Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-08-06


and unfinished bulwarks of rails, thrown to-
! gether by the men when they had last halted,
\ furnished but little protection from the pitt
/ less showers of bullets flung from the muskets
| of the enemy; but, in spite of rebel daring,
energy and hate, Williams would not yield a
\ foot of ground llG Et'ss
The wave of rebelassault rolled from left
to right, finally involving nearly our whole
| line from Newton on the left TO Col. Arson
McCook's brigade on the right.
/ Colonel Bradley's brigade of Newtons di-
1 sion Ito the command of which he succeeded
after the death of the noble Harker,) was
| formed in columns of regiments along the
I road leadia g from Buckhead to Atlanta, when
1 the fight commenced. Immediately after the
rebel assault began upon Newton's front, the
/ Gath Ohio and the AID Illinois were sent to
! support Colonel Blake, while the 9th Illinois
was dispatched to the assistance of General
| Kimball The remainder of the brigade was
1 at first also intended to go TO the support OF
Blake; but its destination was changed and
I il was formed in order of battle along the
/ Atlanta road, where il assisted in repelhng
and capturing column of the enemy which
had forced its way past Blake's left flank and
actually gained our rear.
This incident deserves to be further MOTTO
ed. So intense was the interest amongst our
men to repel the rebels in their immediate
front, that they did not perceive small col
umn had passed around entirely to the left of
Blake and penetrated the right of that long
line of skirmishers which Ihave described as
alone holding the huge gap between Newton
! and Wood, until they heard the noise of con-
flict Immediately in their rear. The rebels
/ had reached the Buckhead and Atlanta road.
But there was one man near by who saw these
rebels and marked them as doomed. Gen.
Thomas was overlooking the progress of the
fight in the rear of Newton The moment
he perceived the body of rebels have men,
toned, he hastily got together a force con-
'sisting OF the pioneers of KimbalPs brigade,
some OF the struggling skirmishers who had
4 fed before the first rebel onset, and a couple
of pieces of artillery. Taking immediate
personal command of this novel battalion, he
assailed the astonished rebels, and killed and
captured the whole body. He may perform
great achievements in the future, as he has
i in the past, but venture to predict that he
| will think as often of this little affair as of
any military event of his life.
The 57th Indiana and Tooth Illinois, of
Col Blakes brigade, which were advanced in
the first place as skirmishers, were separated
for some time from the remainder of the bril-
! gade by the rebel column above mentioned
The right of Colonel Blake's brigade rested
on the Atlanta road, the left of General Kim
BALI upon the same. Four guns of Good
speeds Ohio battery, under command of
! Lieutenant Scovill, were placed upon the At
lanta road, just in rear of these two brigades,
and during the whole time the fight lasted did
terrible execution upon the enemy. Once
the rebels came up ravine just to the left
of the road, in close column, with Brigadier-
General Stephens at their head, determined,
| if possible, to capture these four pieces; but
Kimball's left regiment, 74th Illinois, on the
right of the road, and Blake's right regiment,
the SSth Illinois, on the left of the road,
poured into the column so terrible direct
and cross fire, that it reeled, staggered and
broke in confusion, leaving its leader dead
upon the field.
The brigade which formed the left of Gen.
Wards division is commanded by Col. Jas.
Wood of the I36th New York. But two of
its regiments were in the front line when the
| conflict commenced, the Goth Wisconsin and
10th Connecticut. The 55th Ohio afterward
! took part in the fighting, as did the I'D,
which relieved the S6th Wisconsin, and the
l36th New York, which relieved the goth
| Connecticut. The troops Immediately oppos
ed to Col. Wood were a Mississippi brigade
under command OF " Brigadier-General
| FeatherstOne, who killed early in the
| fight. Col. Wood did all that was required
of him, as might be expected from so excel
llent commander
The center of Gen. Wards division was
| held by Col. Coburns brigade. COburn is the
| faithful and intelligent Colonel of the SD
| Indiana. The 22d Wisconsin, Lieutenant
| Colonel Bloodgood, was deployed as skirmish-
ers in front of this brigade, in the beginning
| of the fight, and contended there long time
with obstinacy and skill. 1t was part of Col.
| Coburn's brigade, which, in the terrible shock
along the front edwards division, exchang-
ed places with part of the rebel line, and
wheeled about 20 renew the fight with them.
The next brigade, going toward the left,
was Gen. Wards, lat present commanded by
Col. Harrison, of the 10th Indiana) 1t did
its full share of this glorious days work.
When the great charge of the rebels and
counter-charge by our men were made, the
l29th Illinois engaged the enemy in hand
to-hand conflict, in which officers as well as
men mingled Unfortunately. Lieut.. Col.
Flynn and rebel Colonel, each with a gun
in his hands, fought each other for a consid-
cradle time, each lodging round a bush re-
| peatedly, so as to give-or avoid a-shot.
Gen. Williams division gloriously distin-
guished itself Knipe's brigade, composed
exclusively of Eastern troops, contended in
patriotic and glorious rivalry with Col. Rob-
inson's, which are nearly all Western while
Gen. I. ii. Ruger's, formerly Colonel of the
Sd Wisconsin, made up from both sections,
die. its duty as well.
Col Arson G. McCook, of the I'd Ohio
earned place among the best and bravest
of those who that day beat back the legions
of treason and anarchy. His brigade, con-
ssting of old regiments each of which has a
historical name, was, until recently, under
command of Brig Gen. Carlin. The latter
being on leave of absence, Col McCook as
sumed command by right of seniority. On
him was devolyed the duty of clipping the
| left wing of the rebel host which bounced
upon US. He was on the extreme left of
Palmer's corps, and his was the left brigade
of Gen. Johnson's division. 1t was formed
into two lines, the first commanded by Col.
Taylor. of the 18th Kentucky the second by
Col. Hobart, 2lst Wisconsin. The brigade
advanced to the top of the ridge. in front, to
4 keep in line with Gen. Hooker and had time
10 throw up some slight works before it was
assailed. This remark applies to the first
line only--the second had no works.
The lO4th Illinois, on the left of the first
line, was somewhat in advance of the other
regiments, in consequence of the peculiar
nature of the ground; and was therefore the
first struck, when the rebels came laundering
upon us. A brave stand was made, and then
the right of the regiment began to crumble
away. Col. McCook, while feeling deeply the
heavy responsibility resting upon his should
ers, remained cool and selfpossessed as a
! veteran. He knew how terrible the result
might be if this portion of our line was bro