Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-07-28
From the asd Regiment.

tie Re5ds-7ze Feeling il. AAa,sta-Depar
tire Of Col. U3ey-Ajd Of hundred das
Nea appreciated.
| Correspondence of State Journal.
NEAR CHATTAHooCHEE RIVER, Ca
July II, 1864. (
| Arriving at our present camp five DAYS
since, we have enjoyed needed and pleasant
relaxation from the fatigue of marching and
building Of breastworks a rest all the bet
| ter from the uncertainty attending its dura-
| ton.
Every day our picket line has been ad-
vanced without resistance, till it now lines
with the Chattahoochee, across which the
rebels hastily retreated yesterday morning,
burning the bridges and leaving their out
posts to swim the river or suffer capture.
Hundreds Of strong, healthy rebels are de-
serting to our lines, and they tell US that only
by regimentaI, brigade and division guards,
and cavalry scouts, wholesale desertion is
prevented They have fought long enough,
and are willing to give up beaten
Previous to the evacuation of the rebel
works near Kenesaw, we were treated TO
heavy cannonading along the line, while
strong bodies Of troops were moving to the
right, rendering Johnston's works untenable.
From different papers we read of the de-
parture of national militia, and their ac
counts of material, roadside ovations, march
es and other incidentals, strongly reminding
us of our primitive soldier days. MAY they
have no harder lot, and the expiration of
their term mark the termination of the war
We cannot but be grateful for their tempo
rary aid.
On the evening of July ID Col Utley call
ed the boys around him, and, briefly review
+Io, hn1 fha,1 l,o
and babe them goodbye. He is succeeded
in command by Lieut.. Col. Bloodgood.
Early on the morning of July Sd we moved
| forward into the abandoned works of the en-
envy. A frame building on the rebel Skin
mish line was honeycombed By our balls, and
trees nearly cut off by our artillery fire
Two common lines passed, and we came upon
perfect mesh of obstacles: sharp-pointed
stakes set out like bayonets, and yard wide
then a mass of brush, crossed, brings US to
the earthworks, wide enough for wagon to
be driven along them, and behind these,
| strong redoubts for batteries. The bravest
men in heaviest masses could not hope to
charge such works with success, but the
| flank movement gave bloodless victory
Shortly after crossing the fourth and last de-
fensive line, our advanced battery opened on
heavy columns of the retiring foe, while a
rebel battery quickly replied, sending the
soldering, kissing shells among and around
us, and wounding badly few men. You
would have had one picture of war to have
seen those shells cracking overhead, and the
pieces propelled ahead, while the men lay
close to the earth, their knapsacks shining in
the sun like the backs of huge turtles Our
brigade was then sent forward to reconnoitre.
| Companies A and f, as skirmishers, advanced
for miles, through ravines, woods and fields,
driving the cavalry videttes before them, till
we came slap against rebel line of works
A scout riding close to us lost his horse, but
escaped with life. The rebels opened on our
column with shell, at half a mile distant
We threw up works and held them till re-
lieyed by the 18th corps. The movement,
endangered the brigade, and we owe it to the
enemy's ignorance of our force that we did
| not suffer severely in consequence. Gen.
Ward, commanding, was responsible for the
blunder and was deservedly severely repri-
manded by Gen. Hooker
independence day was celebrated by diff
ferent bands playing national airs, and a con-
tlnued round OF cannonading as our batteries
shelled the works discovered in our yester-
days advance. Towards evening the bugles
sounded, and head of column starts away
to the southwest AS it marches out, the
masses fall in, following the flags of brigades,
till the field but just swarming with men is
vacant, and traceless of our presence save by
the empty barrels which held our bacon, and
the stragglers which no regulation can re-
strain. The day closed with a scare; rebels
reported advancing in column; men ran to
and fro; breastworks rose like enchantment,
and when finished we learned that we had
been alarmed by our own men, and had done
our work for nothing. Sleep was none the
less sweet for our labor that afternoon.
The 5th found us in reserve, marching
leisureIy with frequent hats Again we
come upon elaborate Notifications, trees fell
ed for hundred yards, the trunks adhering
to the stumps; then the sharpened outward
| set fence of stakes, and the zigzag works,
broad as a railroad a deep pitt log above
to protect the head and arranged to roll back
harmlessly if struck by cannon, and thick
shades to shield the men from the glare of
the sun. There were positions for cannon,
the embrasures made Of posts set deep and
saplings braided in like the willows in bas-
ket, horizontally. But all their labor, thanks
to Sherman and the flank movement, proved
in vain.
Towards night the march quickens and we
come upon high hills and deep ravines dense
| ly wooded-up we toll and down we march,
| the sound of artillery nearer each moment,
| till we expect to be pushed into action, and
just at evening halt. Moving at noon next
day we sweep around and march back towards
| the right, but near the river and to our pres
ent position, passing the Sd and 26th Wis
consin who exchanged kindly greetings as
we now and then recognized an acquaint.
ance. Trees were crashing down and breast
Uprl-S r1rn nf |,
rapidly.
Our duty till the next movement, will con-
sist in picketing and will be regarded as a
relaxation. The picket lines are very heavy
and well supported Immediately after an
| advance, shovels and spades are distributed,
! logs placed and pits dug along the line about
| three rods apart, and each holding four men.
We have orders not to fire on the rebels and
| they do not disturb US. To the right and
left the rifles crack away singly and in vo-
| leys, and the spiteful replies never fail to
| come back humming through the air.
AS evening comes sounds grow more dis
| tinct. The rebels can be distinctly heard
laughing and talking on the ridge in our front.
A battery, reported to be the 9Th Wisconsin,
came out on the skirmish line and fred a
number of shots, each spinning through the
embrazures Of the rebel works and making
them hunt their holes. Some of our men call
| to the rebels and are answered. Their re-
plies amount to nothing more than the ques-
tions of trading coffee for tobacco.
Near the river they had worked till yester-
day morning fortifying steep ridge. Logs
fourteen feet high and firmly set fenced us
out, and works covered with logs and then
dirt, the front pierced for musketry, and
declared to be impregnable to an infantry
attack in front, by the rebel Inspector who
left his report in the hurry of departure, op-
posed our advance till the booming of our
| aoroSc tho rivar warmed thoD1 - ,,-o.