Thursday, 6th.—Raining very hard; marched to Dallas. French’s Division charged Altoona yesterday, but failed to take it; took most of the works. Reported Yankees charged Petersburg, Va., three days in succession, but failed to take it.
Monday, October 6, 2014
Etowah Bridge, Thursday, Oct. 6. Reveille sounded at 4 A. M. but nothing unusual transpired. Couriers from Allatoona report the enemy whipped and retreating. Pioneer corps came up early to work, but the rain fell in such torrents that they left their tools and went to camp.
This afternoon Captain Zickerick returned from Allatoona, bringing us authentic reports of the yesterday’s battle. The enemy was about 5,000 strong, being French’s Division of Lee’s Corps. Our force, all told, 1,500. So confident of success were they that a flag of truce was sent in in the morning demanding our surrender in five minutes to prevent the unnecessary spilling of blood. But the gritty little general, who was bored by rebel bullets at Mission Ridge last winter, couldn’t see it. He replied that he was prepared to commence “the unnecessary spilling of blood” at once. And the ball opened. Three distinct times did they charge the works where the 12th Wisconsin Battery was stationed, but in vain. Every time they were forced back with terrible loss. One time they forced the 93rd Illinois from a small work, but the 12th Battery turned their guns on them, double shotted with canister, obliging them to abandon it at a terrible loss. They opened on us with eight pieces of artillery, doing no damage, when our guns played on them so close that the cannoneers had to be kept at their post with fixed bayonets. They made desperate efforts to take the large amount of commissary stores kept there. Many of them pinched with hunger, brought the boxes of hard-tack to fill their haversacks while under a murderous fire. They were accompanied by 300 empty wagons to haul off the hard-tack, but the tack they got was not very welcome, and a little before sundown the whole company broke, and retreated toward Dallas, a defeated army, leaving their dead and wounded in our hands, about 2,000. But many of our own brave men lost their lives. The 93rd Illinois alone lost 80. Three companies of the 18th Wisconsin, stationed in a block house, were surrounded early in the morning, but held their own in spite of artillery and musketry until 5 P. M., when the besiegers, failing every other way, built a fire all around it, telling them to come out or suffocate by smoke. All these brave men fell prisoners, but not until sixty men lay dead around to attest to the valor of the eighty-four within. General Corse was wounded in the face, and all of his staff killed or wounded. Colonel Tourtellotte of 4th Minnesota and many others. The 12th Battery won great laurels, losing more men than ever before. Lieutenant Amsden wounded, appeared to be fatal. Four killed and two others wounded fatally. Fifteen wounded slightly. All their horses nearly gone. They were the best in the Corps too. Our total loss was 722 men. Had the reinforcements come up at noon, which they would, had not the train run off the track, a large portion of them would have been captured. The main charging column of the rebels was the famous Missouri Brigade that fought them before at Iuka, Corinth, Champion Hills, and occupied Fort Hill during the siege of Vicksburg. Many of them came into our lines, tired at last of war. I don’t think there has been more desperate fighting done this year than yesterday at Allatoona.
Thursday, 6th—It rained nearly all day. We lay in bivouac all day, resting. We hear that Sherman with a part of his force is trying to surround the rebels in the vicinity of Lost mountain. The rebels left the railroad after tearing up about fifteen miles of track, burning the ties and twisting the rails. But the engineers will have it repaired in a few days, as there are thousands of trees along the way just the size for railroad ties. All is quiet along the line.
October 6th. 1864.
We have come to a standstill once more, and are making ourselves “comfortable.” We have a splendid position, and are fortifying. We moved past the low, swampy country, and are now on high, sandy ground about four miles southwest of Petersburg. We have fitted up a very nice and comfortable camp. We have learned, by experience, that it pays as a sanitary measure. Old soldiers never sleep on the ground if they can get as many as two poles to sleep on. This is one reason why we enjoy better health than recruits.
I have sad news from Arthur Mathis. The poor boy has not long to live, and must die among strangers. It seems needless cruelty to keep him here, so far from friends and relatives who would gladly minister to his wants and smooth his pathway to the tomb.
Payment was suspended by our late move, and, as our pay rolls are returned “Approved,” we come in with the rest.
October 6, 1864, 12 m.
Rained all last night, and has just suspended for a few minutes, I expect. Kept dry, thanks to our rubber blankets. Drew five days’ rations this morning, full of everything except beans; plenty of beef, though. We only drew one-quarter of a pound per man for the whole five days. Part of our railroad bridge across the Chattahoochie washed away a few days ago. It will be finished again today. There was some fighting up near Allatoona Pass yesterday, in which, rumor says, our folks were worsted. The Rebels are moving up the road in that direction. They will have to leave there or wait and fight us. I hear that Kilpatrick burned 200 or 300 of their wagons yesterday. We’ll warm those fellows if they will only wait for us somewhere. We are under orders to start at a moment’s notice. Mud is not over a foot deep and everything else is lovely in proportion. I was confoundedly sick all day yesterday, could not eat any supper, but about 9 p.m. the boys brought some beans about half cooked, and the notion taking me I ate a couple of quarts thereof. Have felt splendidly ever since. Our pickets that we left at Eastpoint have just got in. The division field officer of the day who had charge of them misunderstood his instructions and marched to the river at Sandtown, 15 miles below where we crossed. The Rebels fired into them and I suppose captured half a dozen stragglers.
Thursday, October 6. — Wrote a letter to Alice, to go by Lieutenant Ware. Had a heavy rain in the afternoon. A Mr. Caldwell called with a letter from a Mr. Coleman, 80 Wall St., New York, and offered to cash any of my drafts on Father. He lent me $50 for temporary use. Some more car-jumpers came in. Nothing new in papers.
October 6 — We renewed our march this morning, crossed the North River, passed through Bridgewater, and at Dayton, four miles west of Harrisonburg, we turned off toward the North Mountain and moved down the mountain through a very hilly country and over a rough road that hugs the mountain.
Camped to-night near Brock’s Gap in Rockingham County.
We will soon strike some sort of game, though it may be ignoble, as I saw some fresh tracks in its slimy trail in the way of recently burnt barns and a few houses in ruins. These highly civilized and pious Yankees have at last gallantly and patriotically resorted to the torch as a glorious means through which to strangle the great rebellion, by trying to starve women and children of this Southland.
Colonel Lyon’s Letters.
Huntsville, Ala,, Thurs., Oct. 6, 1864.—We have had lively times, but everything has settled down now into the quiet of utter stagnation, and last night I was allowed to sleep all night without interruption. The night before, just at bedtime, I received information that there were a thousand rebels nine miles from Larkinsville. So I had to put out in the rain and send out reinforcements and telegraph orders, and it was nearly midnight before I got to bed. It turned out to be a small guerilla party. The last we heard of Forrest, he was in the vicinity of Columbia. There are so many troops in this vicinity that we had no fear of his coming this way again.
Oct. 6th. Went in to our old camp at Fort Hayes.
6th. Moved back, burning every barn and stack on road. Followed closely. Camped near Brock’s Gap. 5th N. Y. and 18th P. V. driven back. Considerable uneasiness during night.
