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History of the 85th Illinois Regiment
Illinois Volunteer Infantry
by
Henry J. Aten | |
CHAPTER XVI
pages 194-204
July, 1864
ATLANTA CAMPAIGN
Pursuit of
the rebel army began early on the morning of the 3rd, but the
Second division did not move until eight o'clock. So the men improved
the early hours of a quiet Sunday in examining the enemy's abandoned
works. The entrenched line was found very strong and admirably
constructed for defense, with traverses, and lunettes for artillery
which commanded the entire front. On the narrow field between the lines
effects of the deadly struggle were seen on every hand. A tree almost
as large as a man's body was girdled except some three inches in width
and smaller ones were entirely cut off by rifle balls about six feet
above the ground.
The division moved to the right of Marietta on
byways, and in the evening the First brigade closed down on the
enemy's works on Nickajack creek. The Eighty-fifth camped after a march
of six miles in a pleasant, well-shaded grove, where we remained the
next day. This was a genuine Fourth of July in its noise, but the
firing was of shotted cannon, and in place of the harmless
firecracker, was heard the rattle of musketry throughout the day.
The men had grown thin and haggard under the strain of the continuous
campaign, and very many then on duty were really fit subjects for the
hospital. No clothing had been issued, and nearly all were mud-stained
and ragged. But all were confident, determined, and no one found fault.
On the morning of the 5th the enemy's works
were again found deserted, and we advanced some five miles toward the
railroad bridge over the Chattahoochee river. Here the division
was formed with the Second and Third brigades in front, and a strong
line of skirmishers from the One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Illinois
drove the enemy in confusion to his main line of works. The other
regiments of the brigade followed and threw up works during tHe night.
At this place the brigade was formed in single line, behind strong
earthworks, in order to give ample strength to flanking columns; one to
feign on the right, while the other should effect a crossing of the
river on the left. At this place our skiimish line ran through open
fields, while that of the enemy was on much higher ground and in dense
timber. The men established a line of detached rifle pits, each large
enough to protect six or eight men, but the position was a most trying
cne, especially during the day, on account of the scorching sun.
At all times the enemy from higher ground, completely screened by thick
timber, could rake the line as well as the ground in the rear, with a
deadly fire at short range.
While the division kept up a sharp skirmish
and heavy artillery fire along its extended front, a column of cavalry
pushed northeast to Roswell, where were numerous cotton, wool and
paper mills engaged in manufacturing supplies for the Confederate
armies. These were taken and destroyed. On the 8th a part of the Army
of the Ohio effected a crossing by the use of pontoon boats near the
mouth of Soap creek. This force was quickly entrenched, when a pontoon
bridge was laid, and soon a large part of Sherman's army was wheeling
toward Atlanta. This successful manoeuvre turned General Johnston's
right, and during the night of the 9th he withdrew his army from
the north bank of the Chattahoo-chee. The forenoon of
the 10th was exceedingly hot and sultry. In the evening a sudden and
terrific thunder storm broke over the camp. The lightning played
most vividly and several trees were struck in the immediate
vicinity, two men being killed by a single bolt in a regiment near by.
The storm, which did not last long, cleared the air, but the men were
badly used up and glad when it was over. We remained in camp near the
railroad bridge for several days; a limited supply of much-needed
clothing was brought up and issued, and there was a general cleaning up
of arms and accoutrements.
On Sunday, the 17th, the First and Second
brigades crossed the Chattahoochee river at Pace's ferry and drove the
enemy's pickets to and beyond Nancy's creek. On the 18th the Third
brigade crossed the river before daylight and, taking the advance of
the division, the skirmishers from the Twenty-second Indiana drove the
enemy to Peach Tree creek, near Howell's mill. The Second division was
now the extreme right of the army, and so remained throughout the
battles of the next few days.
The enemy destroyed the bridges as he retired
beyond Peach Tree creek, and tne forenoon of the 19th was spent in
searching for a place where that stream could be crossed. The weather
was very warm, and the brigade moved slowly, making many short stops.
There were occasional shots, and rifle balls fell about or whizzed
harmlessly overhead. At each brief halt the men busied themselves
gathering the fresh ripe blackberries that grew in great abundance by
the roadside. As we neared the creek General Thomas, General Palmer and
General Davis were seen standing near the line of march. The presence
of these distinguished officers was accepted as a certain indication
that the enterprise the command was about to undertake was one of vital
importance. As the Eighty-fifth passed the group, a well-spent ball
struck the boot of General Davis, making his foot sting for a moment,
and his companions rallied him on getting the first hit.
At one o'clock a foot-log was found over which
the troops could be passed, and Major J. T. Holmes, in command of
five companies of the Fifty-second Ohio, crossed Peach Tree creek. This
was at a point near the mouth of Green Bone creek, and a short distance
beyond the crossing was a bluff some fifty feet in height, on which the
enemy's skirmish line rested. Major Holmes deployed his
skirmishers in the bushes to the right and down the stream, and as soon
as his reserve reached the south bank, all dashed forward with a shout
and drove the enemy from the crest of the bluff and some four
hundred yards beyond. The sharp, continuous firing gave notice
that there was hot work on hand, and the Eighty-fifth was hurried to
the support of the Fifty-second. Crossing a stream in single file on a
log takes time, but as all realized the emergency the men passed
rapidly over; ran eagerly up the bluff, and into line at the top. In
front of the regiment as it formed on the crest, lay an open field, and
beyond that was thick timber. By the time the rear files of the
Eighty-fifth reached the regimental line the enemy had caught his
wit and wind, and, in overwhelming numbers, was making a return charge
on the Fifty-second. It was the supreme moment - the crisis of the day,
and Major Rider gave the order for the Eighty-fifth to advance. The men
rushed forward under a terrific fire, passed through the open field on
the double quick, and struck the advancing enemy at the edge of the
woods. This brought the Eighty-fifth in line on the left of the
Fifty-second. Two small regiments were now face to face with a rebel
brigade of six regiments, and along the entire line the firing became
fierce and deadly. On the right of the Eighty-fifth it was a desperate
hand-to-hand conflict, in which muskets were clubbed and the bayonet
was freely used. While engaged in this deadly struggle a large force of
the enemy passed beyond the right of the Fifty-second, then wheeling to
the right it poured a wicked fire lengthwise of the line. The
advanced position of the two regiments was clearly untenable,
but it was now a fight for time, in which the other regiments of the
brigade might make the crossing and gain the crest of the bluff. No
command was given, and if given, none could have been heard above the
infernal din of battle. But the instinct of self-preservation was
strong enough to tell experienced soldiers what to do, and when they
saw the brigade formed and ready to receive the enemy on the
bluff, the movement to the rear began at almost the same moment along
the entire line. There was no panic - no rout, as the men retired by
the right and left behind the brigade, but their ranks were sadly
thinned, and along the line of fierce conflict windrows of dead
were afterward found, in which the mingling of the blue and gray
attested the stubborn nature of the fight. When darkness ended the
struggle the entire brigade had been engaged. But we held the ground,
and had secured for Sherman's army a safe footing on the south side of
Peach Tree creek.
After dark as the regiment gathered on the
bank of the creek there was many a hearty handshake as comrades greeted
those whom they feared had been killed or captured, and many anxious
inquiries for those not in line. While thus engaged Lieutenant
Musselman, of Company G, and others ran back into our line unhurt. At
the end of the charge they found themselves close under the guns of the
enemy, and under fire from both friend and foe. In this dilemma they
dropped to the ground and remained between the lines until darkness
afforded them an opportunity to escape from a very trying and
perilous position. Their coming was a delightful surprise, and
produced a sensation not unlike that which the returning dead might be
expected to create.
The engagement was fought out by the Third
brigade alone, while the First and Second, with the
batteries, were massed in reserve on the north side of the creek.
General Jefferson C. Davis, commanding the division, was greatly
pleased with the success gained, and in his official report said: "The
loss was heavy on both sides considering the numbers engaged, and the
day's work was exceedingly creditable to both Colonel Dilworth and his
command."*
*Rebellion Records, Serial No. 72, page 635.
Major J. T. Holmes, commanding
the Fifty-second Ohio, said: "Without the Eighty-fifth Illinois, the
Fifty-second Ohio would all have been killed or captured, and that
movement would have failed. I mean by the statement to say, with
emphasis, that if the part taken by your regiment in that day's work
had been omitted, the crossing would have ended in disaster and
failure."**
** Letter from Major J. T. Holmes, of Columbus, Ohio, to the writer, January 20th, 1896.
During the
night earthworks were thrown up and the ground gained south of the
creek was firmly secured. The Second brigade built a bridge that
night, a log house near by furnishing, the material, and early next
morning the entire division with its artillery was united on the south
side of the stream. While engaged in building the bridge some of
the men observed the body of a beardless boy floating in the creek. He
had been shot through the body and fallen unnoticed by his comrades
into the stream. He was clothed in the faded blue uniform of a
private soldier of the Union, but beyond that nothing could be found to
identify him in any way. So he was buried in a nameless grave, hero
that he was, to lie among the unknown dead, while the only report that
could ever reach his northern friends was that on the 19th of July,
1864, he was numbered with the missing.
That night the enemy covered his front with a
line of detached works, and behind each stationed a group of eight or
ten men. Although these works had been hastily constructed of fence
rails and but lightly covered with earth, they afforded ample
protection against musketry, and being within short range the
enemy's fire was very severe for a time. But by ten o'clock two
sections of Gardner's battery were brought up by hand, and with the aid
of sharp-shooters quickly drove the enemy from his works. In this
action there were many fine shots. After obtaining the exact range,
Captain Gardner never failed to plant a shell in one of these detached
works, and when the shell burst those unhurt ran for the rear in the
wildest confusion. But the accurate aim of our men allowed but few of
the enemy to escape.
The writer is indebted to Surgeon Philip L. Dieffenbacher for a
list of the killed, wounded and captured in the Eighty-fifth. And
as he compiled the list on the field at Peach Tree creek, it is
undoubtedly as nearly correct as such lists can be made:
Note from Transciber: Some men are listed twice: once under Wounded and again under Captured.
COMPANY A.
KILLED - Charles W. Reagan and Philip Sanit.
WOUNDED - John F. Anno, William Bortzfield, John Bortzfield, Jr., and First Sergeant John K. Milner.
CAPTURED - First Lieutenant Daniel
Havens, Sergeant Josiah Stout, Sergeant William McLaughlin, Sergeant
Newton King, Corporal Alonzo McCain, Benjamin E. Jordan, Dallas A. Trent and David Wood.
COMPANY B.
KILLED - First Sergeant George D.
Prior, Corporal John Johnston, Corporal Warren Tippey, David
Cornman, Amos Eveland, Bazil Cozad and Charles Spink.
WOUNDED - First Lieutenant Albert
D. Cadwallader, right arm amputated; Sergeant John H. Cleveland, right
arm amputated; Sergeant Charles T. Kisler, Sergeant Thomas Cluney,
Oliver P. Behymer, William Buffalow, William D. Holmes, Corporal David
Sigley and Joshua T. Singleton.
CAPTURED - Corporal David Sigley,
William Buffalow, Jesse Bailor, Charles D. Dair (Dare), Stephen H. Nott, John
H. O'Leary, Joshua T. Singleton, William B. Winchell and George
Winchell.
COMPANY C.
WOUNDED - Edwin M. Hadsall, Corporal Andrew McClarin, Aaron Ritter, Corporal Thomas Stagg, Jeremiah Wagoner and Thomas M. Young.
CAPTURED - Captain George A.
Blanchard, First Lieutenant James M. Hamilton, First Sergeant John
Houseworth, Sergeant George Black, Corporals Andrew McClarin, Thomas
Stagg and Jeremiah Holley, Corporal William D. Alkire, Michael
Atchinson, David Bradford, James M. Gardner, Louis Ishmael, George W.
Moslander, John W. Mosier, Sterling Pelham, Aaron Ritter, Benjamin F.
Scovil, John Stubblefield, William A. Tyrrell and Thomas M. Young.
COMPANY D.
KILLED - Cadmus Floro and James H. Welch.
WOUNDED - Sergeant Miles McCabe, Corporal Joseph B. Conover and Noah Davis.
CAPTURED - Corporal Joseph Conover, lost right arm; Joseph Larance and John Sizelove.
COMPANY E.
WOUNDED - First Lieutenant Hugh A.
Trent, First Sergeant A. J. Taylor, Color Sergeant William F. Hohamer,
Corporal Bowling Green, Corporal Ezekiel Sample, Corporal James N.
Sheets, John H. Arnold, Richard Griffin, Franklin F. Scott, James T.
Senter and James E. Thomas.
CAPTURED - Color Sergeant William F. Hohamer, Corporal James N. Sheets and William Clarey.
COMPANY F.
KILLED - Captain John Kennedy, Corporal Philip Beck and Maurice Landerer.
WOUNDED - Corporal Nathan Kellogg,
Color Corporal Edward Scattergood, William Dean, Americus Hinsey,
Reuben Hamilton, B. F. Varnum and Jacob Whittaker.
CAPTURED - Corporal Edward Scattergood, Corporal Nathan Kellogg, John J. Clark and Joel F. Terry.
COMPANY G.
WOUNDED - Francis M. Plank.
COMPANY H.
WOUNDED - Eli Severns.
The losses in the Third brigade were as follows:
| Twenty-second Indiana | 57 |
| Fifty-second Ohio | 83 |
| Eighty-fifth Illinois | 89 |
| Eighty-sixth Illinois | 10 |
| One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Illinois | 6 |
| Total | 245 |
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