CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of my
command from the 8th to the 15th day of May, inclusive:
The regiment, with the brigade, arrived at Mill Creek late in the evening of the 8th,
and on the 9th was sent on picket, where it remained until the brigade moved. The regiment
was not relieved until some two hours after the brigade marched on the 12th. Immediately
on being relieved the regiment marched, passed the wagon train, reached and took its
position at the head of the brigade at 3 p.m., and bivouacked at sundown. On the 13th the
regiment marched in rear of the brigade, making long halts, and about sundown took
position in breast-works partially built by the Third Division, which we completed, and
remained in that position until afternoon of the 14th, when we marched third in line with
the brigade to the left, and were placed in position to protect the left flank of the
army. Arriving there before sunset, my regiment occupied the extreme left and threw up a
breast-work along our front. We remained in position in the breast-works until after 10
a.m. the 15th, when we marched sixth in line with the brigade, and were halted and the
brigade massed in column of regiments near the Dalton road. At about 12 m. we were ordered
forward, the regiments moving in line between. I had moved forward but a few yards when I
found other troops, some lying down, which very much disordered our line. I halted and
endeavored to re-establish my line, but was immediately ordered forward by the general
commanding <ar73_305> division, and upon my representing the condition of things to
him he directed me to change direction to the right. I represented to him that the ground
was covered with troops lying down, and was again peremptorily ordered to move forward. I
immediately put the regiment in motion, changed front to the right, then leaving the
brigade and advanced up the hill, passing over several lines of men lying down, the left
of the regiment getting entangled with troops moving in other directions and separated
from the balance of the regiment. As the regiment reached the top of the hill and began to
descend on the other side we received the fire of the enemy, and at that point a regiment
of some other command (the Nineteenth Michigan, as I learn),which was within a few yards
following us, as they received the enemy's fire, opened fire directly in our backs,
severely wounding numbers of my men. I moved the regiment forward as rapidly as possible
out of their fire and advanced down the slope across the main road, and in an open field
of some 200 [yards] in width, overtaking and mingling with a confused line representing
several regiments of the Third Division, Twentieth Army Corps, and advanced with them at a
run, taking the front line, receiving as we passed across the road and field a terrible
fire of grape and canister from guns on the summit of a hill toward which we were moving.
The regiment pressed steadily and rapidly forward into woods and up the hill (receiving
all the time the fire of the guns and the infantry of the enemy) up to and over the
enemy's guns, driving them before us out of a redoubt on the summit of the hill and into a
line of breast-works some 100 yards beyond and nearly reaching the breast-works, when,
having passed forward far beyond our line, we received an enfilading fire of musketry from
our left. We then fell back to the crest of the hill and front of the redoubt and ]aid
down. We found the redoubt occupied by four brass 12-pounder guns, two of them pointing to
our right and two to our left. The regiment took position as follows: The colors planted
in the earth thrown up to form the redoubt near the guns pointing to the right, the right
wing running diagonally to the right and front along the crest of the hill, the portion of
the left wing which remained with the regiment extending to the left and rear in a ravine.
We held our position, keeping the enemy from the guns, but not being able to move them
ourselves. We were impeded and hindered in all our operations by the great number of men
of other commands, several times as many as could be of any service, and all totally
disorganized and under no command. Some twenty minutes or half an hour after we had taken
this position the One hundred and eleventh Pennsylvania Volunteers, Colonel Cobham, came
forward and took position at our left, having one company of the regiment, which he had
picked up on the route, his right overlapping and in front of my left. Upon his arrival
the fire upon us from the left almost entirely ceased, and we held our position with ease.
Soon after taking position, finding my regiment detached from brigade, I reported our
position and the condition of things, and was directed to remain there. There was slight
firing along the line, but no strong attack on either side during the afternoon and
evening until after the regiment was withdrawn, except a slight flurry about dusk, when
nearly everything in our vicinity, except my command, which steadily maintained its
position, retired to the foot of the hill. About 9 p.m., by direction of colonel
commanding brigade, the regiment was withdrawn and joined the brigade in the rear. The
conduct of both officers and men was all that could be desired. Our loss in the engagement
was 1 killed and about 30 wounded, a list of which has already been forwarded.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
C. B. RANDALL,
Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding.
Capt. S. B. WHEELOCK,
Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.
