This version of the website was created in 2025. See the Site Information Page for contact information, data downloads, and other details.
headquarters Fourteenth Army Corps, Atlanta, Ga.,
September
9, 1864
.
General: I have the honor herewith to transmit reports of operations during the campaign just closed from the
several battery
commanders of the Fourteenth Corps, together with my own report for
the same period.
The positions of the batteries at the commencement of the campaign were as follows: Battery C, First Illinois,
Capt.
M.
H.
Prescott
, and Battery I, First Ohio,
Capt.
H.
Dilger
, with the First Division,
Capt.
L.
H.
Drury
, chief of artillery; Battery I, Second Illinois,
Capt.
C.
M.
Barnett
, and the Fifth Wisconsin Battery,
Capt.
G.
Q.
Gardner
, with the Second Division,
Capt.
C.
M.
Barnett
, chief of artillery; Seventh Indiana Battery,
Capt.
O.
H.
Morgan
, and the Nineteenth Indiana-Battery,
Lieut.
William
P.
Stackhouse
, with Third Division,
Capt.
George
Estep
, chief of artillery.
The following table exhibits the effective force of the batteries of the Fourteenth Army Corps on the morning of the
5th day of May
, at the commencement of the campaign, and on the
5th day of September
, at its close:
Zzz
The first gun of the campaign was fired near Tunnel Hill
May
7
, at 11 a. m., by Battery I, Second
Illinois.
The batteries of the corps have, with two exceptions, been fought as the corps was fought previous to the
1st of September
--that is, by detail, a battery or a battalion at a time-and to give a history of their marches and
engagements would be merely
to duplicate the reports of the several battery commanders herewith transmitted.
The only occasions when the entire artillery force of the Fourteenth
Corps was engaged at the same time were in front of Kenesaw
Mountain, from the
20th of June
to the
2d day of July
, and in the bombardment of the enemy's works around Atlanta, from the
23d of July
to the
26th of August
.
On the
30th day of June
two guns each from the Seventh Indiana, Nineteenth
Indiana, and Battery I, First
Ohio, were turned over in obedience to orders from department headquarters, making the three batteries
above named 4-gun batteries.
On the
15th
to
20th of July
the Parrott guns of Batteries C, First Illinois; I, Second Illinois, and Seventh Indiana, were exchanged, in obedience of orders from the Ordnance Department, for 3-inch regulation rifles.
On the
24th of July
, in obedience to orders from department headquarters, the batteries of the Fourteenth Corps were withdrawn from the divisions and made a separate command under
the corps chief of artillery, subject to the direction of the corps commander and department chief of artillery.
In pursuance to another paragraph of the same order,
Captain
Drury
reported to me for duty, and
Captain
Estep
was appointed ordnance officer, assuming charge of the corps artillery ammunition train.
On the
14th of August
Battery I, First Ohio, was relieved
from duty in this corps by the Twentieth Indiana Battery,
Capt.
Milton
A.
Osborne
.
It is impossible therefore to obtain the report of
Capt.
Hubert
Dilger
, commanding Battery I, First
Ohio, to transmit with those of the other battery commanders.
I take pleasure in this connection in bearing testimony to the gallantry and spirit of
Captain
Dilger
and to the uniform good conduct and efficiency of his command.
On the
27th of August
the batteries of the corps were reorganized into three battalions by order of
General
J.
C.
Davis
.
The following is the present organization: First Battalion, Battery C, First Illinois and Nineteenth Indiana,
Capt.
M.
H.
Prescott
, chief of artillery; Second Battalion, Fifth Wisconsin Battery and Battery I, Second Illinois,
Capt.
Charles
M.
Barnett
, chief of artillery; Third Battalion, Seventh Indiana Battery and Twentieth Indiana Battery,
Capt.
M.
A.
Osborne
, chief of artillery.
The last shot of the campaign was fired at
4 p. in.
September
6
, by Battery C, First
Illinois.
Below find report of ammunition expended from
May
7
, 11 a. m., to
September
5
, 4 p. m.:
1st Illinois, Battery C
10,
451
19th Indiana Battery
2,187
2d Illinois, Battery I
6,766
5th W isconsin Battery
4,242
7th Indiana Battery
6,083
20th Indiana Battery
314
1st Ohio, Battery I
2,501
Total
32,
544
The conduct of the officers and men of the several batteries of my command has been such as to meet my warmest
approbation.
Neither of the batteries has failed to silence the guns of the enemy when confronting them at any distance
within easy range,
and they have repeatedly dismounted guns and blown up limbers and caissons of rebel batteries during the
campaign.
The practice has been remarkable in every battery for accuracy, and I think I can safely say that no batteries
in the service
surpass those of the Fourteenth Corps in precision of firing or in
rapidity of maneuvering.
I cannot close my report without acknowledging the prompt and efficient assistance rendered me by the division
chiefs of artillery,
Captains
Drury
,
Estep
, and
Barnett
, during the campaign.
Nominal list of casualties accompanying this report shows 17 men wounded in Battery C, First Illinois; 10 men wounded in Nineteenth Indiana Battery ; 1 man killed, 10 men wounded, and 1 officer and 2 men
captured or missing in Battery I, Second
Illinois; 4 men wounded in Fifth Wisconsin Battery; 9 men wounded in
Seventh Indiana Battery, and 1 officer and 4 men killed, 1 officer and 19 men
wounded in Battery I, First Ohio;
total, 79.
Respectfully submitted.