The National tribune., 1885-04-23
DE GRASSES BATTERY.
Letter from the Captain Of the Company which
Recaptured IL.


To THE EDITOR: Last July an article ap-
peared in your paper signed "a. s. o." in
which credit was given to a brigade of the Six
teenth Corps for the recapture of Capt De
Grasses battery at the battle of Atlanta July
%. 1864. As / had the honor of commanding
the company that first reached the guns of that
celebrated battery in the charge of that day,
feel that am in position TO give the facts in
the case.
/ commanded the color company (C) of the
10th Ohio First Brigade, First Division, Fiji
teenth Corps. Our division was commanded
by Gen. Charles Il. Woods, and occupied posi-
ton on the extreme right of the Army of the
Tennessee, facing Atlanta, and almost at right
angle with the lines TO our left The Confed-
crates that got III the rear of the Seventeenth
Corps made their appearance late in the after
noon, rushing through a railroad cut upon the
flank aud in the rear of the Second Division
of our corps. and the most of the division was
obliged to fall back and abandon De Grasses
battery. This unfortunate occurrence took
place in plain view of the troops of our divis-
ion, as we occupied high hill, but We could
do nothing to prevent the disaster at the time,
rs the COnfederates focked into the reverse
side of the works on our left rear, and it was
necessary for Us to change front along our
whole line to confront them in line of battle
Orders came from Gen. Sherman to recap
ture that battery and abandoned works at any
COob, anu Ocu "OONS iUSO Ho tiuic III marching
his division to the left and rear to cover the
front of the whole ground in possession OF the
Confedcrates
We moved forward at about 5 o'clock, over
cleared ground, passing through O valley, and
charged up the ascent beyond to the works.
the reverse side of which was occupied by the
enemy. Never did troops keep better align
ment in marching in the face of an enemy.
To the right and to the left we could see
the straight blue lines with their banners
gaily waving in the breeze When within
about 100 yards of the works the enemy opened
upon US a CALLING fire of musketry, causing
considerable havoc in our ranks, but the boys
kept straight ahead and somewhat accelerated
their motion towards the sheet of flame blazing
in their faces. 1t happened that the 10th regi-
ment went up opposite the battery, and it was
nip and tuck" which company would get
there first. The left wing of the regiment had
to pass through a 5wampy piece of ground,
which somewhat retarded its motion, and /
found my company little in advance. The
firing was very hot, and many of the boys were
dropping. My First Lieutenant {Arnold) was
shot three times within two minutes. A rebel
color bearer was shaking a blue flag over the
works right in our teeth. / told my boys that
the quicker we got there the better, even if we
had to fight "hand-to- hand" over the works,
and we sailed in quite lively and were soon in
the ditch, with the rebs just over on the other
SIDE; Duu tney broke Out ana ran, anu my boys
gave them good voley.
/ think my Orderly Sergeant, who was tall,
long-legged man, and brave as lion, was the
first man in the division who got into the ditch,
and the others were not a minute later in fol-
lowing. / struck the works little to the right
of the battery. and as soon as the boys delivered
a volley at the Johnnies running back through
the woods ordered them to move double quick
by the left flank, loading on the jump. towards
the guns. We were the first there and we
found plenty of rebs about to defend the bat
terry, but we let it into them so lively and the
other troops coming up ut the moment, they
broke back, leaving some prisoners some killed,
some wounded, and best of all, Capt. De Grasses
20-pound Parrott guns in our hands
Capt. De Grasse soon came up and threw his
arms around his pet guns and cried for joy.
He thanked the 10th Ohio for saving his bat
terry the second time during the war. This
charge ended the battle of Atlanta.
Now, if there was brigade or any part of
the Sixteenth Corps in that fight. they GER
tainly were not between and that battery.
They may have been in the rear as supports,
but our faces were not set in that direction just
then, and we did not see them.
1t will be sad news to the boys of the First
Division to learn that our brave old commander,
Gen. Chas. r. Woods died a month ago at his
homo in Newark after 0-years' service in the
armies of his CONTEMPORARIES d. MILLER,
Capt. 10th Ohio Newark, D..