Part I - Don's Metal Detecting Forum

file:///I|/civil war books/war of rebellion/38a.txt
onel Knefier and was ordered to hold the position. 0 imr skirmishers
were briskly engaged with those of the enemy for several hours,
when I received orders to cross the creek at the point where the
Seventy-ninth Indiana lay, with the Seventy-ninth Indiana and Ninth
Kentucky. I accordingly directed Lieutenant-Colonel Bailey, of the
Ninth Kentucky, to move into position on the left of the Seventyninth
Indiana. F~ft.y skirmishers were thrown out from each regi
Cau~. L.] REPORTS, ETC.—ARMY OF THE CUMBERJ~AND. 463
ment, under command of Major Parker, Seventy-ninth Indiana.
The brigade corps of pioneers, under command of Major Gemmer,
succeeded in throwing a bridge across the creek at two points, about
100 yards apart. The crossing of the creek was effected under fire
of the enemy’s skirmishers, with but little loss. The space between
the creek and the enemy was a corn-field, about 300 yards across. I
had just made the disposition to advance when Major Parker, Seventy-ninth
Indiana, commanding the skirmishers, was, unfortunately,
wounded by a sharpshooter, thus delaying the advance some minutes.
I placed Captain Dunbar, Seventy-ninth Indiana, in command
of the skirmishers, and ordered him forward, I with
the regiments some 150 yards to the rear. The enemy was surprised.
We drove him from his position with some loss, capturing Lieutenant-Colonel
Hale, Second (rebel) Tennessee, and 40 of his men and
officers, with but slight loss to ourselves. We advanced to the road,
fired a few volleys at the enemy, who retreated, leaving his position
in our possession. I placed the Seventy-ninth Indiana in position,
its left on the road and its right extended toward the river; the
Ninth Kentucky along the road. Colonel Manderson, with the
Nineteenth Ohio Infantry, reported to me and was placed in reserve,
ready to act on either flank, three companies of his reginient being
thrown to the right and front of the Seventy-ninth Indiana, where
the enemy threatened. The enemy got a battery of artillery in position
bearing on us, without, however, doing much injury, it soon
being silenced by a section of Bradley’s battery, which enfiladed it
from the opposite side of the river. The enemy, recovering from
his surprise, got into position in front of the Seventy-ninth Indiana,
and we hastily threw up works. The skirmishers attacked furiously,
aiid I became apprehensive that he would attack in force, when the
balance of the brigade arrived and formed on the right of the Seventy-ninth
Indiana, making our position secure. We remained here
until about 7 o’clock, when we were relieved by Hazen’s brigade
and ordered back to our camp at Buck Head where we arrived at 10
p.m.
On the morning of the 20th I received marching orders, and
moved with the brigade to the left, taking the Decatur road about
three miles, turned to the right toward and went into position
facing Atlanta, on the right of Stanley’s division. On the morning
of the 21st received orders to march, and moved to the right and into
line, when we threw up a line of works on a ridge completely commanded
by the enemy’s skirmishers, the Seventeenth Kentucky on
our left and Seventy-ninth Indiana on our right. In putting up the
works the regiment had 1 man killed and 6 wounded. About 6
o’clock I received orders from Colonel Knefler to take the Seventyninth
Indiana and my own reginient and move to the right, iii rear
of the First Brigade of this division, covering a gap. Received
orders next morning (July 22) to rejoin the brigade, which I found
in line ready to march. We marched toward Atlanta about one
mile and a half on the niain road; found the enemy in position behind
heavy works, and was placed in position on a ridge about one
mile from Atlanta, where we threw up heavy works, the Seventy-
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