Part I - Don's Metal Detecting Forum

file:///I|/civil war books/war of rebellion/38a.txt
as heretofore reported, viz, Palmer’s corps (Fourteenth) on the
right, posted between the Turner’s Ferry road and the Western and
Atlantic Railroad, facing a little south of east; Williams’ corps
(Twentieth) in the center, extending from the railroad around to
the Buck Head road; Stanley’s corps (Fourth) on the left, between
the Buck Head road and Howard’s house, on roads leading from
Buck Head and Decatur to Atlanta, Stanley’s left being refused so as
to cover the Buck Head road; Garrard’s division of cavalry took
post on the left of Stanley’s corps with instructions to patrol the approaches
to the left of the army from Decatur and Roswell Factory;
Kilpatrick’s division of cavalry was ordered to take post on the railroad
between Marietta and the bridge over the Chattahooche6. The
Army of the Cumberland held the left of the grand line investing
Atlanta, besides sending two divisions (Ward’s of the Twentieth
and Davis’ of the Fourteenth Corps) to the support of the troops of
other commands operating on the extreme right of the grand army.
Major-General Palmer was directed on the 2d to move with the
two remaining divisions of his corps to a position in reserve in rear
of the Army of the Ohio, then operating on the extreme right toward
East Point. Brigadier-General Williams, commanding the
Twentieth Corps, was directed to occupy the works vacated by the
troops of General Palmer’s command on his right, by extending his
line in that direction, and Ward’s division was recalled from the
support of the Army of the Ohio to enable General Williams more
fully to carry out the above instructions. The withdraw~d of
CHAP. L.] REPORTS, ETC. ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND. 161
Palmer’s corps left me with the Fourth and Twentieth Corps to
hQld a line of works nearly five miles in length, approaching at some
points to within 300 yards of the enemy’s fortifications.
On the 3d Major-General Stanley pushed forward a strong line of
skirmishers and succeeded in carrying the enemy’s picket-line on
, the whole corps’ front, excepting on the extreme right of his line,
where his men were met by a very destructive fire of musketry and
canister—the enemy opened from at least twenty pieces of artillery.
Onr loss was about 30 killed and wounded, but we captured quite a
number of prisoners, besides gaining considerable information regarding
the positions of the enemy’s troops and fortifications.
Both Stanley’s and Williams’ skirmishers again pressed those of
the enemy during the afternoon of the 5th, with a view of diverting
his attention from the movements of the Armies of the Tennessee
and of time Ohio on our right. Palmer’s corps, which had beemi
placed in position on the right of the Army of the Ohio by direction
of Major-General Sherman, pushed out from along Olley’s Creek
and pressed close up to the enemy’s works, capturing a strong line
of rifle-pits vigorously defended. Our loss was considerable, but
we took 150 prisoners and gained an advantageous position. At the
close of the engagement the skirmishers of the enemy and our own
were only thirty yards apart. Our main line was moved up to
within 400 yards of that of the enemy.
• On the morning of the 6th the enemy felt our line at various
points from right to left, seemingly persistent in his efforts to find a
weak point in the latter direction, omi the line of Stanley’s corps.
From information gained by us through Various sources more or less
reliable, we learned the enemy had posted his militia, supported by
one division of his veterans, on that part of his line immediately
confronting the Fourth and Twentieth Corps, and that he used the
balance of his army in extending his line to the left toward East
Point, as our movements in the same direction threatened his possession
of the railroads. Although this necessitated his holding a
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