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Camp on the Battle Field 30 Miles From Atlanta Thursday May 28th 1864 Dear Parents; As I have the opportunity to write a few lines I thought I would Improve it, and let you know what the 149th has been doing since I wrote you last Friday. We are camped near Kingston. We staid here until Monday morning, when we started for Atlanta. I suppose our army has been waiting for the railroad to be repaired, so as to get a new supply of hard tack. Monday the 20th Corps marched about 15 miles and crossed the Etowak River about sundown. We camped that night on the bank of the river. The next day (Tuesday) we marched about 15 miles. The advance skirmished with the Rebs all day. yesterday morning we started around 7 and marched pretty fast until 10:00, when the first Brigade of our Division, which was in the advance, ran into a large body of Rebs lying on each side of the road. They killed and wounded quite a number but as soon as the rest of the Division came up they skedaled. Our Division then waited for about 4 hours until the rest of the corps came up and about 5:00 we were formed into three lines of battle and started after them. They kept fighting and falling back for about 2 miles, when it got dark. It seems they were trying to get us into a trap, and we come pretty near falling into it to. The country all around here is covered with thick woods and bushes. They had a long line of breastworks covered with bushes, so when our forces came near enough they let the bullets fly with caution. Our men stopped, laid down and kept firing for about two hours. Our Brigade (the 3rd) was sent around to the right to try and flank them. By this time it had got to be dark. We were marching up a hill through the thick bushes in line of battle, the 111th Penn. and our Regiment in the first line, and just as we passed over the top of the hill the Rebs opened fire from a masked Battery and a long line of Breastworks. Our men fired two or three volleys but the battery was too much for us and we got down off the hill in a hurry. We laid at the foot of the hill all night and this morning were sent about a half mile further to the right flank and have been building breastworks all afternoon. The Rebs were in the woods in front of us. The skirmishers that are about 100 rods in front of us have been fighting all day. We have good breastworks now and if the rebs don't believe that let them come and see for themselves. The 20th corps holds the center, The 4th is on our left flank, and the 15th and 16th corps on our right flank. There has been heavy skirmishing going on all day and if the Rebs stay where they are there will be a tug of war tomorrow for certain. I don't know how many men our Regiment lost last night. Our company had 50 wounded, Franklin Holbrook in the arm, John Heath, arm, Lisidore Parison in the thigh, George Phillips, leg, and Willis Griffin in the foot. We get mail nearly every day. The last letter I had from you was dated the 2nd. I think it is about time I had another. I have had 4 weekly Standards since I left Bridgeport. They come more regular now than they ever have before. I will write again as soon as I get a chance. Oliver
Monday May 30th 1864 As I havn't had a chance to send this letter I will add a little more to it. We are still in the same position that we were last Thursday and the big battle hasn't come off as yet although there has been some heavy skirmishing day and night all across the line, and some of the time some pretty heavy fighting. Along our lines in front of us the Rebel forces have some pretty strong breastworks set up. Skirmishers from both sides are out in front, and keep up a steady fire all day and night. The bullets that come from the Rebs go over the skirmishers, pass over he Breastworks and keep up a steady music all day long. Last Friday morning our forces got two batteries in position along the breastworks and kept up a steady fire on them all the forenoon. The Rebs got a battery in position the next morning and opened fire on us. They kept up a steady fire for about two hours and the shell burst around us quite lively. There was one man killed and one wounded in our Regiment. General Geary ordered up a battery of Parrot Guns which quieted them down mighty quick. When the Rebs opened fire in the morning, some of the men were cooking their coffee about 10 rods back from the breastworks. 6 of our company were cooking around a small fire, when a shell come in and cut down a small tree about 10 feet to the rear of us. The top of it fell on our heads and on the fire spilling all the coffee. There wasn't anyone hurt but the way we dug out from under the limbs and got back to the breastworks was a caution. That night about 11 the Rebs made a charge on our breastworks about half a mile to the left of us but they had to get back in a hurry, I think they got more than they bargained for. The way our cannon roared was enough to deafen a fellow. The fight lasted about 20 minutes. I don't know what the fighting is going to amount to. The Rebs in front of us have got such a strong position that I don't think we will attack them from the front. I think there are men enough to out flank them. Last night there was heavy fighting around to our right. We could just hear the cannon. We havn't heard yet what it amounted to. All a soldier knows of what is going on around here is just what he can see and that is very little, when the night is dark and the bushes are as thick as they are around here. Tues. Noon; I have just got a chance to mail this letter. We are still behind the breastworks, and the skirmishers are popping away as usual. Write often. Oliver |
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