Early in May, 1864, the enemy 100,000 strong made an advance, and it was supposed from the overwhelming numbers of Sherman's army that he would give battle in front of Dalton, but after trying two or more days to dislodge the Confederates, he commenced his flank movement under cover of Rocky Face Ridge. This forced the withdrawal of the Confederates from Dalton to Resaca. The Thirteenth and One Hundred and Fifty-fourth were the first to arrive at Resaca, where they found General Canty's Division skirmishing with the enemy. The enemy was held in check until sufficient reinforcements arrived to drive Sherman back through Black Snake Gap. It was here that the writer, standing by the side of General Johnston (who was intently watching the skirmish line), heard him say that never in his life had he seen skirmishers behave better, or handled with more skill, and turning to the writer, asked: "Do you know to what command they belong and who is their commander?" The writer replied that they were commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel John W. Dawson and belonged to the Thirteenth and One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Tennessee Regiments, Vaughan's Brigade, Cheatham's Division.
From Resaca the regiment fell back to Adairsville, where it had a sharp engagement and inflicted a heavy loss upon the enemy. Thence to Cassville, where everything indicated a pitched battle, and never was the regiment, in fact, the whole army, in better condition. Its morale had improved every day since Johnston assumed command, and it was confidently believed by both officers and men that whenever battle was given, victory was certain. But from some cause battle was not given. It was here that the Thirteenth and One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Regiments had the highest compliment paid them during the war. After the line of battle was formed and every brigade and division in position, General Cheatham was ordered by General Johnston to furnish the best regiment in his division to bring on the engagement. The Thirteenth and One Hundred and Fifty-fourth were furnished.
The next hard fighting done by the regiment was at New Hope Church and Lost Mountain, then on the Kennesaw line at what was known as "dead angle." It was here that Hooker, with that splendid fighting corps of his, made the attack and was so signally repulsed. In column seven lines deep, with not a cap on the guns of the first two lines, he attempted to storm our position. Never did men march into the very jaws of death with a firmer tread and with more determination than did the Federals to this attack. But they met intrenched infantry, and the concentrated fire of musketry, canister, grapeshot and shell mowed them down at every step. Yet they still struggled forward, but every Confederate stood at his post, and in a short time it was more than mortals could stand and they broke and fled, leaving eight hundred of their dead. The Thirteenth and One Hundred and Fifty-fourth were in the angle, supported on the right and left by the veterans of the Army of Tennessee.
While occupying this point the writer received orders from headquarters that the safety of the army depended upon holding this position, and that it must be held if it required the sacrifice of every man in the regiments. This order was communicated to the men and their unanimous response was that "we will stay here." A few days after this the army fell back and took position twelve miles below Marietta, Ga., at Vining station on the railroad to Atlanta. It was at this point, on the fourth day of July, 1864, while the regiment and brigade were resting in the trenches behind a battery that the writer lost a leg by the explosion of a shell from the enemy's battery, which released him from field service during the remainder of the war. Hence I had no personal knowledge of the movements of my old command after this date.
In a short time after this, Colonel George W. Gordon, of the Eleventh Tennessee, was promoted to Brigadier-General and took command of the brigade. The Thirteenth and One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Regiments were under his command at the crossing of Chattahoochee, at Peach Tree Creek, with Hardee on the twenty-second of July, in the defenses of Atlanta, at Jonesboro, at the capture of Dalton, at Spring Hill, at the bloody battle of Franklin, in front of Nashville, in the retreat out of Tennessee, and at Bentonville, N. C., the last battle of the war. From Belmont, Mo., the first engagement, to Bentonville, N. C., the last, this regiment shed luster upon the soldiery of Tennessee, and well merited the compliment of General Joseph E. Johnston when he said: "They were unsurpassed by the Old Guard of Napoleon, or the army that Wellington marched out of Spain into France."
When the great soldier and leader, Joseph E. Johnston, surrendered the remnant of the Army of Tennessee, on April 26, 1865, there were left of the gallant old Thirteenth less than fifty officers and men. More than twelve hundred men had once mustered in its ranks. Throughout the four years they had fallen in battle, been stricken in camp, died on the march, and sometimes, alas! in prison. Faithful always, only a handful were left when the curtain was rung down on the awful drama. I was not there to see the old flag furled, the guns grounded, and the swords handed over; but I know that the same heroism, fortitude and love were with the remnant, as had been with those who four years before had marched away from home at the call of country and of duty.
