May 30^th                               

25 miles from Atlanta

 

Dear Parents

                        Your welcome letter has just been received and I hasten to answer it hoping it will find you enjoying good health a heavy battle has been raging for the past five days and dosent seem as if it would ever end our Corps came on the enemy who with their masked batteries opened a deadly fire on the 20^th Corps and in a short time nearly four thousand brave boys had fallen their object was to annihilate our Corps and then rush on after the other corps their works seem almost impregnable /

 

[margin]

 

the Cromwell boys are safe so far

 

prisoners say that Johnston has been reinforced by some of Longstreets command but I doubt it as he is wanted in Virginia the enemy attacked the 23^rd Corps train and captured 105 wagons the 20^th Conn Vols were detailed to guard the Division train and as yet we have not been engaged the enemy will make a desperate effort to hold evry inch of ground between here and Atlanta but I think we shall be successful but we have lost heavily in killed and wounded /

we have had a rather tough campaign of it so far but if you glance at the map you will see that we are in the heart of the CSA I would like to hear of Loomis safety I suppose they had a hard battle we hear with regret of the fall of the brave commander of the Potomac When Genl Geary was told of the death of his son at Lookout Mountain last December all he said was such is the curse of war and fought his Division harder than before hoping this may find you as it leaves me in good health I will draw to a close with love to all write soon                                                                                   

 

From your affect Son

Geo S Palmer

Co D. 20^th Con Vols

3^rd Brigade 3^rd Division

20^th A.C.

via Chattanooga /

 

[note in another hand]

 

G. S. Palmer

May 30 1864

SOURCES