On the night of July 2d Gen. Johnston fell back from Kennesaw to the line south of Marietta. A portion of Co. K was on picket, but overtook the regiment without losing a man. Sherman followed close in pursuit, and when the new position was reached, no time was lost in entrenching. In less than thirty minutes from the time the First Alabama halted, the men had constructed temporary breastworks and were ready and eager for the fray. Sherman, however, finding Johnston prepared, contented himself with shelling our lines. The fire of the enemy’s sharpshooters was very annoying, and on the 4th, Corp. James D. Rice was wounded by them. He rejoined the company prior to the Tennessee campaign.
About 9 P. M. on the night of the 4th, the army again retreated, the new line being that of the Chattahoochie River. Breastworks were again constructed, and here the regiment remained till another flank movement by Sherman compelled Gen. Johnston, on the 9th, to cross the river. The regiment was stationed on the line south of Peach Tree Creek. While here, Lieut. Adams was transferred to the Navy Department, Richmond; and an election in the company, held by order of Maj. Knox, resulted in the choice of Galvin Golsan as Second Lieutenant, Jr. Orderly-Sergt. Cameron was also brevetted First Lieutenant for gallantry, and, pending Lieut. Golsan’s examination for a commission, was placed in command of the company.
Gen. Hood took command of the army on July 19th. By five o’clock on the morning of the 20th the sound of musketry on the right announced the inauguration of the new policy of aggressive instead of defensive warfare. The regiment was at this time deployed as skirmishers on Peach Tree Creek, three-quarters of a mile in front of the works. Orders were received to retire as skirmishers, and assemble on the main line. This was done under a heavy artillery fire, in good order. The brigade having, in the meantime, moved to the right, the regiment followed at a double quick, overtaking it in position on the reserve line immediately in the rear of the heaviest fighting. No call was made on the reserve, and at the close of the day the regiment returned to its former position, but was marching and countermarching all that night and the following day. On the night of the 21st the regiment was withdrawn to Atlanta, and placed on picket. Private Tharp was missing on the arrival of the company at its new post, and was not again heard from.
The usual work of entrenching was immediately begun, and in three hours everything was ready for an attack. Late on the afternoon of the 22d the regiment was ordered to the right to storm a twelve-gun battery; but Hood’s attack had failed, and the order was countermanded when the regiment was in position. It bivouacked there for the night, and on the following morning returned to its former position. Here it remained till July 27, when it was withdrawn 300 yards to the rear for rest. The same evening, however, the regiment was ordered to fall in, with blankets rolled, ready for marching, and it remained in line all night awaiting further orders. It rained gently through the night, but when morning came the clouds disappeared, and the sun rose bright and clear—for the last time for many of the brave men of the First Alabama.
About 10, A. M., came the command, “Attention!” “Right face!” “Forward, march!” After marching two or three miles, the command was halted till about 3, P. M., when it was again ordered forward. Soon the sound of musketry announced that a battle was in progress immediately in front. Hood, with Stewart’s and Lee’s corps, was attempting to break through the enemy’s line near the Lickskillet, or Poorhouse Road. Gen. Quarles at once placed his brigade in line of battle—the First Alabama on the left, Co. K to the left of the color company—Brevet-Lieut. Cameron in command, Lieut. Golsan, who had not yet received his commission, accompanying him. In a few minutes the brigade was under fire, and, pressing forward, passed over Canty’s brigade, which was lying down, and, crossing a rail fence, charged down a slope—
“Into the jaws of death,
Into the mouth of hell.”
No sooner had they reached the foot of the hill, crossed a small run or brook and begun to ascend the opposite side, than a withering flanking fire swept down their ranks; while from the works in front, halfway up the ascent and hidden in the edge of the woods, streamed forth a constant blaze of musketry, while shots from the artillery pierced the bank of smoke like flashes of lightning. Still the men made no halt, but, with heads bent down as though breasting the cyclone, pressed onward, till Gen. Quarles, seeing that none could survive to reach the enemy’s lines, gave the order to halt and fall back to the run, now red with blood, where a slight cover was afforded. They were within fifty yards of the enemy when halted, and a gallant soldier of another command was buried by the enemy where he fell just outside their works, and his grave, carefully protected, was marked by them with a tribute to his bravery. The charge was made over open ground, while the enemy were wholly concealed in the woods and behind a breastwork constructed of a rail fence and rock piled up. Lieut. Golsan fell early in the fight, and Lieut. Cameron just before reaching the run at the foot of the hill. Both were cheering on the men when stricken down. Co. K lost 19 men killed and wounded out of 32 engaged, the casualties being as follows:—
Killed—Brev. First Lieut. Norman Cameron; Junior Second Lieut. Galvin Golsan; Privates William Dubose and John Owens: total, 4.