The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1913-02-13
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CAMPJN M
AND WAR 10
NOTED RAID AROUND ATLANTA
Important and Interesting Paper
Written by Col. William L. Curry,
Columbus Pension Agent.

States pension agent, Columbus, o.;
and who served as a captain In the
1st Ohio cavalry, has written a very
important and interesting paper on
Kilpatrick's raid around Atlanta in
August, 1864. This was read before
the Ohio commandery and found Of
such interest and importance that its
publication was requested by the edi-
tors Of the u s. Cavalry Association
Journal, which has published 1t in
full. Colonel Curry points out that
during the last two years of the war
the cavalry came under the command
of young men, who at the beginning
were generally enlisted men. The
raid was ordered July 20, 1864, to
destroy the enemy's communications
by burning bridges, filling up tunnels
and cuts, cutting telegraph wires and
destroying railroads and army sup
plies. The expedition was composed
OF five brigades and two batteries.
The whole command numbered 4,S0O
men, all veterans of long service. The
expedition started from Sandtown
August IS, and the infantry all along
the line made demonstrations to mask
the movement. This did not, how
ever, deceive Hood, who detached
Cleburne's division of infantry to at
tack the cavalry, and Fitzpatrick had
to fight 1t at Lovejoy. At the very
outset the enemy's cavalry was en-
countered and a stubborn resistance
made. The West Point railroad was
reached near Fairburn, and Longs
brigade dismounted and began tearing
up the road.
The brigade destroyed about a mile
of track, when attacked by the cav
airy and artillery of the enemy on
both the rear and left flank. The bri-
gade was ordered to mount and gal
lop forward to join the First brigade,
under Minty, which had crossed the
track and had the advance.
A lively fight was on at once, which
was directed by General Fitzpatrick.
! During the battle Kilpatrick's head
quarters band, mounted on white
horses, were playing patriotic airs
with all their might. The enemy was
soon driven in confusion toward At
lanta, but the fighting was thencefor-
ward almost continuous. The country
was thickly wooded and bad for cav
airy to operate in. Jonesboro was
taken after a sharp skirmish, and a
great amount of clothing and cavalry
stores destroyed. The sky was light
ed up with burning tlmbers, buildings,
cotton bales, and again the head
quarters band was in evidence play
ing national airs while the destruction
was going on. The command was
now in the rear of Hoods army, and,
as Phil Kearny would say, the fight
ing was lovely all along the line.
Finally the command was entirely
surrounded, with two Of Cleburne's
brigades in the rear, the cavalry
brigades of Ross, Ferguson and Mar
tin, about 1000 state troops and Gle
burne's remaining brigades on the
tanks and two brigades of cavalry
with division Of infantry and a six
gun battery completing the line. Alto
gether there were five brigades of in
fantry, Is pieces of artillery and 6
brigades of cavalry surrounding the
division. Fitzpatrick was a born cav
alryman, and determined upon saber
charge to get out Of the trouble. He
massed all his troops, put the artil-
lery In the rear and ordered sabers
drawn. The troops we're formed in
columns Of fours to strike the enemy's
line at different places. The enemy
had formed two or three lines with
infantry behind barricades of fence
rails and logs. The lines were quick
| ly formed, and $500 sabers rang as
they were drawn from their scabbards
and flashed in the sun. The bugles
rang out Forward! Trot! Gallop!
Charge!" in quick succession, and the
columns swept forward under the
spur with loud yells, scaling fences,
jumping bitches and barricades. Moth
ing could stop the yelling troopers,
and in an instant the men we're saber-
ing right and left among the enemy.
It Is estimated that from 900 to 800
prisoners were sabered. At one time
the command had over 1000 prison
ers in its hands, but these nearly all
escaped The Confederate line was
smashed to pieces wherever struck,
and the whole command galloped
away triumphantly, with Longs brig
ade covering the retreat. Cleburne
followed up furiously, and Long had a
fight with him Of nearly an hour be-
fore driving him back. In this Col
onel Long was severely wounded. The
whole command moved rapidly toward
McDonough marching all night in a
drenching rain. They did not get
the order to unsaddle until between 2
and o'clock on the morning of Aug.
21. The saddles had been on contin-
uously since the evening of Aug. IS.