The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-03-28
THE ATLANTA FIGHT,
And Something About the Recapture OF DE-
Gress's Battery.

And Something About the Recapture OF De
Gress's Battery.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In your is
sue Feb. %, 1895, have read with pleasure
Gen. Towards description of the battle of
Atlanta, Ga, July 90 1864. and his account OF
the Confederate attack on Gen. L. w. Swee-
ney, Second Division, Sixteenth Corps. will
state that Cos. A and G, Goth ILL.,, w. ). who
were sent out on the skirmish-line 10y Capt
w. S. Boyd in the open fox-grass prairie, had
hardly time to deploy as skirmishers when
the Johnny rebs, who were lying in the tall
grass in line-of-battle, gave us the first vol
ley. The men of the Goth III. gave them
in return the fire from their Henry rifles
16-shooters) and soon checked the rebel adj
vance, when Col. August Mersey's Second
Brigade came up at Oubie-guick in line-of-
battle, with the gallant I'd and 7th Iowa,
SD ILL.,, and Goth Ind. as support, and such
a rattle of musketry was not heard in this
war since the terrible battle Of Shiloh.
After very stubborn fight we drove Gen.
w. H. r. Walkers rebel division back into
the woods, and in the edge of the woods, on
the hill, lay three lines battle ready to
bounce upon the Second Division, Sixteenth
Corps. At the same time Gen. John W..
Fullers noble regiments, 9th and 39th Ohio,
18th Mo-, and 64th Ill.,, were holly en-
gagged and for about two hours the battle In
front of the left wing, Sixteenth Corps, was
terrific. Charge and counter charge were
made by both armies, bat at last the rebels
were driven from the field in our front and
there was a lull, but in our right rear the
rattle of musketry and the roar Of artillery
were still on.
What could it mean? Had the rebels
n bon Inc fbar, (to1 Mar
sey's Second Brigade-12th Ill, S1st Ohio,
and Goth ILL.,, W. s. S.-was ordered TO the
right of the Army of the Tennessee, where
the Fifteenth Corps was ensaged. We were
double-quicked for about a mile and half,
when we could see men running back from
near the Augusta Railroad. We met Gen.
John A. Logan, who called on us to remem-
Der Mcpherson and revenge Mcpherson !;
| and shall never forget old Black Jack 4" on
that memorable Friday, July %, 1864, in
| front of Atlanta Ga. This was the first
| that we heard of the death of our beloved
| commander of the Army of the Tennessee.
Col. Mersey formed the brigade-12th Ill.
on the left, S1st Ohio in the center, and Goth
| III. on the risht-along the Augusta Railroad.
We advanced in an oblique direction. Col.
| Mersey was wounded, and his horse killed
while crossing the fence. We crossed small
swamp and charged the rebel Gen. Cheat
| hams advance, driving them over the works
and recapturing Capt. De Gress's Illinois bat
| terry Of four 90 FOUNDER Parrot guns and
over 200 prisoners. Capt. w. 5. Boyd, COM
manding the Goth H., turned the captured
guns on the retreating rebels. We fired
them and bursted one gun, wounding David
Pacett, of Co. X, Goth Ill.
We had the captured guns in our possess
sion about eight or 10 minutes when Gen.
Charles r. Woods First Division, Fifteenth
CORPS, came up and claimed the recapture Of
the De Gress battery. In Gen. William T.
Sherman's Memoirs Col Carskaddon, of the
| 9Th Iowa, claims the Tecapture OF the guns,
and says he found one of the guns bursted
while in possession Of the enemy. / say
that is mistake.
Gen. w T. Sherman told the writer in
1882 that he knew who recaPtured the De
Gress battery near the railroad cut In the bat
tie of Atlanta, but that it was too late in the
season to say who Tecaptured the guns; that
the official reports were all in, and could not
be changed, but that Col. Mersey's Brigade
recaptured the De Gress battery.
Gen. Howard says: Now, look. Woods
men have begun to advance steadily down
the line. There is no break, no hesitation,
no halt. On they GO ill every Confederate
who was not made prisoner had fed toward
Atlanta. The continuity of Logan's line is
thus restored, and Capt. De Gress, although
his horse is killed during the cannonade, has
the joy Of recovering his guHs."
James Clark, of Co. A, 47th Ohio, at that
time attached to the battery, says that the
66th H., with the Henry Rifles (16shoot-
ers), recaptured the battery.
Lieut.-Col Jesse j. Phillips, of the 9th
III. Mid Inf, commanding the Second Bri-
gade after Col. Mersey was wounded, says
On his official report that the Second Bri-
gade, Second Division, Sixteenth Corps
10Th H., S1st Ohio, and Goth ILL.,, w. S. s.
recaptured the De Gress battery and works
and 200 prisoners in most prompt and
daring manner, retaking the works from
which the Second Division, Fifteenth Corps,
had been driven.-CHAs. +. KIMMEL Ser
geant, Co. G, 18th Mo. and Goth ILL.,, 1905
Wayne avenue, Dayto o.