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STANFORD LIBRARY

corps, which was moved around from the right, as a support for Hooker, lost slightly.

About two o'clock the enemy, learning from prisoners taken from us, that Hovey's Indiana division of "raw recruits" held a position in the line, and smarting under their successive repulses on other portions of the line, hurled a heavy force upon Hovey, convinced that the recruits would run. Not so, however, The rebels held a strong position in a gorge in the hills, and out of their breastworks they swarmed in large numbers and made a furious attack upon the division, which nobly repulsed them after a short and bloody contest of fifteen minutes. The assault was renewed, when the "raw Hoosiers" charged upon them on the doublequick, under heavy fire of grape, and literally mowed them down. They did not assault the Indianians the third time. To-night the encomiums of the whole corps are being showered upon Hovey's division, who have written a glorious introductory chapter in their history.

About ten P. M., Hooker's command commenced throwing up breastworks to strengthen their position; and to cover their movements, it was found necessary to advance their skirmish line. In doing so the skirmishers ran against the rebel line. Immediately a heavy artillery and musketry fire opened from both contestants, which lasted until two o'clock in the morning. The night battle was desperate and losses on both sides heavy, probably three hundred killed and wounded. At two the rebels were repulsed along the whole line; a deafening cheer rang out on the night air, and all was still save the piteous moans of the dying, who lay upon the bloody field, awaiting with anxiety the early dawn, when they were gathered into the hospitals, and every care bestowed upon them by our hard-working surgeons.

Monday, May 16. The morning was very bright, but the whole valley was filled with smoke and fog. At daylight not a gun was heard. Newton immediately advanced to feel the enemy, and discovered that they had disappeared.

The Retreat across the Oostenaula. Immediately upon being informed of the evacuation of the valley, General Howard informed General Sherman, and our lines at once advanced. It was discovered that the enemy had made good his retreat, carrying off all his artillery, but destroying his wagon trains by fire lest they should fall into our hands. I have just made a tour of the field on the left, and find it covered with rebel dead and wounded, all of whom were left in our hands for burial and treatment. Prisoners, at the hour I write, nine A. M., are being brought in by hundreds. The victory is complete so far, but would have been more so had McPherson's corps been enabled to cross the river and take a position in the rebel rear. McPherson made several at

tempts to throw down the pontoons and cross his corps, but the enemy poured such a raking fire into his pontoons that the work had to be abandoned. I have no particulars of what was accomplished by McPherson's command, but I learn that the Fifteenth corps, under Logan, lost forty-eight killed and four hundred and fortyeight wounded.

Our total losses are estimated at from four thousand to five thousand, of whom fully two thousand are so slightly wounded in the hands and feet that they will be fit for duty in two or three weeks. The killed will amount to about eight hundred, among whom are many brave officers who have left behind them brilliant records. Ohio has lost her full proportion. Indiana, too, will mourn the loss of many of her brave sons.

The enemy's losses are fully as large as ours, if not larger. In every assault upon our lines their loss was very heavy, and they were driven back, leaving hundreds of their killed and wounded in our hands each day.

We have taken nearly four thousand prisoners and deserters, including many Colonels, Lieutenant-Colonels, Majors, and line and staff officers. Many of them were willing prisoners, who remained in the rebel works and surrendered when we advanced in pursuit.

On the evacuation of the valley, the enemy crossed all his cars and locomotives and burned five span of the railway bridge, which can be repaired, however, in one or two days. At nine this (Monday) morning, Hooker's corps threw down pontoons and crossed near Resacca, while Schofield is crossing on the left near Pelton. The cavalry, under Stoneman and McCook, commenced the pursuit early in the morning, and at the present writing they are engaging the enemy with artillery. Brisk firing can be heard, and the rebel rear-guard are evidently meeting with a warm parting salute from our cavalry, which this season is in excellent trim and superior to that of former seasons. McCook, Stoneman, and Kilpatrick, are dashing officers, who never refuse a fight, and invariably whip their antagonists when the forces engaged are at all equal.

Two battles, two defeats, and two retreats, have so dispirited the enemy that it is almost idle to speculate upon what he will probably do, or where he will make his next stand. Sherman is too much for Johnston, especially on the flanking process, and it is not unlikely that the rebel chieftain will retreat until he reaches the Altoona range of mountains, where he can better protect his flanks than he could at Buzzard Roost and Sugar Valley. Citizens and deserters say that the Altoona Mountains are filled with very powerful fortifications capable of great resistance, and that the enemy will make a stand there and give us battle. Be that as it may, the country may rely upon Sherman and Thomas, and the invincible force they command, for working out a more glorious victory than the one just achieved.

the Second brigade. After a lively skirmish the enemy made a stand about one mile from Resacca, Georgia, having posted his artillery on a hill. I brought the howitzer section of battery F forward, and it took position on the left side of the main road, next to a plantation, having for support a company of sharpshooters of the First division. The enemy was deploy

For the benefit of those croakers who are never satisfied with the results of our movements upon the enemy, I will briefly state wherein our victory consists. We have driven the enemy over forty miles, compelled him to evacuate a position at Buzzard Roost that may be justly styled the stronghold of the Confederacy, recovered a large amount of territory, repulsed Johnston in every attack upon ouring his cavalry about seven hundred yards in lines, taken four thousand prisoners, compelled him to abandon his fortifications near Resacca, and destroy his whole ammunition and supply trains, inflicted heavy losses upon him, and demoralized his army to a great extent. As an offset, the enemy has taken but one hundred or one hundred and fifty prisoners, inflicted a loss upon us equal to their own, and by their precipitate retreat stimulated our troops to greater efforts when they again meet Johnston and his followers upon the field of battle.

To show that Sherman, on his advance into the heart of Georgia, is strongly in earnest and determined to conquer, I may state that he keeps the railroad communication with his army complete. Three hours after the evacuation of Dalton, heavy trains loaded with supplies arrived from Ringgold, and before night the town presented quite a business aspect. The rear-guard of the enemy had not vacated Resacca two hours, ere the familiar whistle of Sherman's train was heard by the retreating army. The telegraph line was kept up well by Captain Van Duzen, who followed in the rear of our advancing columns, and repaired it thoroughly. Resacca is now the advanced depot for supplying the army, which is well provisioned with bacon, hard-tack, coffee, and all the et ceteras of the Commissary department.

The strength of the enemy is variously estimated at from fifty-five thousand to seventy thousand by prisoners and deserters. The better informed, however, place their numbers at fiftyfive to sixty thousand, which corresponds with estimates furnished by our scouts. We have in front Hood's and Hardee's corps, with about twenty thousand of Polk's army commanded by the Parson in person. Among the General officers holding commands, are Johnston, Hardee, Hood, Stevenson, Pat Cleburne and Gibson, Bates and Polk.

MAJOR LANDGRAEBER'S REPORT.

Report of the battalion of artillery of the First division, Fifteenth army corps, under command of Major C. Landgraeber, Second Missouri artillery and Chief of Artillery, of the part taken in the battle of Resacca, Georgia :

The First division of the Fifteenth army corps marched on the morning of the thirteenth of May, 1864, from Snake Creek Gap, with a line of skirmishers in front, in the direction of Resacca. Battery F, Second regiment artillery, Missouri volunteers, the two twelve-pound field howitzers leading, marched behind the First brigade, and the Fourth Independent Ohio battery, the four Napoleon guns leading, behind

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front, but after a few rounds he was compelled to give way. The enemy was firing shells and spherical case shot at our infantry and artillery, and after being hardly pressed by our skir mishers, had to withdraw their pieces.

Our forces then took possession of the hills, and I posted three-inch Rodman guns of battery F, Second Missouri artillery, on a steep hill, about four hundred yards on the left of the main road, and opened fire with shells on the enemy's works, where he was busily engaged with working parties to finish his breastworks. The two twenty-pound Parrott guns of the Fourth Independent Ohio battery I brought into position on the right of the road on a hill and opened fire with them, first on the enemy's works, and then at the railroad, where troops and trains of the enemy were passing.

At dark the firing ceased, and during the night I brought the section of howitzers of battery F, forward to a position on the left of the road, in advance of the Rodman guns, and posted also the four twelve-pound Napoleon guns of the Fourth Ohio battery in a position on the hill on the left of the road, some distance to the right and rear of the howitzer section.

On the morning of the fourteenth of May, the howitzers of battery F, Second Missouri artillery, fired on a line of rifle-pits in front with shells, nearly enfilading them, and the twelvepound Napoleon guns of the Fourth Ohio opened on a piece of timber which was occupied by the enemy in force. Our skirmishers advanced then, and the Napoleons were obliged to cease firing, the left wing of our infantry having advanced in front of these pieces.

The three-inch Rodman guns of battery F held their old position of the day before, and maintained a very annoying fire on the enemy. The twenty-pound Parrott guns of the Fourth Ohio battery did also very good execution during the day. In the afternoon all the artillery was ordered to open a severe fire on all points occupied by the enemy, after which the infantry of the First division made a brilliant bayonet charge, crossing a deep ravine and a creek, taking possession of the hills in front of them. After sundown the firing ceased.

During the night I built a breastwork in the ravine on the right of the main road, for the two twelve-pounder howitzers which were brought to this point at five o'clock A. M. on the fifteenth of May. The twelve-pound Napoleon guns were also brought forward to the position held the day previous by the howitzers of battery F, Second Missouri artillery. The two twenty-pound Parrott guns, of the Fourth Ohio

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