Chapter 76

CHAPTER LXXVI

After our troops withdrew from the mountain or ridge, the musketry ceased, and when the order was given to cease firing to the battery.  A profound stillness rested over the late battle field.  Our regiment was at once moved to the front and put on picket.  A number of the members of our company were ordered to cross mill creek, and to take an advanced position, in order that they might be able to give the command a timely warning in case the enemy should see proper to advance upon us.  Serg’t. Schroyer had charge of the squad and from where the post was established, the Johnnies could be heard talking and forming their picket lines.

After long hours of untiring vigilance the morning dawned and we found our position to be within easy rifle range of the enemy’s videttes, and while they we were protected by the trees we were posted in plain view of them, without the slightest protection, and for quite a while there was considerable dodging about in our ranks, which wore away as the hours passed away and the enemy did not fire on us.

During the day we could see heavy columns of Confederate infantry moving in the direction of Dalton, along the top of the ridge their arms glistening in the sun like myriads of sun beams.  From the length of time it took the column to pass, our officers estimated that fully 10,000 men had moved past and were hastening to reinforce their troops in the vicinity of Buzzard’s Roost, which was being threatened by the troops belonging to the old 14^th Army Corps.

We were relieved at a little after 8 o’c1ock, p. m., when we were moved back a short distance and ordered to throw up breastworks and make all possible arrangements to give the enemy a warm reception.

We worked with a will and in a few hours we succeeded in erecting first class works.  After which we spread our blankets and made temporary shelter for the night, most of us putting up our dog tents.

At about ten o’clock at night it began to rain and continued to pour down in torrents nearly all night.  We had placed our tents in the ditch enclosed within the works and as may well be imagined it did not take it long to fill up with water, and then we were called upon to pass one of the most trying nights that it ever was our evil misfortune to undergo.  During the long hours of the night, we were compelled to sit huddled up in the small quarters, in mud and water half-way up to our knees, and every time that we forgot ourselves and fell into a doze, we would take a seat in the water and thus be suddenly recalled to the hardships of the hour.

For seven long hours we remained in this uncomfortable predicament endeavoring to keep our arms and ammunition dry, as there was no telling at what hour or how suddenly the foe might make an attack upon us.  It is a well-known fact that soldiers fight best when they are tired, hungry and out of humor generally, and had we been attacked the rebels would have been met by a body of men who would have just been mad enough to fight desperately.

As the day dawned the rain ceased and we immediately sought the genial rays of the sun, to dry our clothing and to infuse new life into us.  A more deplorable and forlorn looking set of men, we never beheld, and we feel confident that had our wives, mothers, and friends beheld us as we gathered together in groups to compare notes that morning, they would certainly not have recognized us.

It was with considerable difficulty that we succeeded in getting a fire to burn, everything was soaked with the rain and we knew nothing about using coal oil to start the same, but after a number of attempts we succeeded and soon had a steaming cup of coffee in which we soon drowned our misfortunes of the past eight hours.

The ensuing day we devoted to making our arms fit for ser­vice or muster as well as to cleaning our mud stained uniforms, at the same time watching the movements of the enemy, large numbers of whom could be seen from where we were encamped.  Nothing of any importance occurred until Thursday, the 12^th of May, when we received marching orders and marched along the base of Rocky Face Ridge, in the direction of Sugar Valley, crossing the Ridge through Snake Greek Gap, a pass as its name would indicate that crossed the ridge by a circuitous and winding route, and which could have been held against us by a small body of determined men, but General Sherman had succeeded by gaining the key to the pass without a serious engagement having complet­ely deceived Gen. Joe Johnson, the Rebel Commander, as to the point where he intended to cross the Ridge.  After a march of about 12 miles we came to a halt for the day.  Here we for the first time met the 23^rd Corps, General Schofield’s command, who had taken possession of the rebel breastworks and had trans­formed them into defensive works.  The ground on which we en­camped for the night had been occupied by a rebel Division on the day previous, and the ground was strewn with numberless articles which the soldier finds, adds to his comfort in camp, and which he cannot carry with him on the march.  Quite a number of pieces of Rebel newspapers were scattered around, all of which we anxiously read, and we were fully impressed with the fact that the Southroners were beginning to tire of the war, and that while some of the articles were of the “last ditch style,” the majority of the articles were more conservative than formerly.