Friday, 8th—The weather is quite pleasant today. Wounded men are coming in from the front every day. Our men are strongly fortified in front of the rebel works, and within about a mile of the Chattahoochee river.
Diary of Alexander G. Downing; Company E, Eleventh Iowa Infantry
Thursday, 7th—It is quite warm. Still skirmishing and cannonading. The wounded in the hospital are getting along fine.
Wednesday, 6th—There is still skirmishing on the lines and some cannonading going on, but there is no general advance along the lines, except on the extreme left.
Tuesday, 5th—Our men are still advancing. The Eleventh Iowa made a charge on the rebels’ left, on Nick-a-Jack creek, and took one line of rifle pits. We lost a few in killed and wounded. William Cross of Company E was killed by a piece of shell from the rebels’ batteries; he had returned from the hospital to his company only about two weeks before. I am still in the hospital and no better. It is quite sultry today.
Monday, 4th—Our corps is still moving forward, and it is now along Nick-a-Jack creek. We learned here in the hospital that the corps lost several men killed and wounded in the skirmish fights yesterday. This has been a hard day for me, as I have to lie in the open without any shelter over me, the hospital tents being so crowded with the wounded. I have been taking some strong medicine the last two days, in the hope that it would break up the fever.
Sunday, 3d—All is quiet. Our men are still marching around to the right. The Seventeenth Corps drove the rebels back about two miles, taking one line of their works. Wagon trains are going by the hospital day and night, and the roads are getting very dusty.
Saturday, 2d—All the sick have been removed to the field hospital in the rear of the army. I was brought here to our division field hospital, near Big Shanty, with a few others. Our army supplies at Big Shanty have been removed by the general quartermaster, as the army has been ordered around to the right. The Fifteenth, Sixteenth and Seventeenth Corps are leaving the left flank altogether, and are hastening to the right wing. The rebels have now left Kenesaw mountain and Marietta and have moved around to their left so as to keep our right from flanking them.
Friday, 1st—All is very quiet along the lines today. The rebels have built a strong line of works out along Nick-a-Jack creek, and it is reported that they are planning to retire from Kenesaw mountain and Marietta to their new line of works.
Thursday, 30th—The Seventeenth Army Corps have removed all their surplus baggage to the rear for the purpose of making a flanking movement on the rebels, who are reported to be falling back from their lines around Kenesaw mountain. Our artillery in the front is still in action, but the rebels make no reply.
Wednesday, 29th—There was heavy cannonading on our side today, but the rebels did not reply. Our company was out on the skirmish line again, but I could not go with them on account of sickness. I have not been fit for duty since Saturday evening, the 25th, but on last Monday, the 27th, I was taken quite sick, having contracted the intermittent fever while digging the rifle pits along a branch infected with malaria. The weather was quite hot today, which is hard on the sick.
