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camp Thirty-Seventh Indiana Volunteers, Atlanta, Ga.,
September
8, 1864
.
Sir: I submit the following report of the movements of the regiment from the evening of the
27th of May
to the
6th day of June
:
Near 5 p. m. [
May
27
], and shortly after the enemy were repulsed in the second charge (in which you received your wound),
Adjt.
William
B.
Harvey
returned and informed me that two regiments had been sent to the north side of Pumpkin Vine Creek, to support the left of the Thirty-seventh
Indiana.
I immediately sent the adjutant to watch the movements of the enemy on the left, and at the same time had four
men placed on the bank of the creek to notify the troops when they arrived that were to support us on the left
where our
lines were.
At the same time I gave
Capt.
Hezekiah
Shook
charge of the right.
These arrangements were hardly completed when the enemy made their third charge to break through the lines of
the left of the regiment.
They were again repulsed.
Adjutant
Harvey
reported to me that the lines of the left were very much thinned, and were nearly out of ammunition, and
that no support
had yet arrived for our left.
I ordered fifteen men from the right (Company D) to report to the
adjutant on the left, and had cartridges collected on the right and sent to the left for distribution.
I also immediately sent
Corporal
Weidner
, of Company B, to report to the colonel commanding the
brigade the condition of the regiment, and that no support had yet arrived for our
left, and received an answer that two regiments had been sent across the creek, with orders to move forward and
form on our left.
While these preparations were being made the enemy made their fourth attempt to force the left back, and were
again repulsed.
No support coming up, I was again compelled to re-enforce the left from the right wing with both men and ammunition.
I then sent
Lieut.
J.
W.
Stoner
to inform the colonel commanding the brigade of the situation of the regiment, and received an answer
that three regiments had been sent across the creek, with orders to support us on the left.
The men were busily engaged building works when the skirmishers were again attacked and driven back to the
lines, the enemy
making their fifth charge on our lines, but with same result as before.
It now being near sunset, I sent
Lieut.
J.
W.
Stoner
to the rear, with instructions to cross the creek, find and conduct the troops that were on that side
opposite to where our
left rested on said creek, which he succeeded in doing, just after the sixth and last charge was made by the
enemy at 9 p. m. This last charge was simultaneous on the whole line, and the troops on the right of the Seventy-eighth Pennsylvania gave way, leaving the right exposed to the flank fire
of the enemy.
The colonel of the Seventy-eighth Pennsylvania was compelled to change front
to the rear on the tenth company.
To protect the right flank in this position the Thirty-seventh Indiana and
Seventy-eighth Pennsylvania lay until near 12 o'clock
midnight, when the skirmishing ceased.
We withdrew and passed to the rear of a line of works thrown up by the Second
Brigade, First Division.
In this engagement the casualties of the Thirty-seventh Indiana Volunteers
were 13 killed and 43 wounded and 1 missing. The wounded were all carried off, and also all of the dead, except
3.
May
28
, laid in reserve and buried our dead.
May
29
, moved up and joined Seventy-eighth Pennsylvania in support of the
Second Brigade.
June
1
, the Thirty-seventh Indiana Volunteers relieved the Sixty-ninth Ohio Volunteers on front line.
June
2
, was relieved from the front line by the Sixty-ninth Ohio Volunteer
Infantry.
June
3
, received an order to rejoin the Third Brigade for duty, in which
position we served until the enemy left our front, on the morning of the
5th of June
.
Casualties of the Thirty-seventh Indiana Volunteers from the
28th
May
to the
6th day of June
were 9 wounded.
In conclusion, I would say that both officers and soldiers behaved nobly, and on all occasions performed the
duties assigned
to them promptly.
I am, colonel, very respectfully, yours,
Lieut. Col. W. D. Ward .