view as they crossed it. The slaughter right there was something awful. Seventy or eighty muskets and a piece of artillery using grape had a dead fire on the knoll, and after the repulse, some of the Confederates crept forward and were horrified at the sight. The dead were so thick that they lay piled upon each other, and streams of blood could be traced for ten feet. Men had been hit by three or four bullets, and there was hardly a body which did not present a ghastly sight. In 1869 a Confederate ex-soldier from Kentucky found imbedded in the bark of a tree two hundred feet behind this knoll a Federal soldier's belt plate. The explosion of a shell must have torn him to fragments and sent that plate to the spot where it was found.

REPULSE.

The longer Palmer remained, the hotter grew the fire, and, like Logan and Howard, he at length sounded the retreat. He had done all that a commander could do, and soldiers never stood up to their work with more pluck, but it was asking them to accomplish the impossible. Bullets and shot and shell followed the retreating lines far into the woods, and scores of men were killed after having passed through the dangers of the actual assault without a scratch.'

28. We are busy at work on our defences. The enemy continue to shell us, and the fight between the pickets rages furiously. John H. Johnson and I went to Brigade Headquarters and got some krout for Chatfield, and some whisky for the company. Late this evening a truce was agreed upon, and our dead were properly buried. The stench of the battlefield begins to be very offensive.

The body of Captain Bowersock was brought off and buried in the rear of his company. Two solid shot were placed in the grave. Sergeant Scott died to-day, and was buried in a coffin at Big Shanty, by Lieutenant Swisher.

29. Another truce prevailed to-day from 9 A. M. to 1 P. M., and our men finished burying our dead comrades. Soon as the truce ended, the combatants resumed the work of death. Went back to the place from which we moved on Monday, and assisted Lieutenant McCrea prepare a "Muster Roll" for his company. Made an inventory of the personal effects of Captain Bowersock.

30. A brisk fight took plack before daylight in our front and to our left. It lasted about fifteen minutes, resulting in the killing of one man of the 98th O. V. I. The woods in the vicinity of our line was illuminated by the light of exploding shells. Heavy skirmish firing goes on continually between the opposing lines. Trees in our front have been chipped by bullets in a manner that is astonishing.

JULY, 1864.

1. We still confront the rebels at Kenesaw, and the rebels still confront us. We had another attack at midnight last night, resulting in a heavy loss of ammunition and some swearing. to have his rest broken.

A soldier hates

3. Sunday. We find no enemy in our front this morning. Kenesaw is no longer his, but ours. He slid out last night, and we will soon be in pursuit. After breakfast we went forward and spent some time on the battle field of the 27th inst. It presented evidences of a great struggle. At 8 A. M. we started in pursuit of Johnson's army, in the direction of Marietta, reaching that place in two hours, having moved at a very slow rate. Remained nearthe town till noon, and then proceeding four miles further, we seem to be nearing the rebel rear. Many rebel deserters have come into our lines to-day. Our troops are in good spirits. Camped in a thick woods. Marietta is the county seat of Cobb county, and is twenty miles from Atlanta.

4. We are celebrating the birthday of the Nation by firing an occasional salute on the works of the foe in our front. Company E was on the skirmish line all day, and it was very interesting. A year ago we were at Shelbyville, Tenn., and on that day Vicksburg was taken by General Grant. Where will we be July 4th, 1865.

5. The enemy vacated his position last night and we were in full pursuit before seven o'clock. We pressed his rear all day and the rattle of musketry and roar of artillery was continuous. Many prisoners and deserters fell into our hands. The 113th occupied a line of incomplete works which the 121st had vacated. John Bricker, Company K, was killed this evening. We are nearing the Chattahoochee river and our camp is a short distance from Vining, eleven miles from Atlanta.

10. Sunday. We have been in front of the rebels since the 5th, but nothing of especial moment has taken place. Johnson's army fell back across the Chattahoochee last night, destroying the bridge after he crossed. We seem to be in undisputed possession of this side of the river. In company with Bailey, Company K, Low, Company B, and J. O. Kite, Company E, I made a tour of inspection of the works just vacated by the rebels. It is very strange that they build such strong works and then vacate them without an effort to resist our approach.

12. Company E relieved the pickets of the 34th Illinois Vol

unteers, east of the C. & A. railroad, and in the evening the 94th O. V. I. took our places. We get a mail.

17. Sunday. A pontoon bridge is being completed across the Chattahoochee this morning. The river is one hundred and fifty yards wide at this point. About noon we crossed to the south side, advanced some distance from the river, driving the rebel skirmishers before us. Later in the evening we advanced a mile, by the right of companies to the front. We threw up a line of works. This is my wife's birthday; we have been married three years, and she is twenty-one.

18. Part of the brigade went to the front, but at noon returned without any particular adventure. During the afternoon we again went to the front, threw up some works and spent the night.

19.

We held our position till evening, and moved out to Nancy's Creek, (Peachtree.) About sunset the Third Brigade became engaged, and for a time we were exposed to the enemy's fire. Levi Thomas, Company G, and John Weber, Company A, were killed, and two other men of the 113th were wounded. Companies I, E and K carried the logs of an old house, standing near the stream, and constructed a bridge, finishing it at midnight. While we were thus engaged, my attention was attracted to a body floating in the stream. I dragged it out, and beheld the body of a beardless youth, who had been shot through the body, and had fallen into the creek unobserved by his comrades. No one will ever tell that boy's mother the story

of her son's death.

20. At three o'clock this morning we crossed the stream and threw up a line of rifle pits in a cornfield, where we remained all day and all night.

21. The rebels left our front last night, and before breakfast the 113th moved to the front to reconnoiter. At the distance of a mile we began to erect works, but left them unfinished, and returned to our rifle pits in the cornfield. After dinner, the regiment again went out and picketed to the southeast. Companies D, I, K, G and B, went on the outposts, the other five companies were in reserve. There has been hard fighting on our left, but we know little of the particulars.

22. At 10 A. M. the regiment returned to its former position in the cornfield, and at noon the whole brigade moved with the division'in the direction of Atlanta, the rebels having again fallen back. The division halted on several hills within four miles of Atlanta. Here

we fortified and sent out a skirmish line. We are confronting the enemy again.

23. Spent the day fortifying. Our batteries are shelling the city of Atlanta.

24. Sunday. Am not well. I am in good spirits, however, and if I had swallowed Dr. Wilson's prescription instead of putting it in my vest pocket, I might be in better health.

26. Was on picket to-day, the line being commanded by Captain Otway Watson. We had an agreeable time, and were exposed to very little danger.

28. The brigade made a reconnoisance to the southwest, returning late at night. Spent the night a mile from our works. The men are much scattered, and but few are with their companies at the halt. There has been some hard fighting to-day, of which we learn no particulars.

29. Instead of returning to our own works, we occupied a partially completed line which had been constructed by other troops. This is near the place where the battle raged yesterday, and a number of us visited the field during the day. The dead of both sides remain unburied, and the scene presents some pictures that are shocking, even to a soldier.

30. At noon our brigade moved to the right and threw up a line of works a mile from our position of last night. The weather is oppressively warm.

31. Our brigade scouted several miles in the direction of the left of the enemy, and then returned to our position of the morning in a tremendous rain. We had left our baggage in our line, and as a consequence we got very wet, and we remained wet all night.

AUGUST, 1864.

1. Quiet reigns to-day. The rebel lines at this point are not as close to ours as usual. This may explain why it is so quiet. My wife's letter of June 27th is at hand, containing $5. It has been a long time coming.

2. Companies H, E, K, G, and B, went on the skirmish line in front of our brigade, and with the troops of the 15th A. C. in front of This is a strange position indeed. The woods are a dense mass

us.

of brush.

4. Yesterday was a quiet day with no incident or movement worth recording. This morning, long before day, orders were given to be ready to move, but we spent the forenoon resting in line.

After dinner the whole division moved to the right three miles, leaving knapsacks and baggage behind. Here we fortified in a thick woods. This day was set apart by the President as a day of fasting and prayer, but things hereabouts went on after the usual plan, eating all we had and praying for more.

5. During the forenoon we advanced a mile further south, halted and constructed a line of works under a heavy artillery fire. Half the men returned and brought up our knapsacks. Two men were wounded this evening. Remained in our works during the night.

6. The command constructed and occupied another line of defense two hundred yards in advance. The enemy's artillery have range of us and his shelling has annoyed us sorely. Johnson, Company I, had a leg shot off by a shell, and a man in Company B was wounded. It has been a day of great peril.

7. Sunday. Quiet remained at the front till three in.the afternoon, when it was ascertained that the enemy in our front had given way. We moved our line to the front at once, driving in or capturing the pickets who made a strong effort to hold us in check. Our line halted at their vacated picket line, and while the foe raked us with shot and shell we threw up rifle-pits and sheltered ourselves behind them. While we advanced across a clear field to take up a position here, the enemy had plain view of our line and from a battery to our left front he sent in the solid shot in a manner that made my hair stand` on end. Captain Jones, who commanded the 113th at the time, shouted: "steady, men, guide right-steady, men, guide right," and the men kept their places like grains of corn on the cob While we were busy at our defenses, Sergeant Cyrus T. Ward, Company E, was wounded in the hip. A few minutes later a shell carred off the head of Anthony Shimmel of the same company. By desperately hard work we had our defenses in good shape when night came on. The enemy seems to know that he has a good range of our works, and he keeps reminding us of it every few minutes. After dark, P. T. Bowman and I carried the body of Shimmel to the rear, dug a grave and gave it burial. On a tree near the grave we cut his name, company, and regiment. Shimmel was a German and a brave soldier.

8. An occasional shot is given and received from either side by the artillery. The skirmishers seem to be earning their $13 a month, judging by their continuous firing.