Part I - Don's Metal Detecting Forum

file:///I|/civil war books/war of rebellion/38a.txt
gade, of the Second Division, Fourth Army Corps, from Cleveland,
Tenn., with an effective force of 18 officers, 315 enlisted men.
Arrived at Catoosa S p rings, Ga., May 4, from which point the regiment
marched with the brigade to Rocky Face Ridge, arriving there
on the 9th, and forming part of the force that supported General
Harker’s brigade while driving the enemy from a part of the ridge.
On the morning of the 13th of May, the enemy having left our front,
we moved through Dalton, Ga., arriving at 12 m. the 14th within
three miles of Resaca, Ga. At 3 p. m. of the same day, by order of
the brigade commander, we were brought into action, the Thirtysixth
Illinois being the right regiment of the second line. The regiment
moved forward over an open field swept by grape and canister
to a ravine, which partly sheltered the regiment. After a few minutes’
rest the regiment was ordered by Colonel Miller to move upon
the enemy’s second line of works, the colonel not having been informed
that we were simply to relieve a force of ours which. held
the first line. The regiment behaved well. Our loss in officers and
men was severe. On the morning of the 16th of May,. the enemy
having again left our front, we marched through Resaca to a point
one mile from Calhoun. On the 17th the Thirty-sixth Illinois was
deployed as skirmishers and moved through Calhoun toward Adairsville.
The skirmishing was very heavy, the enemy making a stubborn
resistance. Before noon we lost I officer and 12 men; were
relieved by the Eighty-eighth Illinois. At 5 p. m. of the same day,
in accordance with orders from the brigade commander, the regiment
was put into action and behaved with coolness and courage. ‘
The regiment again suffered severely in loss of officers and men.
On the morning of the 18th of May the Thirty-sixth Illinois, in
accordance with orders, started in line of march in the column for
Kingston. Moved toward Dallas May 23; arrived near New Hope
Church May 26. At this place we were under fire for eleven days,
during which time the regiment was engaged in skirmishing, erecting
works, and performing other duties incidcht to a position so
close to the enemy. The patient endurance and determined bravery
of both officers and men during this time are worthy of highest
praise. June 7, we- marched to a point near Acworth, from which
place, on the 10th, the regiment moved toward Kenesaw. On the
19th of June Colonel Miller was ordered by the brigade commander
to advance the Thirty-sixth Illinois as skirmishers. The regiment
was deployt~d and moved into a thicket so dense that but a few feet
could be seen in advance; got very near the enemy before seeing
them. The enemy were thrown into confu~ion, and it being utterly
impossible to maintain a very regular line on our own part while
314 THE ATlANTA CAMPAIGN. [CHAP. L. ~
advancing through such a place, we soon became mingled with the
enemy. While in this condition we took (in conjunction with the
Eighty-eighth Illinois) 5 officers and 25 men prisoners. Only 7 men
of the Thirty-sixth Illinois were captured by them. The firing was
brisk, the enemy’s resistance stub born, as the list of casualties appended
to this report will indicate. The Thirty-sixth Illinois formed
part of the force ordered to storm the enemy’s works on the morning
of the 27th of June. Previous to the charge the regiment was
advanced to support the skirmish line. When the charge was made
the regiment moved forward with the main force. That the enemy’s
works were not carried it seems to me was not the fault of either
officers or men. It was simply an impossibility on our part of the
line.
The fortifications on our front consisted of heavy earth-works,
deep moat, and intricate abatis. In addition to strong lines of infantry
opposed to us, our entire front was swept by discharges of grape
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