This version of the website was created in 2025. See the Site Information Page for contact information, data downloads, and other details.
Hdqrs. Bridges��� Battery, Illinois Light
Arty., Atlanta, Ga.,
September
9, 1864
.
Lieutenant: Pursuant to general orders giving regulations for the artillery of the Military Division of the Mississippi, I have the honor to
report the part taken by
Bridges
' Battery, Illinois Light Artillery, in the campaign of
Major-General
Sherman
for the possession of Atlanta, Ga.
On the
5th day of May
the battery, consisting of six rifled ordnance guns, with a full complement of men, commanded by
Capt.
Lyman
Bridges
, was placed in position in line of battle near Ringgold
by
Capt.
C.
Bradley
, chief of artillery, Third Division, Fourth Army Corps, where it remained until the morning of the
7th
, when the grand army of the
Military Division of the Mississippi unitedly confronted the traitors.
Tunnel Hill was reached on the evening of the same day, from
which time the battery was kept in park until the morning of the
10th
, when, at 9 a. m., by the order of
General
Wood
, it was placed in position in the valley between Tunnel
Hill and Rocky Face, and shelled the ridge steadily for
four hours, scattering a column of infantry and silencing a rebel battery, which opened from the top of the
ridge upon the infantry
camps in the valley.
After dark on the evening of the 11th the battery was placed in a commanding position on Tunnel Hill by division chief of artillery, and intrenched itself during the night.
From this point shells were thrown upon the ridge and into the gaps during the forenoon of the 12th.
At 11 a. m.
two sections of the battery,
Captain
Bridges
commanding, went to aid in protecting the left, which was threatened by the enemy's cavalry.
Returning at dark, the battery was in readiness to take up line of march with the Fourth Army Corps on the
13th
, after the retreat of the rebel army from Buzzard Gap and Dalton on the night of the 12th.
Arriving before Resaca about 10 a. m., the battery was ordered
forward from column into position on doublequick, by
Major-General
Howard
, to cover the advancing line of infantry, and in the three positions in which the battery was placed
during the day by division chief of artillery; the object was more for protection
than aggressive operations.
At night-fall the battery intrenched itself nearly opposite the center of line of the Fourth Corps, where it remained until the morning succeeding the evacuation of Resaca by the rebels, when line of march was again taken up with the
advancing army.
The battery was next engaged with the enemy before Adairsville on
the
17th instant
at 5 p. m., by the order of
Brigadier-General
Wood
.
On the
18th
the battery bore an important part in breaking and dispersing the rebel lines in front of Cassville, Ga. At 6 p. m.
General
Howard
brought this battery with others into position, from which were able to fire with raking effect upon the
flank of the rebel
lines occupying Cassville while their front was to the left
meeting the attack of
General
Hooker
's command.
On the
22d instant
Captain
Bridges
received orders to report to
Major-General
Howard
as acting chief of artillery, and the command of the company devolved upon
senior First Lieut.
Morris
D.
Temple
.
The line of march was again taken up at 12 m. of the
23d
and proceeded without events of importance until 6 p. m. of the
26th instant
, when it was ordered by corps chief of artillery from near Pumpkin Vine
Creek to a commanding position near Dallas, behind works
constructed by pioneers.
Eighteen hundred yards in our front was a heavy line of rebel works in which were three batteries.
With two of these we were fiercely engaged on the
27th instant
. One of the rebel batteries was silenced, notwithstanding our works had been so poorly constructed as to
have been entirely torn
to pieces and demolished by the shot and shell from the enemy's guns.
These were at once fitted up and embrasures put in by the company.
On the
28th
and
29th
and
30th instant
the battery was more or less engaged with good effect.
On the evening of the 30th it was relieved and placed in camp by order of
Captain
Bridges
.
The casualties during this engagement were
Privates
George
Scott
,
Michael
Crawley
and
James
Lindsay
, wounded slightly;
Isaac
Houghtaling
and
Caleb
B.
Beers
, wounded severely by musket-balls.
Four horses were killed, 2 wounded, and 2 caisson wheels disabled.
Every effort was required to save men from the enemy's sharpshooters, for they were active and well posted.
On the
8th of June
, while foraging,
Corpl.
George
S.
Brown
and
Private
John
Hannifer
, with
Privates
Elias
Collingwood
, detailed from the Sixth Ohio Battery, and
William
Tandy
, of the Fifteenth Ohio Infantry, were captured by a band of the
enemy's cavalry.
On the
8th instant
, when in camp at Morris' Hill Church, near Acworth,
Lieuts.
Morris
D.
Temple
and
William
R.
Bise
and twenty-eight enlisted men received orders to proceed to Chicago, Ill., to be mustered out of service by virtue of term of enlistment about
to expire, leaving the battery in command of
junior First Lieut.
Lyman
A.
White
.
On account of the heavy rain the roads were extremely muddy, which, with very short forage, made the march, from
near Dallas to the position taken in front of Kenesaw Mountain, very wearing upon our animals.
During the 17th and 18th the battery was actively engaged in several positions.
The section commanded by
Sergt.
Luman
C.
Lawrence
rendered most efficient service from accuracy of fire, effectually silencing a rebel battery and line of
skirmishers.
The battery was ordered into three positions on the
19th instant
, shelling the rebel lines around the base and on the side of the Kenesaw Mountain.
Several shells were exploded upon its top. At 9 a. m. on the morning of the 20th
one section, under command of
Sergt.
Clark
E.
Dodge
, was placed, by the order of
General
Howard
, in a much advanced and exposed position.
The entire battery was placed by sections in commanding positions by order of corps chief of artillery, and was
actively engaged
with the enemy's artillery and shelling the rebel works more or less every day until the evening of
July
3
, when the battery was assigned to a new position to the left and near the south terminus of the
mountain.
In a fierce duel with the enemy's artillery on the afternoon of
June
21
senior Second Lieut.
Franklin
Seeborn
was severely wounded in the foot;
Private
Minford
S.
Clark
was wounded in the right hand.
In these engagements 2 horses were killed and 1 severly wounded.
On the
22d of June
one gun was struck by a 12-pounder shot and disabled.
The battery had. part in no important engagements from this time until
July
6
, when it was placed in a good position on the right bank of the Chattahoochee River, commanding a rebel battery and covering a pontoon bridge,
which the enemy made several unsuccessful attempts to remove.
On the
9th instant
Private
Johnson
R.
Hathaway
was killed by a musket-ball.
The battery crossed the Chattahoochee River with the entire Fourth Corps to the left of our line on the
12th instant
, took position in line of battle near the river, and remained without important engagements until the
18th.
On the
19th
at 6 a. m.. the battery was ordered by
General
Howard
into position near Peach Tree Creek.
The battery during this day's engagements occupied several positions by sections.
During the afternoon the section commanded by
Sergt.
Clark
E.
Dodge
was especially complimented by
Major-General
Thomas
for its good shots.
They were made by gunners
Corpl.
William
Hall
and
Corpl.
John
Merriam
.
On
July
21
the battery was placed in a commanding position by division chief of artillery to bear upon the outer
line of rebel works
around Atlanta; were successful in silencing a very troublesome
line of rebel skirmishers and in badly shattering their works.
July
22
, at 11 a. m. took position, by order of
Captain
Bradley
, in the line before Atlanta, 20 degrees east of north
from the city, and at 3 p. m. commenced shelling the rebel works in good earnest.
Commencing at 6 p. m. on the evening of the
23d
, a constant fire upon the city was kept up for twenty-six hours, sending one shot every three minutes
during the first
twelve hours, and for the remainder of the time one shot every five minutes. The battery was engaged during a
part of nearly every day until the
12th of August
, when it was assigned a new and more commanding position.
Occasional firing was kept up until the
25th instant
, when the battery joined the
Artillery Brigade, under orders of
Captain
Bridges
, commanding.
During the final movements for the possession of Atlanta the
battery has been many times in position and has not come short of responding to every call.
At this date the battery is in camp in good condition, and its commander would not fail to render to the God of
Battles most earnest gratitude for the watchful care and tender mercies it has been His good pleasure to extend
so freely
toward us. Even through all this fierce and bloody strife and the great exposure to noonday heat and midnight
damps we have
to record the death of but two members of the company.
Recapitulation :
Nominal list omitted.
All of which is most respectfully submitted.
Your obedient servant,
lyman A. White, First Lieutenant, Commanding. Lieut. L. D. Immell , Actg. Asst. Adjt. Gen., Artillery Brig., 4th Army Corps.