330

HOOD’S SECOND SORTIE AT ATLANTA.

Sixteenth Corps, Colonel Moray commanding, movedpromptly out, and I conducted it to the rear ot the oldworks ot the Second Division of the Fifteenth Corps,where it deployed on the right of the railroad.”

After detailing liis orders to General Smith, andthe disposition of troops hy General Woods on theright, he continues:

“At the same time the Second Division, followed hyColonel Mersy’s brigade, advanced upon the enemy’sfront. The movement was successful. Woods’s divi-sion striking the enemy’s flank, it began to break, andsoon after, the Second Division charging his front, theold line of works, De Gross’s battery, and two guns ofBattery ‘A’ were recaptured.”

Colonel Wells S. Jones, who succeeded to thecommand of Lightburn’s brigade, after telling inhis official report of the repulse of his brigade, says:

“It re-formed in a few minutes hack at the workswe had advanced from iu the morning, and, supportedhy a brigade of the Sixteenth Corps, charged upon anddrove the enemy from our works, turning our recapturedartillery upon the retreating enemy.”

General C. It. Woods, who commanded the FirstDivision, posted on the right of the Second, saysin his official report:

“ About 3 p. m. the rebels made a determined attack inlicavy force upon the lines to my left, and, after hav-ing been several times repulsed, succeeded in breakingthose lines and occupying the pits, which gave them aposition three or four hundred yards to my rear and left.Finding my position untenable, I threw my left back,and formed a new line, facing the enemy’s llank. At thesame time I kept up a heavy artillery lire on the enemy,preventing them from taking off De Gross’s battery offour 20-pounder Parrotts, of which they bad possession.Shortly after having taken my new position I received averbal order from General M. L. Smith, commandingFifteenth Army Corps, to attack the enemy in flankand rear, while other troops moved up in front to retakethe position. I immediately moved the Second Brigadeforward to strike the enemy’s flank and rear, and theFirst Brigade to attack them from front and flank. Themovement proved successful, and in less than fifteenminutes I had retaken Do Gross's battery and driven theenemy from their rifle-pits on tlieir left as far as therailroad.”

I was so well aware, at the time of tlio battle,that it was Colonel Mersy’s brigade of GeneralSweeny’s division of the Sixteenth Corps that re-took De Gress’s battery that I was astonished, yearsafterward, in reading accounts of the battle, to findthat the honor was assigned to others. GeneralLightburn and Colonel Wells S. .Jones, in theirreports, mention the Sixteenth Corps’ brigade,but do not specify the part it took, farther thanto say it supported tlieir troops; while GeneralWoods makes no mention of it whatever. Gen-eral Logan was evidently guided in liis reportby that of General Woods. To one not familiarwith the numberless duties of an officer in GeneralLogan’s position at that time, it seems incrediblethat he should overlook tho part taken by this

th

brigade, for ho asked General Dodge in person foi‘“ the little Dutchman’s brigade,” meaning ColonelMersy’s brigade, and in person lie rode at its headdown the railroad until within range of the enewy>and then ho gave Colonel Mersy orders to forniMs line along a board fence at right angles withthe railroad, and in cooperation with GeneralWoods to charge tho enemy’s lino. He then lei tthe brigade. J

Colonel Mersy had just given the order to leav*’tho railroad, as directed, when a volley from theenemy struck the brigade, killing tho colonel shorse and wounding him. Ho turned over thecommand to Colonel (afterward Brevet Brigadier -General) li. N. Adams, commanding tho 81st Ohi*bwho had heard tho instructions given by GeneralLogan. Tho brigade was thrown into some con -fusion iu leaving the railroad under a galling M’*’but it quickly formed along tho board fence, willits left resting on the railroad. Let me tell the re -mainder of the story in Colonel Adams’s own words:

“I at once gave the command, ‘Forward 1’brigade crossed tho fouce, and at ‘trail armsadvanced under a moderate lire toward theline to be taken. On emerging from the ravine*and beginning tlio ascent of tho hill, the enemyopened anew upon ns, whereupon I gave the order,‘Charge!’ and in apparently less than half !lminute tho line was ours. We captured some otthe men who were manning the Do Gress gnus, » I,(labout fifty men in tho works, who fired until theywere captured. Among tlioso was tho only colore*man I saw during tho war shooting the wrong way-He was game ; ho firod till lie was taken. Itailed men at once to man the recovered guns, bn®found them partly disabled. I am not sure, but it” 5my impression, that this detail succeeded in d> s "charging one of tho pieces. At any rate, they we)'*’endeavoring to use them when Captain De Grossand some of his men came and took charge of th°recovered guns.

“ Simultaneous with our action was that of Gen -eral Charles Woods (1 think it was), who charge*tho enemy on our right. It would not be fair ®°say that wo could have succeeded without Wood* 5 •cooperation ; nor is it fair for them to say that theycould have succeeded without ours. Certain i® lh ’wo charged that lino with tho enemy in it, and tin 1 ^we recaptured tho loKt guns and had them in 011possession some time before the men of any <>th plcommand saw them, or liofore Captain Do Gres* 5himself came and took charge of them.”

In another letter, General Adams, in answer *■specific inquiries,, says that his line, at the b pginning of this movement, rested its left on ® “railroad; but during the movement it left a • s l ,ilt 'between its left and tho railroad, owing ®° ”* ,

slight divergenoo of tho road. No other troop-

th*’

advaneod before, with, or behind his line over

} Brevet.Lieutenant-Colonel Edward .Tones, of GeneralDodge's staff, writes to tlio editors that, by direction ofGeneral Dodge, lie conducted General August Moray'sbrigade to tlie scene of the charge. “After a rapidmarch of perhaps a mile,” lie says, “Mersy, at a run,deployed ids brigade, charged and recaptured DeGress’s battery and the line of works, having liis liorac

killed undcrhiiii ill t.lie assault. The Fifteenth *^°.|j,men, who were present., Joined Mersy, and were 1 ' ^him in tlio notion ; but. tile brigade (Moray’s) of th*’teont.li Corps led, and, if my memory does not fan 1 ,Captain William S. Boyd, of t,lio (With Illinois , da.in"Mone of tho recaptured guns by attonipt.lng to dlsoh®

It upon the retreating enemy.”—liniTolis.