy
intrenched at Ruff's Station.
Grose
's brigade alone was deployed, and severe skirmishing was kept up during the evening.
About 11 o'clock on the
4th
, the general commanding the division having expressed a doubt of there being an enemy in force in front
of us, orders were
given to feel the position strongly.
To this end a strong skirmish line, well supported, was deployed, and advanced at charge step over the open
corn-field against
the enemy's rifle-pits, which were plainly visible and very strong.
Colonel
Grose
's skirmishers having the least distance to move to strike the enemy, at once came under a most galling
fire.
The day being very hot the men dropped down to gain breath, after making half the distance; but as soon as a
little rested
they were rallied by the brave
Captain
Hale
, Seventy-fifth Illinois Infantry, commanding the skirmish line, and
dashing forward broke the rebel line and at once occupied their pits.
The main lines of the division were moved up at once and established themselves on the late rebel picket-line
under the severest
and most continued cannonade the rebels had ever used upon us. I regret to add that the gallant
Captain
Hale
, who was the life of this gallant charge, was killed during the afternoon.
The rebel skirmish line which was dislodged was almost a full line of battle, and the charge upon them over open
ground was
very creditable to the troops engaged, who were details from most of the regiments of the division.
Our loss in this affair was 100 men killed and wounded.
We took 50 of the enemy prisoners.
This same night the enemy abandoned his line and withdrew to the river, and on the 5th the division followed in
rear of the corps on the railroad and took position on the Chattahoochee, above Pace's Ferry.
From the 5th until the 10th we remained resting in camp, occasionally shelling the rebels across the river and
picketing the river and islands.
On the
10th
the division moved up to Soap Creek, and bivouacked
near the pontoon bridges, thrown across by
General
Schofield
.
On the morning of the 12th the division crossed on the pontoon bridge laid for the Army of the Ohio, and moving down the river, occupied and fortified a
prominent ridge covering Powers' Ferry.
The rest of the corps having crossed and taken up position, the 14th, 15th and 16th were occupied in building a
bridge over the Chattahoochee.
This was well done by
Major
Watson
, Seventy-fifth Illinois, with the pioneers and Thirty-sixth Indiana Infantry.
On the morning of the 18th we marched for Atlanta, following
Newton
's division and marching by way of Buck Head.
We encamped at Buck Head that night, and next morning sent a
regiment on a reconnaissance to Peach Tree Creek.
Finding but little resistance the division was crossed over the north fork of Peach Tree, on bridges rebuilt by us, and encamped in line facing Atlanta.
Early on the morning of the 20th we marched on the Decatur road
to the match factory, where, turning to the right, we crossed the south fork of Peach Tree.
Rebuilding the bridge burnt by the enemy, and driving his skirmishers back, we forced him from his intrenched
skirmish line
and back to his main line, near Wright's house.
The enemy made an effort in the afternoon to retake his picket-line but was badly repulsed and late in the
evening
Colonel
Suman
, Ninth Indiana, of
Grose
's brigade, charged their picket-line, farther to our right, and took 43 prisoners without
losing a man.
During the 21st we improved our line, skirmishing with the rebels all day.
Captain
Snodgrass
, Fortieth Ohio, was killed.
The enemy evacuated his line during the night, and early in the morning,
Colonel
Grose
's brigade leading, we followed and soon came upon the enemy again in force in their
intrenchments of Atlanta.
The entire division was deployed, and advanced under a very annoying artillery fire to the nearest point we
could occupy without
driving the enemy from his lines, and breast-works were thrown up to shelter the men from the enemy's shells.
This same day the rebels attacked the Army of the
Tennessee heavily upon the left, but made no demonstration upon our position.
From this until the night of the 26th the division was engaged in strengthening our position and especially in
constructing a strong abatis, as it was probable
that the division would be required to hold a very long line, in consequence of the withdrawal of troops toward
our right.
On the
26th
Colonels
Taylor
's and
Kirby
's brigades were sent to occupy the reverse line, to the left of the Twenty-third Army Corps.
On the same evening the command of the Fourth Army Corps was
transferred to me, and my connection with the First Division as
commander ceased.
I have thus imperfectly traced out the marches, fights, and labors of the division.
It would be difficult to give a description which would adequately show the services rendered for nearly three
months. But few days had passed that every man of the division was not under fire, both of artillery and
musketry.
No one could say any hour that he would be living the next.
Men were killed in their camps, at their meals, and several cases happened of men struck by musket-balls in
their sleep, and
passing at once from sleep into eternity.
So many men were daily struck in the camp and trenches that men became utterly reckless, passing about where
balls were striking
as though it was their normal life, and making a joke of a narrow escape, or a noisy whistling ball.
We lost many valuable officers.
Colonel
Price
, Twenty-first Kentucky,
Colonel
Champion
and
Lieutenant-Colonel
Smith
, Ninetysixth Illinois, were all severely wounded in the
fight of
Whitaker
's brigade on the
20th of June
.
Major
Dufficy
, Thirty-fifth Indiana, a gallant and daring officer, was mortally
wounded, and
Lieutenant-Colonel
Watson
, Fortieth Ohio, captured in the same affair.
Lieutenant-Colonel
Neff
, Thirty-first Indiana, a most excellent officer, was killed by one of
those chance bullets so destructive to us during our occupation of the trenches in front of Kenesaw Mountain.
To mention all the officers deserving of special notice for zeal and good conduct in this long and arduous
campaign, would
require the naming of the great majority of the officers of the division.
Col.
William
Grose
, Thirty-sixth Indiana Volunteers, since promoted to brigadier-general,
was particularly distinguished for constant activity and zeal in carrying out all the
measures adopted for pushing the enemy.--
Colonel
Kirby
, One hundred and first Ohio, commanded the First Brigade with great success, and proved a most energetic and efficient commander.
He succeeded
General
Cruft
in the command of the brigade after the battle of New Hope Church.
General
W.
C.
Whitaker
very ably managed his brigade, and deserves well of the Government.
He was compelled to leave, from sickness, after the assault of Kenesaw
Mountain.
The brigade (the Second) has since been well managed by
Col.
J.
E.
Taylor
, Fortieth
Ohio Volunteer Infantry.
Both
Colonels
Kirby
and
Taylor
well deserve, and have honestly earned, promotion.
I must also make honorable mention of the two batteries under my command,
Capt.
A.
Morrison
, Fifth Indiana, and
Capt.
Jacob
Ziegler
, Battery B, Independent Pennsylvania.
They rendered excellent service daily, and always courted exposed positions, never slackening fire, however much
exposed,
either to the artillery or musketry of the enemy.
I desire also to call favorable attention to my staff, who served me most cheerfully and efficiently, and
relieved me of much
care and labor during the campaign.
Major
Sinclair
, assistant adjutant-general;
Major
Fairbanks
, Thirty-first Indiana Volunteers, inspector, and who was untiring in
his care of the picket-line;
Capt.
J.
D.
Moxley
,
Capt.
W.
H.
Greenwood
and
Lieut.
L.
L.
Taylor
, aides-de-camp;
Lieutenant
Croxton
, Fifty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, ordnance officer, who always
kept his ammunition just where it was needed;
Surgeon
Brumley
, U. S. Volunteers, who provided most fully for the comfort of our
wounded, and
Captain
Hopkins
, assistant quartermaster, and
Captain
Kniffin
, commissary of subsistence, all deserve well of the Government.
I have previously mentioned the death of two of my chiefs of artillery,
Captains
Simonson
and
McDowell
.
The place was well and ably filled by
Captain
Thomasson
, First Kentucky Battery.
Capt.
J.
W.
Steele
, Forty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, topographical engineer, rendered
good and efficient service, and
Captain
Greenwood
, besides his duty as aide-de-camp, found time to make many of the most accurate maps we possess of the
various positions
occupied by the army.
Appended is a tabular monthly statement of the casualties of the division from the
1st of May
to the
31st of July, 1864
.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
From the evacuation by the enemy of Dalton to the evacuation of
Resaca.
From the evacuation of Resaca to the evacuation of the line of
the Etowah.
From the crossing of the Etowah to the crossing of the Chattahoochee.
From the crossing of the Chattahoochee to the siege of Atlanta.
Consolidated report of casualties of the First Division, Fourth Army Corps, for the months of
May
,
June
, and
July, 1864
.
Zzz
D. S. Stanley, Major-General, Commanding. Atlanta, Ga., September --, 1864 .