General Geary came up soon after, charged the enemy and recovered the battery, which was instantly turned upon the rebels, causing great destruction. The prisoners were, however, too far in the rear for recapture, and they were conveyed to that loathsome earthly hell, Andersonville. What they endured, the cruelties of the studied starvation by express order of chivalric Jeff Davis, and the horrible atrocities accorded to defenseless prisoners by the Southern opponents in this unholy, ungodly conflict, the writer will not attempt to describe; language fails in the recital. Loss: Killed, two; wounded, seven; captured, five; total fourteen.
CHAPTER XIX.
Siege of Atlanta—The Capitulation—General Sherman’s Report.
July 21st, heavy skirmishing on our right. 22d, we moved forward in pursuit of the retreating rebels. 23d, we are now strongly intrenched, within two miles of Atlanta, Georgia; lively skirmishing much of the time. 24th, shelling and picket firing to-day; rebels charged our line but were repulsed. 25th, brisk firing all day. 26th, advanced our line forty rods. 27th, quiet along the lines. 28th, heavy firing on our right; the rebels are repulsed. 29th and 30th, fighting continues.
August 1st to 3d, hot firing all the time. 4th, National Thanksgiving Day; fighting on our right; rebels driven back; skirmishing every day—all the time; getting monotonous. 25th, left our works and fell back to the Chattahoochie river, near Vining station; marched all night. 27th, Major-general W. H. Slocum assumed command of the Twentieth army corps.
September 4th, moved forward to Atlanta, which we reached about 2 o’clock P. M.; marched through the city and went into camp about one and one-half miles west of the city. 6th, received an order from General Sherman that the campaign was ended, and that the troops are to have a full month’s rest; that our task was not only done, but well done. 12th, the citizens of Atlanta were moved south to-day; from this date we lay in camp with little to mar our happiness till November 1st, when we received orders to send all our baggage to the rear and put ourselves in light marching order. November 5th, orders having been received for the troops to move, the Twenty-ninth struck tents and marched from Atlanta at 3:30 P. M. in the direction of Stone Mountain, some three miles, and camped for the night. At 1 o’clock P. M. on the following day, the regiment marched back to Atlanta, and again occupied its old camp.
During the afternoon of the 1st of September specific orders for the withdrawal of Stewart’s rebel corps de armee and the militia were issued, and about sunset the latter were withdrawn from the trenches. When they were fairly on the road Stewart’s corps followed, all being en route by midnight, except the cavalry, a brigade or two of infantry, and the pickets. These latter remained until the advance of the Twentieth corps neared the city on the morning of the 2d. The explosion of ammunition was of course heard at the position of the Twentieth corps, and though General Slocum (who it appears was in command of the Twentieth corps at the time) had received no intelligence of Sherman’s great success at Jonesboro, he was not unprepared to find Hood gone any morning, and the explosions convinced him that the withdrawal was taking place. He instantly issued orders to his division commanders, Generals Ward, Williams, and Geary, to send out each a heavy reconnoissance at daybreak on the morning of the 2d.
About 1,000 men were detailed from each division, and at 5 A. M. pushed forward on neighboring roads into Atlanta on the north and northwest, encountering no opposition. They pushed rapidly forward, and at 8 o’clock came in sight of the rebel intrenchments, so lately occupied with enemies but now silent and deserted.
Advancing rapidly, Colonel Coburn, commanding General Ward’s reconnoissance, entered the enemy’s works, encountering in the suburbs Mayor Calhoun, of Atlanta, and a deputation of the city council. The former nervously presented a paper surrendering the city and asking protection. Colonel Coburn refused to receive the paper for informality, and directed that another should be drawn up. Mayor Calhoun invited several of General Ward’s staff to accompany him to the court-house, where the documents should be made en regle, promising at the same time to expel the drunken rebel stragglers, who were lingering in the streets and were disposed to skirmish with our advance. He immediately took measures to effect the last, and accompanied by the officers whose names are offered in attest, he returned to the court-house, and the following document was drawn up:
| “Atlanta, Georgia, | ⎫ |
| September 2, 1864. | ⎭ |