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Atlanta, Ga.,
September
10, 1864
.
Sir: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the Second
Battalion, Eighteenth U. S. Infantry, during that part of the Georgia
campaign in which I was in command of it:
The eight companies of the battalion, under the command of
Capt.
A.
B.
Denton
and
Lieuts.
Frederick
H.
Brown
,
John
I.
Adair
,
John
S.
Lind
,
Edward
N.
Wilcox
,
James
S.
Ostrander
, and
Orrin
E.
Davis
, with
Lieut.
Frederick
Phisterer
as adjutant, and
Frederick
H.
Brown
acting as quartermaster, having been temporarily detached from the detachment of the Eighteenth Infantry on outpost duty at Parker's Gap, Ga.,
rejoined the detachment at Ringgold, Ga., on the
4th of May, 1864, and with it proceeded,
May
6
, on the campaign.
On the
7th
arrived at Buzzard Roost Gap, and went into position, remaining
under fire three days. On the
12th
withdrew from Buzzard Roost and, marching to the right,
passed through Snake Creek Gap and encamped.
On the
13th
, a. m., marched about a mile, formed line of battle, and commenced advancing against the enemy, who fell
back, skirmishing.
On the
14th
continued the advance with a strong skirmish line, under command of
Lieutenant
Davis
, and drove the enemy to his works, near Resaca, after
heavy skirmishing.
15th, under a heavy fire all day from the enemy's works, and on the
16th
, the enemy having retreated, marched to Resaca.
Here
Lieut.
William
H.
Bisbee
joined.
On the
17th
crossed the Connesauga River, and on the 20th arrived at
Cass Station, where the command rested till the 23d, when resuming the march
arrived at Pickett's Mills, or New Hope, among the Allatoona Mountains, on
the night of the
26th
, and went into position in front of the enemy's works, under a heavy fire of artillery, and fortified.
Here the command lay for nine days exposed to a most harassing fire from the enemy's sharpshooters, which killed
and wounded many valuable men. Among the killed
was
Sergeant-Major
Peterson
, a gallant and faithful soldier.
On the night of the 29th the battalion was ordered to advance to a commanding position, then occupied by the
enemy's pickets, in front of the right
of the brigade, and to throw up a work in the form of a crescent, refusing both its flanks, so as to be as near
the main line
as possible.
The enemy's pickets having first been driven back by the skirmishers of the Sixteenth
Infantry, the battalion advanced and carried out the order; working all night under an artillery fire,
and by morning had completed
the work sufficiently to render it tenable; the next day the work was thoroughly finished.
On the
31st
the enemy made a determined attack in force on the work, but was repulsed with heavy loss, the battalion
sustaining a loss
of
Lieutenant
Adair
, wounded, and 33 enlisted men. The enemy were followed up by heavy skirmish line, under command of
Captain
Denton
, and a new picket-line was established by him on the ground previously occupied by the enemy.
The manner in which this was conducted by
Captain
Denton
is deserving especial mention.
On the Ist of
June
Lieut.
R.
F.
Little
joined.
On the
6th
, the enemy having retreated, the battalion marched to Big Shanty and rested till the 10th, when
continued the march, feeling for the enemy.
On the
22d
, with the brigade, ielieved
General
Whitaker
's brigade before Kenesaw Mountain, and remained
under fire of the enemy's artillery and sharpshooters within seventy-five yards of his works till the 3d, when
marched through Marietta in pursuit of the retreating enemy.
At Kenesaw
Lieutenant
Wilcox
was sent back to hospital, being sick.
On the
4th of July
overtook the enemy in position behind works, and two companies of the battalion, under command of
Captain
Denton
and
Lieutenant
Little
, in company with several other companies of the brigade, the whole under command of
Capt.
G.
W.
Smith
, commanding First Battalion, Eighteenth U.
S. Infantry, were advanced as skirmishers, and, charging the enemy's rifle-pits, carried them in the
most gallant manner.
Lieutenant
Little
was slightly wounded, but did not permit his wound to interfere with his duties but for a few days.
The rifle-pits having been captured by the skirmish line,
Dilger
's battery
was ordered forward, and the battalion advanced to its support under a terrible artillery fire, which was kept
up during
the entire day. On the
5th
the enemy fell back to the Chattahoochee River, and the
battalion went into position near Vining's Station.
Here the battalions of the detachment, being consolidated into one, under the command of
Capt.
L.
M.
Kellogg
, Eighteenth U. S. Infantry, I resumed command of my company, and,
having soon after received the appointment of acting assistant adjutant-general of
the brigade, am unable to report further the operations of my battalion.
I cannot close, however, without mentioning my very efficient adjutant,
Lieut.
Frederick
Phisterer
, for his invaluable service and for the gallantry and zeal which he always manifested in the performance
of his duties; and
to the officers and men of the command I tender my warmest thanks for their untiring attention to their duties,
their ever-conspicuous
gallantry, and the patient, unmurmuring devotion with which they toiled and fought and endured during this the
severest campaign
of the war. For a list of casualties I beg leave to refer to the detachment report to which this will be
appended.
I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
First Lieut. William H. Bisbee , Adjutant Detach . 18th U. S. Infantry, Atlanta, Ga.
In addition to the foregoing report, I beg leave to call the attention of the detachment commander to the three following non-commissioned officers of my battalion: Sergt. Maj. James E. Patton , First Sergt. Andrew Durfey , Company A, and First Sergt. Benjamin R. Elrick , Company H. The first-named was appointed sergeantmajor, vice Peterson , killed, and the second and third commanded their companies ��� the second a portion of and the third during the whole of the operations here reported ��� with great credit. Their conduct has been conspicuous for gallantry, zeal, and efficiency, and has won for them the respect and esteem of all their officers. They well deserve promotion.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Wm. J. Fetterman, Captain, Eighteenth Infantry. First Lieut. William H. Bisbee , Detachment Adjutant, Eighteenth Infantry.