This version of the website was created in 2025. See the Site Information Page for contact information, data downloads, and other details.
headquarters 125TH Ohio Volunteers, Atlanta, Ga.,
September
12, 1864
.
Captain: I have the honor to submit the following report of the One hundred and
twenty-fifth Regiment
Ohio Volunteers from the
14th day of May
, when I took command (
Colonel
Opdycke
having been severely wounded), to the
8th day of September, 1864, when it went into camp near Atlanta, Ga., at the close of the summer's campaign:
May
15
, the regiment having been heavily engaged yesterday, retired to a commanding position in rear of the
front line, and threw
up strong earth-works.
May
16
, the enemy evacuated during the night.
The One hundred and twenty-fifth joined in the pursuit at daylight, passed through Resaca at 9.30 a. m.. pressed the enemy closely, and bivouacked at dark near Calhoun.
May
17
, recommenced pursuit at 7.30 a. m., and moved forward rapidly till 5 p. m., when a brisk skirmish ensued
with the enemy's rear guard, which lasted till after dark.
May
18
, marched at 9 a. m.
one mile to Adairsville
, rested till 1 p. m., marched three miles toward Kingston, and bivouacked, the One hundred and
twenty-fifth Ohio Volunteers having captured 4 prisoners during the day.
May
19
, marched
two and a half miles beyond Kingston
, encountered the enemy in force, and rested on arms during the night.
May
20
, went into camp
three miles
southeast of Kingston
, where we were allowed to remain, the men resting, washing clothes, &c., during the
21st
and
22d ultimo
.
As every available team was ordered into the supply train, baggage was sent to the rear and the regiment was
restricted to one team during the remainder of the campaign.
May
23
, marched at 12 m., leaving the enemy to our left, crossed the Etowah River shortly after dusk, and bivouacked two miles farther on at 8 p. m.
May
24
, moved at 8 a. m., crossed Euharlee Creek at Barrett's Mill, passed through Stilesborough, and bivouacked at dusk,
after a march of thirteen miles under a scorching sun.
May
25
, moved to within
one and a half miles of Dallas
, and bivouacked in such position as to support the Twentieth Army
Corps, which had engaged the enemy in strong force, and suffered a repulse during the afternoon.
May
26
, Companies B, F,
G, H, and K were placed on picket, and the remainder of the regiment stood to arms
during the day and threw up breastworks at night.
May
27
, the regiment remained behind works until 7 p. m., when it was ordered on picket.
May
28
, on picket; a continual firing with the enemy was kept up. during the day.
May
29
,
30
, and
31
, regiment lay in the trenches.
From the 1st to the
4th of June
, inclusive, the regiment was constantly under fire of the enemy, occupying nearly the same position in
the trenches.
June
5
, the One hundred and twenty-fifth having been on picket during the night advanced as skirmishers at
daybreak and found that the enemy had evacuated his works.
June
6
, moved at 6 a. m.
eight miles toward the railroad and bivouacked at 4 p. m. near Lost
Mountain.
June
7
,
8
, and
9
, remained in same place, men washing and resting.
June
10
, marched at 11 a. m. through mud and rain three miles and confronted the enemy near Pine Mountain.
June
11
, occupied in getting into positions, rain falling in such quantities as almost to prevent operations.
June
12
and
13
, active operations are suspended on account of excessive wet weather.
June
14
.
regiment on picket, nothing of importance transpiring.
June
15
, the enemy evacuated our front; followed two miles, when we again encountered him behind strong works.
June
16
, heavy artillery firing, but no movement on our part.
June
17
, advanced our lines a short distance.
June
18
, the lines are extended, the One hundred and twenty-fifth moves a short distance to the right and
fortifies.
June
19
, the enemy having evacuated during last night, our lines are advanced two miles, when we again
encountered him at the base of Kenesaw, on the northeast side of
the mountain.
Heavy cannonading is opened.
Lieut.
Freeman
Collins
is killed by a fragment of shell, 2 men are wounded.
Threw up strong works at night.
June
20
, the brigade being relieved by a brigade of the Fourteenth Army
Corps, at dark the regiment marched one mile to the rear and bivouacked in open field.
June
21
, moved half a mile to the right, relieving Twentieth Army
Corps in the trenches.
At 4 p. m. advanced our lines 400 yards and fortified.
June
22
, regiment was in reserve line.
June
23
, it being ordered to advance the pickets, the One hundred and twenty-fifth was ordered to support the
skirmish line; Companies B, E, and K were deployed and advanced with
great determination, drove the enemy from his pits, but received such a severe fire from
his main works as to be unable to hold the ground gained.
Capt.
Sterling
Manchester
and 2 men were killed, and 12 men were wounded.
Strengthened our advanced works at night.
June
24
, remained in position as support to the picket-line.
June
25
and
26
, were in rear line of trenches, resting.
June
27
, it having been determined to charge the enemy's works to the right of Kenesaw Mountain, the Third Brigade
was designated to form one of the charging columns to assault the enemy in front of works occupied by the
extreme right of the Fourth Army Corps,
Colonel
Opdycke
, in charge of the skirmish line for the division, selected the One hundred and twenty-fifth for
skirmishers, ordering that it should push ahead at all hazards, scaling the enemy's works with the head of the
column,
in case the charge was successful, or protecting the rear if repulsed.
I deployed the regiment in rear of our works, at intervals of four feet, placing
Major
Bruff
in charge of the right wing, while I directed the movements
of the left.
Between our main works a.nd those of the enemy there was an interval of not to exceed 400 paces.
Fifty paces in front, and running nearly parallel to our works, was a ravine, which was the only place between
the lines where
men were not exposed to fire from the enemy's main works.
At the sound of the bugle, fifteen minutes before 10 a. m., the line sprung over the works and moved forward in
quick time without firing.
We passed the enemy's advance pits, capturing almost his entire line of pickets, and sent them to the rear in
charge of wounded
men, or without guard when there were not wounded men at hand, as I would not spare well men from the ranks.
As the line advanced beyond the enemy's rifle-pits it was exposed to a more withering fire, but it moved forward
in splendid
style till it encountered the abatis in front of his main works, when I halted and lay down to await the
charging column.
The head of the column no sooner reached the abatis than it, too, was unable to stand the fire, and the men
immediately threw
themselves fiat on the ground; all attempts to again rally them were unsuccessful, although several men
struggled through
the dense abatis and were cut down while climbing the outer slope of the enemy's works.
There was no concerted, action, and after maintaining i s position fully fifteen minutes the column was forced
to fall back.
The One hundred and twenty-fifth retired to the pits occupied by the enemy during the morning, and held them
half an hour after the column had withdrawn,
and until after relieved by fresh troops.
The entire loss of the regiment during the engagement amounted to 1 officer killed, 2 mortally wounded, and 8
officers more or less severely wounded; 6 men killed, 8 mortally wounded, and 33 men more or less severely
wounded.
June
28
,
29
, and
30
, remained in trenches resting.
July
1
and
2
, remained quietly behind works.
July
3
, the enemy having evacuated his works during the night, the One hundred and twenty-fifth joined in the
pursuit at 6 a. m. and bivouacked at
five miles below Marietta
near the railroad, confronting the enemy.
July
4
, changed position and fortified; the enemy withdrew during the night.
July
5
, marched at 7 a. m. and bivouacked at night near Vining's Station.
July
6
,
7
, and
8
, rested in bivouac, men washing, &c.
July
9
,
10
, and
11
, moved with the division to support
McCook
's cavalry, which had effected a crossing of the Chattahcochee
River at Roswell,
twelve miles above
Vining
's.
July
12
,
13
, and
14
, returned to Vining's Station, crossed the Chattahoochee River at Powers' Ferry, and
constructed breast-works at a point two miles farther south.
July
15
,
16
, and
17
, remained quietly in camp; no enemy appeared in our immediate front.
July
18
, the entire command moved at 5 a. m.; the One hundred and twenty-fifth was deployed as skirmishers, and
was supported by the Sixty-fourth and Sixty-fifth Ohio, and Third Kentucky Infantry.
Encountered
Wheeler
's cavalry, dismounted, supported by a 4-gun battery.
At
9 a. m. at Nancy's Creek charged him from his temporary
intrenchments and drove him six miles, bivouacking early in tLe afternoon at Buck Head.
Lost during the day 1 man killed and 5 wounded.
July
19
, remain in bivouac.
July
20
, marched at 6 a. m., crossed Peach Tree Creek at 12 m.
and assisted in repulsing a severe attack of the enemy, which resulted very disastrously to him.
July
21
, rested in bivouac.
July
22
, marched at 10 a. m. and drove the enemy into his intrenchrrents about Atlanta after severe skirmishing.
Went into position late in the afternoon, and worked all night at throwing up breastworks.
July
23
, changed position farther to the right of
Peach Tree Creek road
and constructed strong breastworks.
From the
24th day of July
to the
24th day of August
, inclusive, occupied nearly the same position, strengthening works, doing picket duty, &c.
August
25
, the grand flanking movement commencing, the regiment marched all night to our right.
August
26
, continued the movement began last night until 4 p. m., when the regiment bivouacked for the night.
August
27
,
28
,
29
,
30
, and
31
, were occupied in trying to get possession of the Macon
railroad between Rough and Ready Station and Jonesborough.
September
1
, struck the railroad
three miles below Rough and Ready Station, and assisted in tearing
up and burning the track between that point and Jonesborough.
The Army of the Tennessee having engaged the enemy at the
latter place early in the day and gained advantage over him, the Fourth Army
Corps was ordered to its assistance, but arrived too late in the day to be available.
The One hundred and twenty-fifth, in the front line on the extreme left, went into position at dark after slight
skirmishing with scattering cavalry, extended
our pickets so as to inclose a rebel hospital containing three surgeons, several nurses and attendants, and 150
rebel wounded.
September
2
, pursued the enemy to Lovejoy's Station, confronted him on the 3d
and 4th, and marched to Atlanta on the
5th
, 6th, and 7th.
September
8
, went into camp two miles northeast of the city near the Augusta railroad.
Casualties since
May
14, 1864
: Killed, commissioned officers, 5; enlisted men, 27.
Wounded, commissioned officers, 9; enlisted men, 107.
Aggregate, 148.
Very respectfully, yours, &c.,