Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-02-20
Gen. Logan in Line.

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Gen. Logan in Line.
Looking over a diary that | kept
during the war, l find the following,
which l send you just as it was writ
ten at the time, as a tribute to the
gallantry of Gen. John A. Logan:
Ezra Chapel g 1-2 miles south Of
Atlanta, Ga.) July %, 1864.-This
morning our division (Second Fif-
teenth Corps,) begun to move slowly
to the southwest, and took up a po-
sition on the extreme right, cOmplet-
ing the formation of our lines about
noon in an advantageous position,
with brisk skirmishing in front. The
Thirtieth Ohio was on the extreme
right; the One Hundred and Sixteenth
Ill.,, next on the left, along a rail
fence running nearly due east and
west, facing south. Our regiment
the Fifty-ffth Illinois-formed with
our right resting on the left of the
One Hundred and Sixteenth at a right
angle, facing west; from our left the
line again running east and facing
south.
About one o'clock our pickets came
in pell NELL. Soon two Confederate
lines appeared, marching upon us in
dress parade order, file colors with
bayonets fixed, color bearer several
yards in advance of the front line
leaning forward as he proudly leads
the desperate host, until he falls,
pierced by a hundred balls. Bravely
on and on come the unfaltering lines
under a CALLING fire from the One
Hundred and Sixteenth Ill. and Thir-
tieth Ohio, while ours is pouring in a
left oblique and finally an entilading
fire. Still they pushed on. The
crisis came; the line on our right is
pressed hard. The boys looked
frightened and as if they would give
way. The suspense is almost beyond
endurance, for we expect break on
our right. Pen fails a description
here of those awful moments as they
pass.
To our right, at the angle of the
Fifty-fifth and One Hundred and
Sixteenth Ill. rustling in the leaves
and firm step is heard. We anx-
iously look in that direction to see if
our boys are running away. But no.
A whisper goes up the line, alt is
Gen. Logan" On foot and alone,
passing quickly up the line, saying,
"steadv, boys; hold them'' Conf
dence is restored in moment. The
two lines have merged into one solid
mass waver; confusion prevails
they are running-and are gone, eX-
cept the dead and dying. That de-
termined charge is repeated five
times, and repulsed as often with
equal success.
The question may be asked: Did
the timely presence of Gen. Logan
save the day and the turning of the
flank of his army? l emphatically an
swer yes. The enemy confronted us
two to one. Our boys were good for
one, but it required the immediate
presence of Gen. Logan to whip the
two under equal advantages. The
conflict lasted 3 1-2 hours, our men
averaging one hundred rounds fired
each. Six hundred and sixty-two
dead Confederates were counted in
front of the Fifteenth Corps, princi-
pally in front of the Second Division
two hundred directly in front of the
Fifty-ffth and One hundred and Six
teenth Ill. and Thirtieth Ohio. We
captured nearly three hundred, seven
ty-two of whom were wounded, and
three of them females. The Confed-
crate loss was estimated at 5000.
Their papers subsequently admitted
loss of 1000.
The loss of the Fifteenth Corps
was 81 killed, 439 wounded (mostly
slightly, and 80 missing total, SOP.
The Thirtieth sustained the greatest
loss of any one regiment, being the |
most exposed. We asked the pris-
oners how many they had left, and |
they said, "about another killing"
Hoods loss within ten days was 22,-
600. They fought with unparallel-
ed courage and desperation. This /
may be called an open field fight, but
we had a decided advantage in the
position chosen by the sagacious Lo-
gan. We had no protection except
a fence, a few trees and logs. but
most of the old veterans made every
shot count.
In this, as in all other of our bat
ties, Gen. Logan was conspicuous
figure, and yet have never seen this
fight mentioned In print.-Nqtional
4FtbNne.
The wooden mill-dam falls from one
decayed timber, Use Warmers Log Cabin
Scalpine for the hair. Putting the scalp
into a healthy condition restores the