on the way towards Atlanta july 4^th

 

Dear wife & children

                                    Nothing new has taken place since I wrote until the night of the 2^nd we pulled up & left the place we occupied so long. we marched out at night & took a course round to the right. we marched all night & a good part of sunday. the rebels left the mountain our forces were getting too far in their rear. we saw no rebels on our way we went to the right & towards the Chattahoochie river. we are not far from the river now we come up to where a small force of rebels were skirmishing with our advance but they were soon driven back & we went in to camp for the night & were not disturbed, thro' the night. we are here yet & I dont know what we do to day. yesterday our left wing had a good deal of fighting to do & took a lot of prisoners. (reports say from 3000 to 7000) I dont know how many. there is cannon firing off to the left this morning, but I dont know / whether there is any fighting or not. I expect there is for Johnson had not got across the river yesterday & if he didn't slip across last night, our forces will plague him all they can for it to day. I dont know whether he will come to see us or not, most likely not for he cant go to see all the folks at once. Marrietta was taken yesterday I believe I see the special reporters had it taken long ago & several other reports that were not true, but you can see how fortunate we have been in escaping fights why is it? I dont say this to brag, but it look well in our favor, tis true we dont know what may happen yet, but we are hopeful & believe that there is more than mere luck in it. rebel prisoners say that here will be the last stand or rather on the other side of the Chattahoochie river & if they are cleaned out this side the river, it will be a scratch between us which will get possession of the railroad bridge. we have pontoons with us it has been reported that part of our / forces had got across the river on the pontoons but I guess that is not true yet, but they are hard pressed, or else they would not have left that mountain, for we could not have taken it very easy. (9 o'clock) We are ordered to fall in we marched a short distance & our Company & four others were deployed as skirmishers. we soon got into business. we advanced & drove the rebels for some distance, when they opened on us with artillery throwing grape & canister among us. we fell back a short distance & made a stand, & fired away at them awhile & they at us, but they were like to gobble us so we fell back across a field to our reserve, & our brigade then moved up & advanced slowly driving them again & they have about ceased fighting now but it is night almost dark Amos & myself did not advance with the brigade & they found the enemy too strong posted to risk an attack at so late an hour, so they fell back & threw up a line of breastworks & rested for the night. among the wounded to day are jim Sweeney in the thigh early in the day Perry Gephart in the hip just before / we were driven back, a man by the name of Watson in the thigh, these were in Co A. you need not believe one quarter that Perry Gephart will tell for he will be sent home most likely. I know of but one man killed in the regiment. I had got somewhat overheated & Cap^t W. ordered me to remain back which I did, but the hardest fighting was over then. I can no longer say that I have not been shot at & that I have not fired or shot at the rebs, for I did put in a few to celebrate the 4^th with & there was plenty coming thick & [faded] us but we come through without a scratch I said that you [faded, paper fold] that Perry Gephart says but you [faded] thing that he tells for there is no man in the company showed more fear or tried harder to escape being hurt, & you cannot believe what he says for he blows awful & the whole company is down on him. This days work may be set down as a battle, but in our part it was only heavy skirmishing which is a kind of Indian style of fighting. we fight under cover or dodge round [faded] trees fences stumps or anything that you can hide behind & shoot as you [faded] Skirmishers go in advance of the main force to find out where the enemy is & [faded] and no general engagement [faded] if they are strongly posted & make a stand. then the skirmishers fall back on the main force & they advance or not just as is thought advisable. (july 5^th) abbout 8 o'clock we were ordered to fall in which Amos did but the company were ordered to leave their knapsacks behind & Cap W ordered Amos to stay behind to guard them. the brigade advanced followed by other troops, our reg't in advance. We soon heard firing & then yelling. then....

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