SHERMAN’S WAGON TRAIN AND THE AFFAIRS WITH M’COOK AND STONEMAN.
The enemy, over one hundred thousand strong, under one of the ablest
commanders in the Federal army, advanced on all the roads, overlapping
the Confederates, who took position after position, to be turned by the
superior numbers of their adversaries.
At Resaca there was quite a spirited engagement with a part of the
advance. At Cassville we took position and offered battle, but retired
before the flanking movement of the enemy. Near this place Wheeler
turned their left and captured a train of wagons within a few miles
of Sherman’s army. The Rangers were not in this capture, but when
the enemy sent a force of cavalry to retake his train, we met it in
the most unique engagement of the war. Sherman’s great army with its
hundreds of cannon, thousands of wagons and other vehicles had passed
along, pulverizing the roads and fields into fine dust, which covered
everything, in many places several inches deep. A single horseman
riding along raised a cloud, a company or regiment, such a dense fog as
to obscure everything. We were in line on one side of a slight rise in
the land. The cavalry of the enemy above mentioned were approaching on
the other side of the hill. We were ordered forward, and at the top of
this hill we met each other, enveloped in clouds of dust. We raised the
usual yell, although in doing so we took in large quantities of Georgia
real estate. We emptied our pistols into the dust, and the enemy broke.
We did not pursue them very far; for we knew we were near their main
army, and feared we might run into a brigade or two of infantry, as
we could not see anything twenty feet away. Previous encounters had
given us a contempt for their cavalry and we did not hesitate to charge
a whole brigade if need be; but we had a wholesome respect for large
bodies of infantry. We took a few prisoners, but did not know, owing to
the dust, what other casualties were inflicted on them. We had seven
wounded, including George Burke of Company D, who was shot in the
shoulder.
Wheeler was determined to save his train, so he tried to march all
night, but a violent electrical storm came up, rain fell in torrents,
and our progress was very slow, for the drivers of the teams could not
see the road, except by the glare of the lightning. After this had gone
on for several hours, making scarcely so many miles, the command camped
in column--I believe without orders.
Wheeler dearly loved their wagon trains. I believe it is safe to say
that from the first to the last he captured as many wagons as he
commanded men. Thousands were burned, but other thousands were secured
for the use of our army. The Northern contractors probably enjoyed this
as much as Wheeler; no doubt they would have been glad to replace all
the wagons, for a reasonable consideration.
The retreat of the army continued to the very gates of Atlanta. Here
the Rangers made another charge, in which Jesse Billingsly of Company D
was killed.
During the last week of July the enemy undertook to play our game, and
simultaneously made two raids on our communications. One column under
General McCook, with 3500 cavalry, turned our left. They crossed the
Chattahoochie near Campbelltown, passed through Fayetteville, where
they burned between fifty and one hundred wagons, and struck the Macon
railroad near Jonesboro, twenty or twenty-five miles below Atlanta. As
soon as intelligence of this movement reached Wheeler he started for
the raiders. We rode all night, coming up with them about daylight.
They made very feeble resistance and we ran over them. It was now a
chase of twenty miles to the Chattahoochie again. As this stream was
not fordable, they made a stand to gain time for crossing the river,
which they were attempting by means of boats. Our column was strung
out for several miles, Harrison’s brigade in front. We were dismounted
and pushed into the thick woods. It was afternoon of the first day of
August, and about as hot as such days ever get. The enemy made some
resistance, but we drove them steadily some four or five hundred yards,
when we heard firing in our rear where we had left our horses. So we
had to face about and fight our way back. We got mixed up with Ross’
brigade, which had been dismounted as soon as it came up. After some
three hours of this work, the enemy surrendered; that is, all who had
not crossed the river.
Wheeler reported 950 prisoners, 1200 horses and two pieces of artillery
as the fruits of this engagement. There were many of their killed and
wounded lying in the bushes. I have no information as to the number.
Our regiment lost two killed and ten wounded, including one from
Company D. This was V. Catron, who was shot in the leg.
The other column of the enemy, led by General Stoneman, turned our
right flank and struck our communications lower down, near Macon. His
force was reported to be 3000. General Iverson of the Confederate
cavalry attacked them and took 600 prisoners, including Stoneman
himself, with two pieces of artillery. The remainder of their force in
small detachments made their way back as best they could. Iverson did
not have force enough to pursue them.
General Shoupe of General Hood’s staff recorded in his diary, that
the “First of August deserved to be marked with a white stone.” These
operations cost the enemy nearly half of the two raiding parties, and
fully justified General Hood in saying that our cavalry were equal to
twice their number of the enemy.