This version of the website was created in 2025. See the Site Information Page for contact information, data downloads, and other details.
Hdqrs. 77TH Regt. Pennsylvania Vet. Vol. Infty.,
In Camp, near Atlanta, Ga.,
September
14, 1864
.
Captain : The following is the report of the operations of my regiment during the campaign commencing on the
5th of May, 1864, and ending on the
8th of September, 1864
:
On the
3d of May, 1864, the regiment broke camp at Blue
Springs, at 12 m., and moved out six miles to the Knoxville and Dalton Railroad, and encamped for the night.
On
Wednesday, May
4
, we marched at 5 a. m. to Catoosa Springs, where we
encamped for two days. On
Saturday, May
7
, marched south to Tunnel Hill.
On
Sunday, May
8
, moved to Mill Creek Gap and Rocky Face Ridge.
On
Monday, May
9
, near midnight, the regiment went on picket.
On
Tuesday, May
10
, skirmished all day with the enemy; had 3 enlisted men wounded.
On
Wednesday, May
11
, the regiment, with the Thirtieth Indiana, moved on to a ridge which
commanded Mill Creek Gap, and threw up rifle-pits.
On
Friday, May
13
, at 5 a. m. the regiment with the division moved forward through Dalton, and at 9 a. m. came up with the enemy's rear guard; had some skirmishing, and went into camp.
On
Saturday, May
14
, left camp and marched two miles, when our corps engaged the enemy, skirmishers were thrown out from
each regiment; 1 commissioned officer and 1 enlisted man was wounded of this regiment.
On
Sunday, May
15
, skirmishing commenced at daylight, and we were engaged with the enemy more or less all day; lost 3
enlisted men wounded.
On
Monday, May
16
, we moved at 6 a. m. into Resaca, and at 4 p.m. crossed
the river and marched four miles, where we encamped for the night.
On
Tuesday, May
17
, we marched at 8 a. m., and encamped within
two miles of Adairsville
.
On
Wednesday, May
18
, the regiment marched at 6 a. m., passed through Adairsville, and six miles beyond encamped for the night.
On
Thursday, May
19
, the regiment marched at 6 a. m.; came up with the enemy's rear
guard at Kingston, where we commenced skirmishing, and
so continued until the enemy was driven back to Cassville.
This regiment lost during the day I enlisted man killed and 3 wounded. On
Friday
,
Saturday
, and
Sunday
, 20th, 21st, and 22d, the regiment lay in camp.
On
Monday, May
23
, we marched west six miles, where we crossed the Etowah
River, and continuing the march four miles farther encamped for the night.
On
Tuesday, May
24
, the regiment moved out of camp at 6 a. m., and marched fifteen miles and encamped.
On
Wednesday, May
25
, the regiment left camp at 10 a. m. and marched about eight miles to where the Twentieth Army Corps had been fighting, and encamped for the night.
On
Thursday, May
26
, the regiment moved into the line of battle, our brigade being in reserve.
On
Friday, May
27
, the regiment moved forward to the front line, and had sharp fighting all day. The casualties were 1
enlisted man killed and 3 wounded. On
Saturday, May
28
, our skirmishers were hotly engaged.
The casualties in the regiment were I commissioned officer and 8 enlisted men wounded.
On
Sunday, May
29
, the skirmishing continued all day; casualties, 4 enlisted men wounded.
On
Monday, May
30
, the skirmishing still continued; casualties, 2 enlisted men wounded.
On
Tuesday, May
31
, our skirmishers were still engaged, and the casualties of this regiment, 1 enlisted man wounded.
On
Wednesday, June
1
, the position of the regiment was still unchanged.
The loss on this day was 1 enlisted man killed.
On
Thursday, June
2
, no change of position took place; casualties of the regiment, 1 enlisted man wounded.
On
Friday, June
3
, in the same position as on the
2d
; casualties of the regiment, 2 enlisted men wounded.
On
Saturday, June
4
, moved camp at daylight to the left, the rebels having retreated during the night.
On
Sunday, June
5
, the regiment lay quietly in camp all day. On
Monday, June
6
, the regiment marched at 5 a. m. a distance of about six miles to near Acworth Station.
The regiment lay in camp during the 7th, 8th, and 9th.
On
Friday, June
10
, the regiment left camp at 7 a. m., and marched four miles and encamped near Pine Knob, or Pine Top,
near the enemy, our regiment on the second line, and was not engaged with the enemy.
On Saturday and
Sunday, 11th
and
12th of June
, the regiment still lay in camp on the second line in the same position as on the
10th
.
On
Monday, June
13
, the regiment moved one mile to the left, and threw up new works during the night.
The rebels in front evacuated the same night.
On
Tuesday, June
14
, the regiment moved forward one mile; finding the enemy in force, we here threw up new works;
casualties, 1 enlisted man wounded.
On
Wednesday, June
15
, the regiment continued in the same position as on the
14th
.
We had some skirmishing, but ��� no casualties.
On
Thursday, June
16
, the operations were the same as on the 14th and 15th; the casualties of the regiment, 1 enlisted man
wounded.
During the night the rebels fell back.
On
Friday, June
17
, the regiment moved forward some distance and went into camp.
There was heavy skirmishing along the line, but my regiment was not engaged.
On
Saturday, June
18
, the skirmishing still continued, but the brigade to which my regiment belongs was in reserve,
consequently we were not engaged.
On
Sunday, June
19
, we again moved forward; were met by the rebels about a mile distant from our starting point, where our
skirmishers engaged
the enemy; fell slowly back to the foot of Kenesaw Mountain; the
casualties in the regiment were 1 commissioned officer wounded, 2 enlisted men killed, and 7 enlisted men
wounded.
On
Monday, June
20
, the regiment lay in front of Kenesaw all day; no
casualties.
On
Tuesday, June
21
, the regiment moved forward and to the right.
We were here opened upon by two batteries from the rebels.
We threw up a new line of works, it being already the third before Kenesaw in about twenty-four hours; the casualties from the enemy's shells were 1
enlisted man killed and 2 enlisted men wounded.
On
Wednesday, June
22
, the enemy opened upon us the same as before, but our works being completed we were better protected,
and no casualties occurred in the regiment.
On
Thursday, June
23
, the regiment moved to the right and lay in reserve until dark, when we moved forward close to the
enemy, and during the
night completed a strong earth-work.
On
Friday, June
24
, we had some skirmishing; lost 1 enlisted man wounded.
On Saturday and
Sunday, 25th
and
26th of June
, the position of the regiment was unchanged; we lost 2 enlisted men wounded on the
26th
.
On
Monday, June
27
, a general assault was made.
The brigade to which my regiment is attached was held in reserve; the casualties of the regiment were 1 enlisted
man killed and I wounded.
On
Tuesday, June
28
, we had considerable skirmishing, and had 1 commissioned officer and 2 enlisted men wounded.
On
Wednesday, June
29
, a burial of the dead in our front under a flag of truce took place.
During the night the enemy made a demonstration, but were repulsed.
The casualties of the regiment were 3 enlisted men wounded.
On
Thursday, June
30
, at dark, my regiment was relieved by another regiment of our brigade, and we moved back to the second
line and encamped.
On
Friday, July
1
, we continued in camp on the second line.
On
Saturday, July
2
, the regiment again moved forward to the front line; no casualties.
On
Sunday, July
3
, about 2 a. m., the rebels evacuated their works, and we moved forward at once and occupied them.
Took several prisoners.
We then moved forward to Marietta and five miles beyond to Smyrna, where we found the enemy strongly fortified.
On
Monday, July
4
, at 11 a.,m. we charged the enemy's works, capturing the rifle-pits, with a large number of prisoners,
and killing and wounding
several of the enemy; our loss was 1 commissioned officer wounded and 1 enlisted man killed, and 17 enlisted men
wounded.
During the night the enemy fell back to the Chattahoochee River
and left us in full possession of their strong works at Smyrna,
which we immediately occupied.
On
Tuesday, July
5
, at daybreak we commenced pursuing the enemy.
The regiment moved forward to Vining's Station, thence one mile to the left
and encamped on the Chattahoochee River.
On
Wednesday, July
6
, the regiment lay in camp, our skirmishers exchanging occasional shots across the river.
We lay in this camp until the 10th.
On
Sunday, July
10
, we marched up the river about five miles, where the regiment encamped within about one-half mile of the
river, and continued in camp until the 12th.
On
Tuesday, July
12
, we marched early, crossed the Chattahoochee on canvas pontoons, and moved down the river some distance,
to a high bluff overlooking the river, where we encamped until
the 18th.
On
Monday, July
18
, the regiment moved forward toward Atlanta
six miles, and encamped.
On
Tuesday, July
19
, we marched at 11 a.m. about three miles, to Peach Tree
Creek, on the opposite bank of which we threw up works; had some skirmishing but no casualties.
On
Wednesday, July
20
, we marched to within
three miles of Decatur
, and then took the road to Atlanta, in all about four
miles. We went into position in line and the enemy made a fierce attack on our skirmishers, but were repulsed;
the casualties of
this regiment were only 2 enlisted men wounded.
On
Thursday, July
21
, at sunrise this regiment moved forward to the line of skirmishers and threw up works under a pretty
heavy fire; our casualties
were 1 commissioned officer and 4 enlisted men wounded.
The enemy retreated during the night.
On
Friday, July
22
, before daylight, we commenced pursuing the enemy, this regiment taking the advance, and at sunrise,
owing to the fog, we came up with the
rebels quite abruptly.
We were quickly in line, however, and after a pretty sharp skirmish we commenced throwing up works within two
miles of the town of Atlanta and within 1,500 yards of one of the
enemy's forts; the casualties of the regiment were 4 enlisted men wounded.
On
Tuesday, July
26
, a demonstration was made in which our skirmish line was somewhat advanced.
This regiment lost 3 men wounded.
On the
5th of August
a like demonstration was made, in which five companies of this regiment charged up to the enemy's works
and were repulsed, with the loss of 1 commissioned officer and 5 enlisted men killed, and 14 enlisted men
wounded, On the
17th of August
this regiment changed camp from the extreme right to the extreme left of the brigade; the casualties
were 3 enlisted men wounded on the picket-line.
On
Thursday, August
25
.
at dark, as the army commenced to move, the regiment withdrew from the works and moved to the right and
bivouacked at Proctor's Creek, distance seven miles. On
Friday, August
26
, the regiment continued the march to the right, passing a portion of the Army of the Tennessee and the Fourteenth Army Corps, and encamped at 5 p. m., after marching about eight miles. On
Saturday, August
27
, advanced rapidly to Gilead Church, a distance of six miles. On
Sunday, August
28
, we marched, at about 3 p. m., a distance of about three miles, and bivouacked near the West Point railroad in a fine agricultural country.
On
Monday, August
29
, the regiment assisted in destroying a large portion of the railroad.
On
Tuesday, August
30
, we marched southeast, a distance of about three miles, and encamped in a thick woods.
On
Wednesday
.
August
31
, we moved early in the morning and marched about fve miles to near the Macon railroad and encamped for the night.
On
Thursday
,
September
I, we marched to the railroad and commenced destroying it. We moved down the railroad destroying it as
we went, until we
came near Jonesborough, where we formed line of battle and
advanced on the enemy, who was intrenched at that place.
This regiment, on the extreme right of the brigade, advanced through a dense thicket for about one-half a mile,
close to the enemy's main line, where we threw up slight works under a heavy fire of musketry and canister; the
casualties
were only 2 wounded. During the night the enemy retreated.
On
Friday, September
2
, we moved down the railroad to Lovejoy's Station, where we again
found the enemy.
The division to which my brigade and regiment is attached moved to the left, and formed line of battle, when we
moved forward
and engaged the enemy.
My regiment was held in reserve and did not become engaged, although we were part of the time under a brisk
fire.
No casualties.
On
Saturday, September
3
, my regiment moved up to the front line early and relieved the Seventy-fifth
Illinois, of our brigade.
As my regiment was much larger than the Seventyfifth, I was obliged to prolong the works in order to protect my
men. As soon as the fog arose the enemy opened a concentrated
fire of musketry with artillery upon my regiment, and kept it up until our works were completed.
The casualties of the regiment at this place were 1 commissioned officer killed and 1 severely wounded, and 11
enlisted men wounded.
We remained at this place until the night of the
5th
, when we withdrew and marched to Jonesborough, where we
remained until the 7th.
On
Wednesday, September
7
, the regiment marched to Rough and Ready, and encamped for the night.
On
Thursday, September
8
, marched through Atlanta and encamped two miles from the
town in the direction of Decatur.
From the
3d of May
until
June
7
the regiment was commanded by
Capt.
J.
J.
Lawson
, Company C.
On the
7th of June
I returned to the regiment, and have been personally in command during all of the time since.
Submitting the above, I am, sir, respectfully, your obedient servant,