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Hdqrs. Fifteenth regiment Missouri Infantry, Camp near Atlanta, Ga.,
September
12, 1864
.
Sir: I have the honor to report the part taken by my regiment in the late campaign and capture of Atlanta:
In pursuance of orders, my regiment, as part of the First Brigade, Second Division, Fourth Army
Corps, left Cleveland, Tenn.,
May
3
.
Continued our march until
May
14
.
When near Resaca my regiment, for the first time in this
campaign, was actually engaged.
On the
14th
, about 3 p. m., the first line of our brigade was ordered by
Col.
F.
T.
Sherman
, at that time commanding First Brigade, Second Division, Fourth Army Corps, to
relieve part of the Third Brigade of same division and corps, at the time
hotly engaged with the enemy.
In doing so my regiment, which was on the right, had to move across a large open field, exposed to a terrible
fire of the
enemy, who opened upon us with his artillery, first with shell, and as we came within range, with grape and
canister, but still my men moved on in good order.
The banks of a small creek offered us temporary shelter; we stopped here for about ten minutes, when we, with
the Thirty-sixth Illinois Volunteers, which regiment had also come up, made a
second charge on a small fort of the enemy in our front.
Again we had to cross an open field; again we were exposed to a murderous artillery fire and musketry.
We came close to the enemy's works, drove the same away, and held our position until our men were entirely out
of ammunition,
when we fell back to the above-mentioned creek.
Ammunition having arrived, we opened a brisk fire again, held our position, and stayed there until 9 p. m.,
when, by order of
Colonel
Sherman
, we were relieved and went into bivouac.
My regiment was that day for six hours under constant fire.
On the
15th of May
at 8 a. m. my regiment relieved the Twenty-fourth Wisconsin and were
under fire for two hours. Were relieved at 10 a. m. by the Twenty-second Illinois
Volunteers; took position in the second line of our brigade.
Continued our march on the
16th of May
.
On the
17th
Company F was detailed as flankers to cover our left, Companies B and G to cover our
right flank; Companies A and C to support the Eighty-eighth, which was deployed as skirmishers and had relieved
the Thirty-sixth Illinois; the rest of the regiment was held in reserve either
to support the skirmish line or right flank wherever it was required.
In this way we moved all day until about 4 o'clock, when I deployed the rest of my regiment as skirmishers on
the extreme right of our brigade, connecting on my left with the Twenty-fourth
Wisconsin and right with
General
Wood
's division.
In this position I remained all night.
Was relieved the next morning (18th) at 6 o'clock by the Forty-second Illinois
Volunteers.
Continued our march again on same day. Passed Kingston on the
19th
.
Encamped near Kingston until
May
22
, when we again moved on. Met the enemy again on the
25th of May
near Dallas.
During the stay of our army before Dallas my regiment was almost
daily more or less engaged with the enemy.
Companies F, G, and I, especially, suffered severely on the
27th
, a new skirmish line being established on that day, and said companies being out as skirmishers.
On 5th, 6th, 7th, and
8th of June
we guarded, with the rest of our brigade, the hospital of our corps.
Joined the army again on the
9th of June
.
Moved on the
11th
.
Were again engaged
June
27
near Kenesaw Mountain.
My regiment, which had been relieved at 5 o'clock in the morning from picket, was posted on the left of the
second line of our brigade.
We moved in close column by division right in front.
A terrible artillery fire and musketry received us as soon as we came outside of our breast-works and crossing
an open field.
When we came to a halt I deployed my regiment and covered our left flank, in which position I remained until I
received orders
from
Brig. Gen.
N.
Kimball
, commanding First Brigade, to withdraw my regiment to take our old
position we had left in the morning.
The order was carried out in good order.
We were kept in reserve until the
30th of June
, when the regiment took position on the left of the front line, where we remained until
July
2
, 8 p. m., when we moved to the left.
Marched again on the
3d of July
.
Passed Marietta.
Remained all the day on the
4th of July
in camp in line of battle.
Moved on the
5th
.
Encamped near the Chattahoochee River.
Changed camps on the
7th of July
.
Marched to Roswell
July
9
.
Crossed the Chattahoochee River the same night.
Recrossed the river on the
12th
.
Arrived in camp again on the
13th of July
.
Crossed the river again on the
14th
.
Stayed in camp until
July the 18th
.
Resumed our march again.. Camped that night near Buck Head.
Left camp in the evening of the 19th; crossed Peach Tree Creek
and went in position.
On the
20th of July
, in the morning, changed our position.
My regiment was posted in the center of the second line.
About 3 p. m. I was ordered to relieve the Eighty-eighth Illinois Volunteers,
then deployed as skirmishers.
After having the same relieved I was ordered to advance to ascertain the enemy's position, strength, &c.
Notwithstanding that
I had no connection on my left, I moved forward, being ordered to do so by
General
Kimball
.
Having advanced about 400 yards my right met the enemy's skirmishers in a hollow, where they had rifle-pits, out
of which we drove them.
My regiment was nearly on the summit of a very commanding ridge in front of us when the Seventy-third Illinois, with which we connected on our right, came to a halt.
I also ordered halt, the same time refusing my left in order to protect my left flank.
I then ordered a few men to go on the top of the ridge to ascertain if any enemy in force was near us. They came
back in a
few minutes reporting to me that the enemy was approaching in heavy columns on our left and also in our
immediate front.
Their reports proved to be true.
A few minutes afterward the enemy appeared in heavy force right in our front, on our left and right, firing and
yelling, demanding
to surrender, &c. Seeing the impossibility to hold my ground, I ordered the men to fall slowly back, which
was done in good
order, the men running from tree to tree, always keeping firing up, until we came near our works.
The Second Battalion of the regiment, having to make a detour, came in the
works of the Second Brigade, where they remained fighting with the rest of
said brigade until toward evening.
The First Battalion came in on the main
Atlanta road
. I posted it on the right of the Eighty-eighth Illinois Volunteers, near the
First Ohio Battery, where the men bravely fought.
Toward evening, after we had the enemy several times repulsed, I moved the Second
Battalion also there.
We kept this position until
July
22
.
On the
22d of July
, under a most galling artillery fire, we took our position, my regiment on the left of the second line
on the main
Atlanta road
near the White house, in which position we remained until
July
26
, when our brigade was put in reserve.
On the
1st day of August
our brigade moved to the left, near the Howard house, where we stayed until
August
25
, when the regiment, with the rest of the brigade, moved to the right.
Continued our march with the brigade.
Met the enemy again
September
1
near Jonesborough.
My regiment was held in reserve until about 6 p. m., when I was ordered by the colonel commanding brigade to
deploy my men as skirmishers and drive the enemy out of their rifle-pits
the same had in front of us near a belt of woods.
We advanced and drove the enemy out of their works.
Received afterward orders to advance again as skirmishers; did so. Advanced about 500 yards and established
there picket-line, where I remained until next morning about 5 a. m., when I was ordered to advance as
skirmishers; but after having advanced about a quarter of a mile, was ordered back and joined the brigade again.
Marched that day to the neighborhood of Lovejoy's Station, where we went in
position, my regiment being the farther right one of the second line.
Left camp
September
5
at 8 p. m. and arrived here in camp near Atlanta, Ga.,
September
8
.
As to casualties, I respectfully refer you to list forwarded to you before.
Nominal list (omitted) shows 19 killed, 45 wounded, and 2 missing.
I remain, very respectfully,
Joseph Conrad, Colonel, Comdg . Fifteenth Regt. Missouri Infty. Lieut. N. P. Jackson , A. A. A. G., First Brig., Second Div., 4th Army Corps.