Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-07-04
sHERMAN,s ARMY.
The Assault Of Jane 27-The DE.
voted GalInntry Of Our Troops
The RepuIse-We Gain Ground
at all POints-Our Loss 1000.
Correspondence Cincinnati Commercially
FRONT OF KrNEsAw MOUNTAIN, GA, }
June q.

An assault took place to-day along por-
tions of our lines at several presumed weak
places in the enemy's Notifications. The
armies had been confronting each other for
several days without serious fighting, and
without material change in the lines. Kline
saw Mountain was the apex OF johnston
lines. His fianks being refused, his right
wing bent back until it ran but little east
of south. The enemy held stubbornly to
the position knowing that to yield any COM
manding point would give us Marietta, and
compel his retreat south of the Chattahoo-
chez. Both armies were nstrong works, the
opposite salients being so near In some places
that skirmishers could not be thrown out.
The hour for the assault was fixed for eight
o'clock this morning. Four brigades of
General Logan's Corps, Newton's division OF
the 4th Corps and Davis division of the
| 18th Corps, were selected to assault the enc
my's intrenchments at three different
points. At the appointed time, General
Giles Smiths brigade, and General
Lightburns brigade of General Nor
gan L. Smiths division, Walcott's brigade
of Harrow's division, and detachments from
Osterhaus' division, commanded by General
| o. r. Woodall, of Logan's, assaulted the en-
emy's position on Little Kinesaw, com
manding knob joining Big Kinesaw on
/
pits OH that mountain. Lightburn held the
! right, Giles Smith the center and left,
| WOodall's command acting as a support
| The assaulting brigades four lines deep, adj
vanced gallantly in three columns, moving
on'the enemy's works on Little Kinesaw
right, left and center. The rebel skirmish-
ers were captured almost to man by the
rapid onset some of them fighting till they
woro killed, refusing to surrender The
80, .
| ly delayed by the swampy nature of the
ground, and the tangled green-briai unGler
| growth through which portions of it were
compelled to grope their way. Upon reach
ing the base of the knob the lines were
hastily reformed, the enemy in the mean
time opening a terrible fire in front of mus
kerry and artillery, and an eniilading fire
from Big Kinesaw.
The brigades of Lightburn and WolcOtt
! found it impossible to gain the crest of the
hill, and after final effort, as heroic as it
was hopeless, fell back to the point occupied
by the enemy's skirmishcrs in the morning.
| The brigade of Giles Smith attacked the
| hill in the teeth of tremendous fire, and
on reaching the crest the enemy was found
posted i'm second line of strong works from
which a murderous fire issued. The brigade
found it impossible to hold the crest, and
fell back slowly, keeping the pursuers at
bay. Some fifty or sixty of the men belong
ing to this brigade took refuge behind a
ledge of rocks, within point-blank range
Of the enemy's works, and there they were
compelled to remain until nightfall.
In this assault we lost about 400 killed
and wounded.
This assault was over by ii o'clock, our
troops holding position several hundred
wards in advance of that of the morning.
Another assault was made by KimbalPs,
Wagner's and Harker's brigades, of New
toms division, OF the 4th corps assisted by
General jeff Davis division Of the 18th
corps, on the left. The point chosen was
about mile and half southeast of that
where Logan's assault was made, the op-
posing works being in plain view. For an
interval skirmishing was carried along the
main line of the works. At s o'clock our
batteries opened heavy fire, and Davis
division, supported by Baird's division and
one division of the 10th corps, moved for
ward, leaving Morgah's brigade in immedi-
ate reserve Col. Dan. McCooks brigade
held the left; Col. Mitchell's the right
Skirmishers advanced rapidly until they en-
countered a very difficult abattis, through
which, however, they floundered, capturing
the slight trenches on the enemy's skir-
mish line with little loss. The brigades of
McCook and Mitchell moved rapidly to-
ward the enemy's main Inca strong lunette
being Immediately in their front, without
faltering under a very destructive fire of
musketry and grape. Portions of these no
BILE brieades reached the ditch and attempt
ed to scale the parapet. McCook urged
forward his men, and while the assault was
at its hight and while the bayonet was do
ing its bloody work over the trenches, he
fell badly wounded In the shoulder. Mitch
ellis assault was equally determined and he
roic, but the superhuman efforts of our lads
proved fruitless. Davis, seeing the brig
ade fighting against hopeless odds and eX-
posed to scathing enflading fire, retired
his command, leaving upon the enemy's
trenches representatives of every regiment
in the two brave brigades.
An assault by Newton's brigade was SIM
ultaneous with that of Davis. Harker's
brigade was in the right, Wagner in the
center. Kimball retired in reserve on the
i left. Details from Woods and Stanley's
divisions covered the assault, which was
made in column Of regiment and division,
| that is, front of two companies, each brig
ade thus being aboutthirty lines deep. At
half past s the columns moved forward at
the double quick, receiving Immediately
the same terrific fire which we met at other
points of the line. The rebels opened with
enfilading batteries, tearing gaps in our
columns, but not checking the onset.
| Wagner struck an entire battery fairly In
the teeth, and his alignments were blown
to pieces; his men, however, struggled for
ward, and some were clear through
the murderous abattis. Few, indeed, of
the latter escaped death. Harker's
struggles were equally gallant and
equally destructive. Harker fell in
the height of the furious charge
mortally wounded, surviving but an hour.
The gallant struggle ended like the Others,
| by our troops retiring. but not until long
after the contest was visibly decided. The
loss in Davis Division is about five hunred.
That in Newton's about the same. Wherev-
er the rebels attempted to pursue our as
saulting columns, while retiring, they were
promptly repulsed by the supports which
otherwise were not engaged. o. While these
assaults were in progress the division on
the right of the 14thi Corps advanced and
captured an important ridge In their front
without great opposition. "A heavy force
of infantry was also moved to point nine
miles southeast of Marietta and within
three miles of Chattahoochee river, without
meeting with any,contending force. The
result of the assaults, in which not more
than ten abrigades directly participated, is
that we advanced our lines at every point
where assaults were made except one. Our
loss In the whole affair will hardly reach
two thousand. -Four corps were not en-
gagged at all. SgoR lal 9a SIS % fooa siii
DENNrsoN, writing to Lincoln to an
nounce his nomination, says 'sThe popu-
| lar instinct had plainly indicated you rs Its