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South Carolina C.S.A.
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May 18, 1864 through June 8, 1864 Report of Ellison Capers Twenty-fourth South Carolina, Gist Brigade
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South Carolina C.S.A. |
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On the seventeenth of May our corps marched toward Adairsville, and bivouacked near that place. On the eighteenth the march was resumed through Kingston toward Cassville, going into bivouac two miles from the latter place. Early on the nineteenth the corps was formed in two lines of battle and the commanding general published an order of battle. The greatest enthusiasm prevailed in our ranks as the men and officers saw the army formed for battle. Hardee’s corps was on the left of the general line, Walkers division in the center of the corps and Gist brigade on the left of the division. The Twenty-fourth (South Carolina) and the Forty-sixth Georgia were in the front and the Sixteenth (South Carolina) and Eighth Georgia Battalion in the rear line of the brigade. The general line ran about east and west, and our position was in an open field west of the railroad, the ground sloping down in our front for a quarter of a mile and then gradually rising to the crest on which the enemy were slowly forming. It was about two o’clock before he developed his force, and we moved forward. After advancing to the foot of the slope our lines were halted, the enemy being in full view about three-quarters of a mile, and apparently in some confusion in taking up their positions. Our detention soon became very painful, and the reason for it wholly unaccountable. We must have been in this position half and hour when General Gist, in person, gave me the hour from his watch and ordered me to retire the front line precisely at four o’clock. At the moment the entire corps faced by the rear rank and moved in beautiful order to the rear, the enemy not firing a shot at us. We marched back a mile and intrenched our position, expecting an attack every hour. About 1 o’clock on the morning of the 20th, while sleeping on our arms, we were surprised with an order to march, and very soon thereafter the command was crossing the Etowah in our rear. We went into bivouac on the Allatoona road about two miles from the river. Here we rested until the twenty-fourth, when our division marched toward Dallas, camping near that place. One the twenty-fifth, we moved back on the Allatoona road to New Hope Church and took position in rear and in support of General Stewart’s division, of Hood’s corps. Late in the afternoon Hooker’s corps attacked General Stewart and a severe conflict followed until after dark. We were not engaged, though we had one officer and five men wounded. On the first of June our division was moved to the left of the general line, and took up a position in support of General Bate’s division before Dallas. On the night of the fourth we again changed our position marching on the Lost Mountain road to the neighborhood of Gilgal Church. Here we were in bivouac several days, and the men were greatly refreshed by the rest. |
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