BEFORE ATLANTA.
Intrenching all night—Gallant exploit of the First and Third Brigades—Atlanta in view—In the trenches before the city—The Sixth Kentucky ordered to Tennessee—Turning over my command—A parting word.
Intrenching all night—Gallant exploit of the First and Third Brigades—Atlanta in view—In the trenches before the city—The Sixth Kentucky ordered to Tennessee—Turning over my command—A parting word.
Early on the morning of the 18th marching orders were received, and at eight o'clock, A. M., our brigade moved forward over a rough road, our advance constantly engaged with the pickets of the enemy, who retired before them. On reaching the Cross Roads we effected a junction with Hooker's Corps, and formed in line of battle, the rebels being in force in our front. We went to work and threw up intrenchments; but the position assigned to the Sixth Kentucky did not suit the commanding officer, and we were obliged to advance and erect another line of works, which occupied us most of the night. This is a kind of work under which soldiers often become restive; and, indeed, it is far from agreeable, after a hard day's marching and fighting, to find, after some hours of toil in throwing up works, that the line has been improperly located, that a new one must be chosen, and the balance of the night spent in work that might have been avoided by a little care in the selection of the position. When the second line also fails to please, as is sometimes the case, the remarks of the soldiers are not very complimentary to the skill and military sagacity of the officer whose blunder has cost them so much labor and loss of necessary sleep; and the wish is often expressed that Gen. —— had the selection of the position, as his eye never fails to see the proper place at the first glance.
On the morning of the 19th our brigade moved to Peach Tree Creek, in support ofthe First and Third Brigades, while they attempted to cross the stream. This they did handsomely in the face of a heavy fire, forcing the enemy to abandon a strong line of works—possessing them so hastily as to capture a lieutenant-colonel, several line officers, and nearly an entire regiment in the trenches. This, in high military circles, is regarded as one of the most brilliant achievements of the campaign, and reflects the highest credit on the noble men by whom it was accomplished.
While the First and Third Brigades were engaged in converting the rebel works just gained by their valor into Federal defenses, our brigade, under Gen. Hazen, was employed in constructing two bridges for the artillery and wagons to cross upon. After dark we passed over and relieved the troops in the front line, after a hard and exciting day's work, which was attended, however, with but little loss. On the next day our division was relieved from this portion of the line by Newton's Division, of theFourth Army Corps, and moved some ten miles to the left, on the north side of Peach Tree Creek, and, for the first time in a long while, enjoyed the luxury of a quiet night's rest—there being troops in our front, which relieved us of any fears of a night attack.
On the 21st we advanced to Peach Tree Creek, built a bridge and crossed, soon after which we came up with the enemy strongly intrenched. Our column halted, formed line of battle, and began throwing up defenses in front. This, however, was done under a sharp fire, and before our works were completed several men of my now greatly-reduced regiment fell. We occupied this position till the next day, when we found the enemy had decamped, Sherman having rendered such a movement on their part a necessity. Gen. Wood ordered us to advance at once, adding that we must throw out a strong line of skirmishers, move on, and stop for nothing till we had reached Atlanta; and had we been able to carry his order out,we should have been ere nightfall possessors of the Gate City. There was one difficulty in the way, however—the enemy was unwilling that we should do so, and had only left one line of works to occupy another stronger one, behind which they thought themselves more secure from the encroaching Yankees. I was ordered to move the Sixth forward as skirmishers, and did so till we came upon the enemy strongly intrenched, and established our picket line in close rifle range of the enemy. This position I held till our battle line advanced, during which time the rebels gave my line a most terrific shelling; but this was no novelty to the brave boys of the Sixth; they swerved not for a moment, and before the sun went down the line of our brigade was strongly intrenched, our batteries in position, and hurling their deadly volleys upon the lines of the foe, and upon Atlanta itself.
Now, for the first time since the campaign began, the Sixth Kentucky was permitted torest for a season. Our boys dug pits in the ground to protect themselves from the shells and minie balls which the enemy distributed profusely, waiting anxiously for the fall of the city which had been the object of so much labor and suffering, but which seemed to be in our grasp at last. Here we remained, with but little change in our position, and that an advanced one, for over three weeks; and yet, as the fox-hunters say, we were not in at the death; for, on the 21st of August, I received orders to report the regiment to Gen. Rosseau, at Decherd, Tenn., having been transferred from the Fourth Army Corps to the Twentieth.
During the time we were in front of Atlanta, we were almost constantly under the enemy's fire, both musketry and artillery. Our lines were in an open field, while those of the rebels were in the timber on the opposite side, the pickets from each side being advanced into the open field, and at close range, especially after we had driven them from their first line of forts and occupied them ourselves.
Though enjoying comparative rest when contrasted with our toils on the march, we were by no means idle; we were engaged in picket duty, in building and strengthening our defenses, skirmishing, and making demonstrations against the enemy; and toward the close of our stay, when our works were completed, we drilled twice a day in an open field, within range of rebel sharp-shooters.
In obedience to General Orders of the War Department, I made application for Companies A, B, and C to return to the rear preparatory to being mustered out of service, as the regiment will have served three years on the 1st of October—and that, too, in the front, from Shiloh to the Gate City of the sunny South; but, for want of being mustered at the proper time, they will have to serve till the 23d of December, 1864. I requested that the remainingseven companies should be sent to Eminence, Ky., where they were partly organized, to watch after the notorious rebel Jessee, and his gang. This, however, was not granted; but, as already stated, we were transferred to the Twentieth Army Corps, to report at Decherd, Tenn. On the 23d of August we reached Chattanooga, and I turned over the command to an officer who certainly did not owe his place in the regiment to his faithful discharge of duty; for he knew little, practically, of the dangers through which it had passed, not being with it in the campaign in which it had played so distinguished a part. The regiment was drawn up in line, and I returned thanks to officers and men for the faithful discharge of their duty in the campaign against Atlanta, and referred to the imperishable record they had made. Cheers arose all along the line; scarcely a man in the regiment was silent; and never shall I forget this warm expression of their confidence and regard. To my own company, in particular, Ifeel deeply indebted; to them I owe the position I occupied through the most remarkable campaign of the war; and with them I shall remain, if life be spared, till we reach home again. The day for our return is not far distant; but O, how few of those who started with me, nearly three years ago, will return! Many parents will weep over sons, and wives over husbands, who will return no more; but they died in a holy cause, and have left a name which those who mourn their loss may cherish with pride. During the campaign against Atlanta alone the regiment lost, in killed and wounded, fifty-eight out of one hundred and forty who were engaged; and when mustered out the ranks will be thin, the numbers few. Not many regiments have seen harder service than ours—none have borne themselves more nobly; and I cherish the thought that my little book may be useful to the historian of the war in Georgia and Tennessee, as the record of the doings of the noble Sixth Kentucky.
I regret my inability to give a full list of the losses sustained by the regiment; a few names, however, which now occur I will mention. Lieut.-Col. Cotton was killed at the battle of Stone River, on the 30th of December, 1862. Adjutant Middleton died in the hospital—an accomplished Christian gentleman, and soldier brave and true. Orderly-Sergeant W. H. Harper was badly wounded at Chickamauga; and among the killed of my company were Sergeant G. W. Lindsey, James Downs, and John H. Hall. On the 24th of December my time, and that of my company, will expire; and I trust, ere that day dawns, that bright-winged, dove-eyed peace, with the olive twig just plucked off, will return. But if this may not be, I shall not feel that I am discharged from further duty. The feeble efforts I have made in my country's cause have been made freely; I regret not the wounds I have received, or the cruel imprisonment I have endured; and if peace, an honorable peace, be not obtained, I am willing to passthrough yet greater perils that my country may triumph. That triumph will come at last, I can not doubt; the justice of our cause and the spirit of our soldiers assures me of this. We have met with defeat and disaster on some occasions, it is true; yet our cause has ever been advancing. We have had many cases of individual suffering, and yet those who have suffered most have never despaired. Amid the privation and starvation of Libby Prison I never found any who regretted the part they had taken in this struggle, or who for a moment doubted the glorious result. As Paul and Silas sang praises at midnight in the recesses of the Philippian jail, so did they nobly bear all they suffered, sustained by the firm conviction that the cause in which they had periled all was a just one, and would prevail at last.
And now, reader, we must part; and if I have awakened in your breast a stronger sympathy for the soldier in the field, and the captivein prison, we have not met in vain. Should peace speedily come, you may conclude that I have turned the sword into the plowshare; but if the war must go on, you may safely conclude that I am a soldier for the Union still.
Back cover
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTEObvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.Except for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text, and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained. For example, worn out, worn-out; inclosed; reënforced; intrenched; hights; tyros.Pg 7, 'Across the Chattahooche' replaced by 'Across the Chattahoochee'.Pg 88, 'all the route' replaced by 'all along the route'.
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE
Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.
Except for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text, and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained. For example, worn out, worn-out; inclosed; reënforced; intrenched; hights; tyros.
Pg 7, 'Across the Chattahooche' replaced by 'Across the Chattahoochee'.Pg 88, 'all the route' replaced by 'all along the route'.