This version of the website was created in 2025. See the Site Information Page for contact information, data downloads, and other details.
Hdqrs. Tenth Illinois Vet. Vol. Infantry,
Near East Point, Ga.,
September
13, 1864
.
Sir: In compliance with the request of
General
Morgan
, I send you the following report of the operations of the Tenth Illinois
Infantry during this campaign, commencing
May
1, 1864
, and ending
August
20, 1864
:
On the
1st day of May, 1864, we received orders to be ready to march at daylight the next morning.
On the morning of the 2d we left Rossville and that day reached
Ringgold, where we went into camp and lay until the 5th, when we
moved through the gap and reached the first station on the outside.
On the
7th
we moved to Tunnel Hill, and in the afternoon five
companies of our regiment were deployed as skirmishers and moved forward, driving the rebels from the hill and
holding it.
On the
9th
we crossed the valley and formed at the foot of Rocky
Face, up which we soon moved in support of the Sixtieth Illinois, who
were deployed as skirmishers.
About noon one company was deployed and sent to the right to try to dislodge the rebel sharpshooters, who were
getting very troublesome.
This they found to be impossible on account of the position.
On the
10th
we passed to the right and directly in front of the gap. Three companies were sent into the gap with
orders to go as far as possible and try to discover the rebel artillery, which they
had thus far succeeded in keeping concealed.
In this they were successful.
They advanced steadily until the rebels opened their batteries upon them, when they laid down and awaited
orders.
At night they were relieved, and our brigade was relieved from the front line.
We moved back a short distance and remained until the 12th, when we marched to the right and passed through
Snake Creek Gap.
On the
13th
we marched to Resaca and took position in rear of the
First Division, Fourteenth Army
Corps.
That night we moved to the right and took a position in the front line, where we lay until the evacuation of
Resaca, which took place on the night of the 15th.
On the
16th
we marched back to Snake Creek Gap, where we had left our knapsacks,
then took the road which we were told led to Rome.
We stopped that night within eighteen miles of that city.
On the
17th
we continued our march, and at noon had arrived at
Jones
.
Mill, where we halted until about 9 o'clock that night.
Two companies were sent to the mill as a guard.
At 9 p. m. we started again on the Rome road, and at 2 a. m. we
halted about two miles from the city.
The next day we moved up within sight of the town, where we remained until the 22d.
That day we received orders to pack up and get ready to march.
We crossed over into Rome, and then across the Coosa River on pontoons; two companies were given the job of clearing
the way. They crossed on pontoons, and after deploying, marched, steadily up the
hill, driving the rebels before them.
The rest of the regiment then crossed and the pioneers commenced throwing the bridge across.
On the
24th
we left camp on the Coosa and took the main road leading to Atlanta, and camped that night, at Cave
Spring.
The next day we turned off and took the Dallasroad, and on the 26th arrived at the town of Dallas. Three companies were here deployed as skirmishers and drove the rebels out
of it. The next day we moved into position in front
of Dallas and threw up breast-works.
We had two companies on picket, and lost 5 men. We lay in our works until the
1st of June
, when we moved to the left and stopped in the rear of the Twenty-third Corps for supper.
At dark we moved to the front and took position on the second line, where we remained until the 4th, when we
again moved to the left and joined the Fourteenth Army Corps, from
which we had been detached since the evacuation of Resaca, and
were sent to the top of a high hill to the line.
That night the rebels again evacuated.
On the
6th
we again started in pursuit and marched all day, seeing no rebels.
Here we again laid still, and on the 10th again started.
About noon of this day we met thein in front of Pine Mountain.
That night two companies were sent on picket.
Early next day we were relieved and moved to the left, and at night found ourselves to the left and rear of the
First Division, Fourteenth Army
Corps, where we lay until the 14th, when we again left camp, in light marching order.
We went about a mile to the front and threw up log works; two companies sent out to support the skirmish line.
At 3 p. m. we moved still farther to the left, where we threw up another line of works.
The regiment here was formed into two lines, the right wing forming
the first, the left wing the second line.
On the
15th
we had four companies on the skirmish line.
On the
18th
advanced our lines a considerable distance to the front and threw up works.
That night the rebels evacuated, and early the next morning we were after them.
They retreated to the top of Kenesaw Mountain.
We followed them to the foot of the mountain, where we intrenched and lay until the 25th.
During our stay we suffered some from the rebel sharpshooters and artillery.
On the night of the 25th we left the works and moved to the right.
Early on the 27th we were thrown into the front line of works, then occupied by a brigade of
Hooker
's corps.
To gain this position we were obliged to pass through an open field for several rods.
While doing this we lost a good many good men. A charge was made by our division that day, but our regiment did
not participate.
We lay here until the morning of the
3d
, the rebels having evacuated the night before.
We followed them through Marietta, and were placed in the front
line when we did find them.
On the night of
July
4
we were sent on picket.
That night the rebels again evacuated, and the next day followed them to the Chattahoochee, where we went into
camp and remained until the 17th, when we again started and crossed the river and marched about two miles. The
next day we were sent on picket and ordered to advance the line.
We (lid so, and soon our flanks struck Peach Tree Creek.
There was considerable skirmishing in the night and we lost several men, among them
Major
Wilson
and
Captain
Munson
.
That night we were stationed as picket and the next day were ordered to throw our center forward until it struck
the creek
and then to follow its windings.
We found it required eight companies to fill the space three had formerly filled.
During the afternoon the left of our line had a sharp skirmish, but lost no men. That night we were relieved and
went to the
brigade, which was a mile and a half to the left.
On the
21st
we moved out to the main Marietta and
Atlanta road
, and after coming to the line moved to the extreme right and took position on the flank, where we laid until
the 26th, when we went to the front to assist the Sixteenth Corps into
position.
Our regiment was on the front line, five companies as skirmishers.
We returned to camp that night.
On the
28th
we went on a grand reconnaissance toward Turner's Ferry and then to
the front.
We returned about 12 that night and took a position farther to the right and front of where we started in the
morning.
The next day we took position on the line.
The next day we again moved forward and took position in a swamp, where we intrenched.
On the
31st
we went out on a reconnoitering expedition.
On the
5th of August
we left the camp in the swamp and moved forward; took up a new position; here we threw up fine
works.--On the
7th
we again advanced, and this trme got pretty close to the rebel works.
We now began to be bothered by their sharpshooters and several men were lost in that way. On the
8th
the regiment was placed on picket, and relieved on the
9th
.
On the
11th
we again went on picket.
On the
12th
we moved into the Fourteenth Michigan's old works, which lay to the
right and rear.
On the
15th
one company was sent out on a foraging expedition and returned the same day. At 3 a. m. on the 19th we went with
the division to support thje Twenty-third Corps, and on the 20th we
left the Fourteenth Corps, as we were transferred to the Sixteenth Corps.
The following is a list of casualties in the regiment during the campaign commencing
May
1, 1864
, and ending
August
20, 1864
: Commissioned
officers-Maj.
Samuel
J.
Wilson
, wounded severely;
Adjt.
W.
W.
Rice
, killed;
Capt.
Frank
A.
Munson
, wounded severely;
Capt.
Charles
Carpenter
, wounded slightly;
Lieut.
S.
K.
Baughman
, wounded slightly.
Enlisted men-killed, 13; wounded, 60; missing, 10; total, 83.
Aggregate, 88.
I am, sir, very respectfully, your most obedient servant,