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Hdqrs. Fifty-Ninth regiment Ohio Volunteers, Atlanta, Ga.,
September
12, 1864
.
Captain: In compliance with an order from
Colonel
Knefler
, commanding brigade, the following report of the operations of this regiment since leaving camp at McDonald's Station, is respectfully submitted:
On the
3d day of May
last the regiment marched from the camp above mentioned, and about noon of the 5th of the same month
arrived at Catoosa Springs, in Georgia.
On the
7th
the regiment moved to Rocky Face Ridge, which was then
occupied by the enemy, who, just beyond this point, was intrenched at Buzzard Roost; here we remained, engaged in occasional skirmishes, in which we lost
1 man killed, 7 wounded, and 1 missing, until the morning of the
13th
, when we marched in pursuit of the enemy, who had evacuated his position, and whom we next encountered
before Resaca, where we arrived on the evening of the 14th.
In the fighting at this place, our division being held in reserve, the regiment lost but I man wounded, on the
15th
.
On the
16th
, the enemy having found it expedient to retire, we were again put in pursuit and engaged in occasional
skirmishing, without
any loss to us, until we came to Cassville, on the
19th
, where we remained until the 23d, when we were again ordered to march, crossing the Etowah River and Allatoona Mountain.
We next encountered the enemy near Dallas, where was fought the
battle of New Hope Church, where, out of
eight companies (two having been left behind on the skirmish line), the regiment lost I killed, 29 wounded, and
16 missing, including the commanding officer,
Lieut. Col.
G.
A.
Frambes
, and
Adjt.
M.
J.
W.
Holter
.
Night having terminated the fighting of this bloody afternoon, we retired to the right and rear of the scene of
action, and
rested until morning, when we were moved still farther to the right, confronting and skirmishing with the enemy.
On the
31st
we were again moved to the right, where we threw up intrenchments and remained until the
4th day of June
, when we were ordered again to the right, relieving and occupying the works of the Second Division, Fourteenth Army Corps.
The next morning the enemy left our front.
On the
6th
we were ordered to march in pursuit, and in the evening went into camp, where we remained until the
10th, when, after moving about two miles, we again rested until the 14th.
On the
15th
the enemy again abandoned their position in our front, and again we started in pursuit.
We were thus constantly pushing the foe, and they intrenching and evacuating until we arrived near Marietta, where they sheltered themselves behind their works upon and
about Kenesaw Mountain, we, in the mean time, losing 3 men
wounded, and taking 20 prisoners, while on the skirmish line.
Before the enemy were compelled to abandon their last-mentioned stronghold, we lost 1 man killed, 1 officer and
12 men wounded.
Sunday, July
3
, the enemy disappeared from our front; we started in pursuit at 7 a. m., and camped
four miles
south of Marietta
on railroad; moved into position and fortified.
The next day the enemy abandoned their front line of works, and, being pushed, crossed the Chattahoochee River.
We remained here until the 7th, when we changed position, moving a half mile to the right.
On the
9th
we advanced one mile. On the
10th
we moved six miles farther up the river, where we remained until the 12th, when we crossed and camped
about one mile and a half southeast of the point of crossing.
On the
13th
we advanced one mile, our regiment on the skirmish line.
We remained in camp here until the 18th, when we advanced about three miles, camping
seven miles
northeast of Atlanta
.
On the
19th
we advanced in front of the division as skirmishers, deploying at Buck Head; we pushed forward and discovered the enemy in strongly fortified
position, with artillery, on left bank of Peach Tree Creek.
We skirmished until about 4 p. m., when the regiment was ordered to charge.
We did so, crossing the creek and entering the enemy's works, having 5 men wounded.
We were relieved the same evening and returned to old camp.
On the
20th
we advanced to the left, taking position on
Decatur road
, the regiment being posted on picket-line in rear of the division; here we skirmished a little, losing 1 man
wounded.
About noon we were ordered to the brigade, with which we advanced two or three miles. Near sundown we were
ordered to the front on skirmish line, relieving the Fifty-ninth Illinois
Volunteers; skirmishers thrown forward; had 1 man killed.
July
21
, we moved forward about half a mile, forming under a hill, in the second line of the brigade.
Next morning discovered that the enemy had again retired from our front.
We pushed forward, and came upon them posted in the defenses of Atlanta.
The regiment threw up works in line with the Eighty-sixth Regiment
Indiana Volunteer Infantry and Thirteenth
Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry, very heavy musketry and
cannonading going on on our left in the mean time.
In the evening we received orders to take up position on the right of the division, which we did, and fortified
our new position, being all the time vigorously
shelled by the enemy from heavy guns; here we had 1 man wounded.
On the
24th
the regiment was ordered back to the left of Third Brigade, and again
fortified, this time on our skirmish line.
Here we remained until the night of
August
25
, having lost while in camp and on the skirmish line 1 man killed and 9 wounded. At 8 p. m. we received
orders to march.
We moved out and marched in front of the brigade, passing the railroad, where we camped at about 2 a. m.
August
26
.
At 8 o'clock in the morning we marched to the right, and thus continued marching daily, sometimes skirmishing
with the enemy, until the
29th, when we came upon the Montgomery railroad, which, after going into camp, we assisted in tearing up,
burning the ties, and bending and destroying the iron.
On the
30th
we continued our march some seven or eight miles, which brought us in the vicinity of the Macon railroad.
The next day (31st) we again advanced, driving their skirmishers before us, and taking possession of the Macon railroad.
September
1
, we continued our march in the direction of Jonesborough,
and found the enemy intrenched and engaged with the Fourteenth Army
Corps
two miles north of the town.
The enemy escaping under cover of night, we started on their track in the morning and again came upon them in a
strong position
about
five miles beyond Jonesborough
, on the Cedar Bluffs.
Here we charged, driving them into their works, with a loss to us of 4 men wounded.
It being now night-fall, we went into camp near and in front of the enemy's works, where we remained until the
night of the
5th
, when we started en route for Atlanta, where we arrived
without further fighting on Thursday, the
8th instant
, thus terminating our campaign for the possession of Atlanta.
A nominal list of casualties accompanying this report shows 6 men killed, I officer and 54 men wounded, and 2
officers and 18 men captured or missing; total, 81.
Respectfully, your obedient servant,