Letter from Atlanta -September 1864

Letter from Atlanta

Chenango America, October 13, 1864

Headquarters, 16th Ill. Inf. Vet.
Atlanta, Ga, Sept. 11, 1864

Dear Father:--At last I have the pleasure to write from the noted city of Atlanta.  Yes, Atlanta is ours, with its forts, big guns and scores of miles of earthworks, which encircle it on three sides, its broad streets, and fine buildings (though somewhat dilapidated by our shell), are all, all ours, and Sherman's grand old army is now encamped in shady groves around its suburbs, resting and reorganizing from its unparalleled campaign of just four months duration.  We are all conscious of the magnitude of the work so well done, and do not lightly esteem the prestige we have attained as an army. We left Hood, terribly beaten and cut up, at Lovejoy's Station, thirty miles south of Atlanta, on the 6th inst., and fell back slowly by column of divisions.  In the battle of the 1st of September, at Jonesboro, the gallant old 14th corps, under command of Gen. Jeff C. Davis, had the honor of giving the finished touch to Hood and the campaign, capturing 2,000 prisoners, 16 pieces of artillery, several stands of colors, 3000 stands of small arms, and Brig, Gen. Govans, of Arkansas, of Cleburn's famous rebel division.  Our loss was quite severe as we assaulted and carried the enemy's works.  But, to be more intelligible, I will give a few details of our movements, commencing August 27.  Though I suppose ere this reaches you that you will have obtained elaborate details, through the newspapers and by means of maps, &c, and can understand the "situation."  Since the battle of the 28th July, two miles northwest of Atlanta, Sherman had been gradually extending his lines to the right and front, until about the 25th August when our […] east of Atlanta, and making a curve around the north and west of the city, extended to the A.&W,P.R.R. near Eastpoint, where rested our right length of lines about 20 miles.  The intervening four weeks had been very hard on us, constant shelling going on and severe skirmishing between the main works of the opposing armies; and in the meantime we had advanced our parallels to within 200 yards of those of the Johnnies, so near that we held conversation, and oftentimes venturesome Yanks and Johnnies traded coffee and tobacco.

Everywhere we advanced the enemy met us with heavy fortified works and batteries in position.  Every private in the army knew it were madness to charge them, nor did they believe Sherman to mature his plan of operations, which we were to execute.

On the 25th Aug. we saw troops, (the 4th, 15th, 16th, and 17th corps which had been on our left) moving in rear of us and to the right.  We were then assured that the last grand movement for the reduction of Atlanta had began, and impatiently waited for orders for us to move out. The orders came on the 26th, and at 2 A.M. of the 27th, we moved out of our works in front of Atlanta. The enemy suspected something was going on, though it were dark as one would wish, for they shelled us vigorously, but luckily not a man was struck. We proceeded on the Sandtown Road in a southwest course, about 4 miles where we halted and entrenched, fronting to the north.  Two days ago we were on the right of the army, now we are on the left and rear.  On the 28th the army moved forward to Red Oak Station on the Atlanta and West Point R.R., 14 miles southwest of Atlanta. We destroyed the road for several miles. The enemy followed us, but could not reach our trains as they moved in the centre of our columns.  We had 20 days rations.  On the 29th our corps rested at Red Oak, while the other corps moved into position the 15th, 16th and 17th corps (or army of the Tenn.) going to our right, while the 23d corps (Schofield's army of the Ohio) went to our left, the 4th and 14th corps, comprising the army of the Cumberland taking the centre.  I will say here that the 20th corps under Slocum, and belonging to the army of the Cumberland, did not march with us, but fell back from its line north of Atlanta to the R.R. Bridge over the Chattahoochie, thus holding the bridge and guarding our line of communications north of the river, thus leaving one corps at the river 8 miles north of Atlanta, while the other six corps marched around to the south.

On the 30th and 31st of Aug., our lines were advanced towards the Macon R.R., the Army of the Tenn. being thrown forward near the town of Jonesboro.  General direction of our lines north and south, fronting east. The enemy have become aware of our intentions to either cut off his means of supplies by getting this road or making him evacuate Atlanta, in the attempt to hold it has moved down his army or a large portion of it, and the afternoon of the 31st charged on the army of the Tenn.  A severe battle was fought, our troops holding their ground and piling the rebel dead in heaps before them. The same night our division commanded by Gen. Jas. D. Morgan was marched 4 miles to the right, as a support to Gen. Howard, in case of a night attack, which was apprehended, as our men were not entrenched, and to guard the thousands of army wagons parked in that vicinity.  The enemy did not attack, and early the next morning, Sept. 1st, we retraced our steps of yesterday, then moving to the east and front about 10 miles, joining the other division of the corps at 4 P.M., near the headwaters of Flint River, and 1-1/2 miles northwest of Jonesboro. Severe skirmishing was going on, and as the head of our column merged in sight of the enemy's position, two rebel batteries opened upon us, at a range of only 600 yards, killing and maiming several in our ranks.  Our two division batteries, "Barnett's 2d Ill, Co. I," and "Gardner's 5th Wis." gallantly and rapidly came into action, and soon made it too warm for the rebel artillerists, though other batteries away to our left stirred us up occasionally.  We lay here about 1/2 hour waiting orders, when we left flanked about 3/4 of a mile and formed line of battle 700 yards in front of the batteries which had first annoyed us.  The 14th Mich. Infantry and 6th Ill. formed the first line of the brigade being supported by the 10th Mich., 60th Ill, and 17th N.Y.  At 5 P.M. the charge was sounded, and away we went, over the open field to the enemy's line.  Shell came […] missiles known were sent screeching and howling through our ranks; it seemed as though no men would live to reach the enemy's works, but we were bound to go forward, knowing that Atlanta depended upon this one charge.  In another instant we gained the works, mounted them, took 300 prisoners, two 4 gun batteries, mules, horses, and battery wagons and nearly all the artillerists, besides Brig. Gen. Govans. The men eagerly pursued the dumbfounded enemy, but were recalled and reformed behind the captured works, which were immediately reused.  My regiment turned two of the guns upon the enemy; the battle raged till after dark, the enemy drawing off, we holding everything. The 3d division on our right gained the works the same time we did, they also capturing a battery. The 1st division on our left were repulsed in the first attempt, but finally took the works in their front, thus at dark the whole of Jeff, C. Davis 14th corps, occupied the enemy's works, having achieved a decisive victory. The 14th corps done all the fighting on the 1st Sept., the other corps holding their lines and cheering while we went in. The next morning Gens. Thomas, Davis, and Morgan, congratulated the division upon its signal success.  Gen. Davis said the charge of the 2d division was witnessed by 20,000 men, and was one of the grandest feats of the war.  Our regiment receives credit for having captured the colors and two guns of Swett's Miss. Battery from Vicksburg, 119 stands of small arms and 100 prisoners. We lost in the charge only 2 men killed and 8 wounded, which seems almost miraculous, as other regiments in our brigade lost 75 and 80 men.  The 17th N.Y. from the city, lost its colonel (Gower) a gallant young fellow and 90 men.  Maj. Barnett Comdy 10th Mich. infantry, was also killed. The brigade lost 200 I believe and lost no general officers. The rebel Maj. Gen Anderson is reported killed; they must have lost at least 3000 men in this action with the 14th corps.

Sept 2d we advanced and found the enemy had retreated down the R.R.  The 4th, 15th, 16th, 17th and 23d corps, pursued them to Lovejoy's Station ,taking many prisoners, &c, while the 14th corps remained at Jonesboro to rest, after the battle of the day previous.  The 3d Sept., we received official notice that Gen. Slocum with the 20th corps occupied Atlanta at 11 A.M. of the 2d, just four months from the time we left Rossville, Ga.  It come to light that Hood was completely outgenerald by Sherman, and the result is, he has been defeated and lost Atlanta besides. When we left the works in front of Atlanta we supposed we had all returned north, there was great rejoicing in Atlanta, and the people from Macon and other towns below came up to celebrate the occasion. When the 20th corps fell back to the Chattahoochie they were closely followed, Hood supposing the whole Yankee army had gone that way.  So that when the head of our columns made their appearance at Jonesboro and vicinity, the rebels supposed it was some large raiding party, and sent forces from Atlanta by rail to meet us, and continued doing so, until the whole rebel army was at Jonesboro, except S.D. Lee's corps which was at Atlanta during the battle, while our 20th corps was at Chattahoochie river, 8 miles north of Atlanta during the same time.  Lee upon hearing of Hood's defeat, at Jonesboro, destroyed the public stores, spiked the siege guns around Atlanta, blew up 80 car loads of ammunition, and retreated on the right of the 1st, going south east towards McDonough. Thus for 12 hours Atlanta was owned by no one and all Gen. Slocum had to do was to march down from the Chattahoochie bridge and take possession.

Our army remained at Jonesboro and Lovejoy's until the 6th when, having driven the enemy south of the Ocnulger, we slowly came back to Atlanta with bands playing and colors flying, the enemy not daring to follow. Arrived at Atlanta on the eve of the 8th going into camps. We are now encamped in a beautiful grove just outside the city limits on the south side.  The locality is called "Whitehall."

Before the advance of our army into Georgia, Atlanta had a population of 30,000; there are now not more than 3000 and these have to leave within fifteen days; those having friends and relations in the south and rebel army, are to go farther south, the other portion are to go north of the Ohio river.  There are many fine buildings and the city is in a clean conditin.  None of the rebel soldiers were allowed to be […] here because […] of the town are badly damaged by Yankee shell.  The citizens generally had holes in the ground and bomb-proof, […] out of their reach.  The stores and business houses are empty; but a few weeks of Federal ocupation will fill them.  Wheeler's cavalry has interrupted our mails, &C., for some days, but now that we have finished Hood it will receive attention.

I am well and thank God have safely passed through the thousand dangers which have attended our every step the past four months.  I have been and am now, very busy attending to business of the Adjutant's office, which has inevitably been neglected.  Yesterday I made a detailed report of the whole campaign. We expect pay in a few days, not having received any since Jan. 1st.  I perceive the rebel concern at Chicago, has nominated "Little Mac" the Chickahominy humbug.  He probably promised the Vullandigham clique more than is known to the public.  I am very respectfully your son.

John G. Schenck