Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-09-10
rran, ,ha Tuantr.Sesand Regiment.

u FRONT, NEAR ATLANTA oA.it
August 10th, 1854.
- confident of Gen Grants
.,aosss :, Peers burg and Richmond as ! am
&c Sha.,asr,s can lure Of Atlanta; but do
not believe Il Is : III Gen. sherman wants
he is evidently after bigger tsh. His pan y
obscure at present, bn.s ms style OF s'Ta'esy
is not the less sure in us emu. 49, ~ ~
his business and, what - mort, 80 ,i ~
plans to himself, or at lea. " ifoi. 'ns pun
Everything during the G. uipa'Sn
800 that Cen Sherman ha. 1 an object, but
70 settled hobby. a la McClel Ian, the failure
of which would upset the whol programme,
and lead to a "change of base, or case
cbonoe He has adopted means to hleet the
emergencies of the campaign, as trey aeFei
one themselves. and which no-Genera1 eOulu
have foreseen, no more than you can make
an enemy do in every case as you wouiu hssse
him. The military chessboard Is more com
nlicated than one might imagine at first
One variation changes the whole game.
thousand events have occurred during this
great advance, which the quick, perceptlve,
energetic and cautious Sherman's aolllties
have taken hold of, and made good come out
of Them 1t is safe to say that ne mas done
more, and lost as little, as any General OF the
war.
is a regular "Yank," long, lank and lean /;
YOU will notice a quick, nervous movement
of his person, and peculiar brillancy in his
glances. and one does not have to look twice
to see whether he is pleased or perplexed.-
He is what you might call lightning"
General person who can see great way,
and comprehend quickly, and is as quick TO
decide But it is not my purpose TO write
biography.
We are gradually crawling upon the rebel
stronghold; line after line OF breast-works
have been built, until now we can shoot
pistol ball into the rebel works from various
points in our lines. Our lines are shortened
by Strengthening, and thus are made stronger.
Some 32-pounders have been put in posi-
ton during the past few days, and also
great many 2O-pound parrots. The smaller
Suns are interspersed along the line in good
positions. The rebel artillery is kept silent
most of the time, but occasionally heavy
duel is fought and tie rebels always quit
first. Skirmishing is quite brisk betimes,
and occasionally dash is made and some
"Johnnies are hauled in.
A great many deserters have come into our.
lines during the past week. There was a
truce in front of the 10th and 18th corps and
the rebel pickets. the latter deserving at the
rate of 90 to 100 day. Day before yester-
dav the DIST Wisconsin and some other troops
on picket in front of the 10th corps had a
pariey with the rebel pickets. 1t was ar
ranged to have a sham fight and that the re-
bells should be captured. Towards night our
skirmishers advanced, firing blank cartridges
rapidly, the rebels firing the same kind OF
ammunition and retiring slowly to their re-
serve. When the fight became apparently
very hot the pickets were reinforced by more
e 4: cd nd advance
was made by the Johnnies," and our pick
cts brought them in at the rate of tour hur'-
dred and t,oeuty-Segen This affair was conduct
ed by the enlisted men on both sides, the Off
GERS having nothing to do with it. Not man
was hurt. Over two thousand deserters have
come in within the past few days. They re-
port a great portion af the army discouraged,
and since the Mobile affair the officers begin
TO show signs of uneasiness. The rebel Gen.
erals have taken measures to relieve those
dIsaffected and have put rebel soldiers III their
stead, consequently there are not so many
desertions. The deserters also report mutt
ny in camp. Some Virginia soldiers, whose
| time was out, wished to be discharged. 1t
was refused, and they in turn refused TO DO
| duty. Quite an outbreak occurred, and sew
| eral deserted the next day and came into our
| lines One squad had eighty men and Off
I
of the rebel army is such as to make il ell
| cient.
| called upon the 9TH Wisconsin battery
yesterday and found them in a good position
| in the 18th corps. The 9TH boys manage to
| keep rebel fort in their front silent most
| of the time The health of the battery is
good. Capt. Gardner is sick in the field hos
| pital of the division, but is getting better.
| The 26th, 3lst and Sd infantry regiments arc
| in the line doing their share OF delving. The
| 22d is also in the front line, and has lost from
| one 10 two men day on the skirmish line
| for the past week.
The skirmish line of the Sd Division, Goth
Corps, advanced some two hundred yards
| day before yesterday. At about O'Clock
| A NJ. three men from each pit advanced
| cautiously and dug new pits, the line keeping
| up rapid fire over their heads. When the
| new line of gopher holes" were finished, the
whole line advanced silently and occupied
them. just before daylight down came Mr..
| Sharpshooters of the rebel persuasion to oc
cupy their faYOrite positions behind trees,
but they went back somehow they did not
like the quietude of the place. Tho rebels
put battery in 'possh" latter trying to
drive our boys back with their skirmishers,)
and commenced Smelling Us, but no less than
four guns to their one opened on their bat
terry, aud soon shut it up.
There are several 20-pound Parrot guns i'll
position. One in particular was called "Sher-
mans time-keeper." Day after day this gun
sent its missiles forth at intervals of 10 and
10 minutes. sour boys" gave it the name l
have mentioned. A great many of our COM
rades have I" gone to sleep" to wake no more
on earth, who have heard that old gun in life,
in death its tones to them were requiem.
A few days ago we missed its deep voice, and
soon after learned that its muzzle had
dropped off. So we bid it adieu as one of
the past.
We are confident here from the reports
that the rebels have not been reinforced to
any great number, i'll fact no more than con-
valescents and detached squads.
The cars run up to our lines, bringing us
the mail regular, as general thing, and ''the
papers" are brought to our camps by enter
prising newsboys.
| notice quite number of citizens among
the Quartermasters, Commissaries and" Bum
mers" Why are they here? Methinks
there is a reason. Last year it was just so
will find it poor place to escape the forth
coming draft,
The rebels have fortified down as far as
East Point and across to the river. Our
right, the 23d corps, rests on the Chatta- |
hoochee, below "Sand Town" Our line is |
running nearly north and south and is twelve |
or fourteen miles long, one continuous line
of earthworks lined with iron and steel, with |
brave hearts to use the material to advan- |
tage. Here we are, drawing closer every |