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headquarters Seventh Indiana Battery, Jonesborough, Ga.,
September
6, 1864
.
Major: I have the honor to transmit you the following report of the operations of the Seventh Indiana Battery in this campaign:
At 8 o'clock on the morning of
May
6, 1864
, the battery moved out from Ringgold, Ga., with the Third Division, Fourteenth Army
Corps, on the Dalton road, and early in the afternoon
camped near Tunnel Hill.
From the 7th to 12th nothing of note occurred except a few changes of camp.
May
12
, moved to the right, and passing through Snake Creek Gap, camped
after a march of twenty miles.
May
14
, in obedience to your orders, four guns were placed on the line in front of the regular brigade, First Division,
Fourteenth Army Corps. Two guns had an enfilading fire on the enemy,
to the left, and one section aided in silencing two guns in front.
Lieutenant
Pound
and section was sent per order of
Captain
Estep
, division chief artillery, half a mile to the left, and took position on a commanding ridge, directing
his fire mainly at
a rebel battery in his front.
During the night of the 14th the enemy was heard erecting works, but, expecting orders to change position, no
preparations were made for defense until
just before daylight.
No orders coming, I moved
Lieutenant
Repp
's section
400 yards to the left, and placed
Lieutenant
Fislar
's section behind a little crest, and employed what little time we had before day in putting up
a protection to shield the gunners.
It was found almost impossible to work the guns on account of the nearness to the enemy's sharpshooters, but a
random fire
was kept up until we were relieved.
Late in the forenoon
Captain
Estep
ordered me to withdraw, which was done as speedily as possible.
For seventy-five yards
Lieutenant
Fislar
's section was exposed to a flank fire of musketry, but the move was so unexpected that most of
the men were under cover before the
heaviest fire was opened.
Sergeant
Hoffman
was severely wounded, and 2 horses shot in this operation.
Lieutenants
Repp
and
Pound
came out with their sections and the battery moved with the division several miles to the right, and one
section relieved two guns of some Iowa battery, and fired several
shots at the rebel works, but elicited no reply.
On the
16th
marched and crossed the Coosa River at Resaca at midnight, and parked for the men to breakfast while the
division was coming up; passed through Calhoun and camped for the
night three miles south.
On the
19th
camped near Cassville, where we remained until the 23d,
when we took up the route of march, fording the Etowah at Island
Ford, and after ten miles' march, camped on Island
Creek; two days passed without a move.
Marched to Burnt Hickory Valley on the
26th
.
At noon on the 28th moved four miles to the front, returning the next day to Burnt
Hickory.
June
1
, reporting
Lieutenant
Repp
's section to
General
Turchin
, who remained as train guard, marched ten miles to the front.
June
3
, advanced the battery to the line of
Colonel
Este
's brigade, and during this and the succeeding day kept up a desultory fire on the rebel
skirmishers, driving them from houses, and
in conjunction with the Nineteenth Indiana Battery repelled several attempted
advances of the enemy.
Marched on the 6th and camped near Acworth.
Rested three days and moved on the
10th
, and finding the enemy on Pine Mountain
one section was put in position per order of
General
Baird
, and during this and the following day shelled the mountain.
June
11
, withdrew from this position and remained quiet until the 15th, when we advanced several miles, and that
night built works on our division line and put the battery in position.
Early in the morning of the 16th
General
Palmer
ordered the woods and valley in my front to be shelled, and on the afternoon of that day
General
Thomas
sent orders to open a vigorous fire on a nest of sharpshooters that prevented an advance, which was
accordingly done; during
the night of the 16th threw up an advanced work, and the next day occupying it, assisted our troops to advance
by dislodging their skirmishers.
Late in the afternoon of the 18th I got two guns into position on the right of Battery I, First Ohio Artillery, and opened fire on
a rebel fort 1,300 yards distant, which was feebly replied to. Moved forward on the
19th, and in the afternoon took position in front of Kenesaw
Mountain, by order of
General
Palmer
.
The side of the mountain occupied by sharpshooters was shelled, and late in the day I directed the fire on a
battery off to
our right.
During the next two days fired occasional shots, and in the afternoon of the 23d moved into position on the line
occupied by the Third Brigade, Third
Division, Fourteenth Army Corps, in front of Little Kenesaw Mountain.
I immediately commenced strengthening the works, and while so occupied was much annoyed by an enfilade fire from
a rebel battery.
Early in the forenoon of the next day the enemy's batteries on the mountain and along the line concentrated a
terrific fire
on the batteries in front of the Third Division, and for an hour the
cannonade was very heavy.
My bugler,
Asa
D.
Broody
, was here severely wounded in the head by a piece of shell, and
Privates
Gibbens
and
Boyd
slightly hurt by bullets.
Our division was relieved on the night of the 25th by the Fifteenth
Corps, and on the morning of the 26th
General
McPherson
directed me to open a heavy fire on the batteries in range previous to a charge his corps would make at
8 o'clock. His order was obeyed until the advance of his line made it unsafe to fire.
Remained in this position, firing more or less every day, until I was relieved on the night of
July
1
, by one of
General
Osterhaus
' batteries, when I reported back to my division and was put in position at daylight by
Captain
Estep
.
Exchanged a number of shots during the day with the enemy.
Marched on the 3d and camped
two miles
south of Marietta
.
July
5
, moved again, and toward noon
General
Baird
ordered my battery up the mountain overlooking Vining's Station, and
here we shelled the rear guard of the enemy just crossing the
Chattahoochee.
Before dark withdrew and went into camp, where we remained four days. Built works on the night of the
9th
, but the enemy evacuating, moved into position commanding the ford.
July
18
, crossed the Chattahoochee and camped four miles south.
Moved at 7 o'clock on the morning of the
19th
, and after two miles' march found the enemy posted just across Peach Tree Creek.
In accordance with your order, took position on a ridge near the skirmish line, and kept up a fire until dark.
Private
Ramp
was very severely wounded by a musketball.
Marched
July
22
and took position within
two miles of Atlanta
, where we remained twelve days. Fired at intervals during this period, directing most of our shots at
the city and the rebel works in front.
August
4
, moved three miles to the right, and, by your order, took position in front of
General
Baird
's division, from which point we did not open until the 6th.
Made several demonstrations at times by order of
General
Baird
.
Sergeant
Kitzmiller
,
Corpl.
McPheeters
, and
Privates
Watson
and
Mann
were wounded in this position on the
7th
, 2 of them by shells and 2 by musketry.
Remained here until the night of the
26th
, when we withdrew under the fire of the rebel batteries, and marched several miles to the right.
From the 27th to the evening of the 30th short marches were made, and nothing of interest occurred.
On the morning of the 31st moved out to the line with
Colonel
Walker
's brigade, Third Division, and threw a number of
shells at a large rebel wagon train, which soon changed its course, and passed out of view.
September
1
, moved forward with
General
Baird
's division, and, nearing the battle-field, was halted by
Major
Lowrie
, assistant adjutant-general, Third Division, and held
ourselves in readiness to move until after dark, when we went into camp for the night, by order of
Major
Lowrie
.
September
2
, moved into Jonesborough, where we are now located.
I take pleasure in according to the officers and men of my command much credit for their excellent conduct
during this arduous
and memorable campaign.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,