Atlanta was evacuated the following day, and a general engagement took place at Jonesboro, twenty miles south of Atlanta, resulting in a heavy loss to both sides.
In the night, the enemy fell back, the cavalry followed to Lovejoy’s Station, six miles further south, being on the left of our army, occupying the McDonald and Fayetteville road, nine miles south-east of Jonesboro. We remained at this point on picket one week, where we saw fighting more or less every day.
Leaving this point, we moved back and went into camp near Decatur, which is six miles east of Atlanta on the railroad leading to Augusta.
During our campaign in Georgia, we subsisted chiefly upon the country, which was gathered in by foraging parties, detached for that purpose, and under the command of an officer.
As a general thing, some of the parties would be skirmishing with the enemy while the remainder would be gathering forage.
Skirmishing, while in Georgia, was more of an every day business than otherwise.
When General Hood set his flank machine in operation and was followed by a portion of General Sherman’s command, the Seventh remained at Atlanta with the 23rd corps, and was engaged in those mammoth foraging expeditions of which you have read the newspaper accounts.
We continued in this business until Gen. Sherman returned to Atlanta and commenced his “masterly retreat” on Richmond, via Savanna, Ga., Charleston and Columbia, S. C., when we turned over our horses and arms to complete the mounting and arming of Gen. Kilpatrick’s cavalry, and returned to Nashville, arriving there on the 15th of November, 1864.
On the 25th, Col. Garrard was put in command of two regiments, the Seventh O. V. C. and Tenth Tennessee.
The brigade formerly commanded by Col. Garrard, the Seventh excepted, it having been assigned to Gen. Kirkpatrick’s command prior to our leaving Atlanta, and accompanied him on the Sherman expedition.