(from the War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Series I, Vol. 38, pt. 2, pp. 108-110.)
May 1 - September 8, 1864. -- The Atlanta (Georgia) Campaign.
No. 201. -- Report of Capt. John Garrett, Sixty-first Ohio Infantry
Headquarters Sixty-First Ohio Volunteers
Atlanta, Ga., September 10, 1864
Captain: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the Sixty-first Ohio Veteran Volunteers during the campaign that ended in the capture of Atlanta:
Returned from veteran furlough and joined the brigade at Trickum Post-Office, Ga., May 7. May 10, marched to Snake Creek Gap. May 13, in engagement near Resaca. In reserce till near night, when the enemy made an attemp to flank our position, when we went into action with the remainder of the brigae, repulsed the enemy and drove him back in confusion to his works. May 15, occupied a position near the left of our line and not far from the railroad. In the afternoon assisted in repulsing a heavy attack made by the enemy on our left flank with the object of gaining the Dalton road. On the 16th, 17th, and 18th pursued the enemy toward the Allatoona Mountain. On the 19th slight skirmishing near Cassville. Lay at Cassville till the 23d, when we started with five days' rations, crossed the Allatoona Mountain, and fell in with the enemy near Dallas. On the 25th the regiment was thrown out as skirmishers and drove the enemy's skirmish line through the woods for some distance, and advanced close up to their line of rifle-pits, when we were relieved and fell back. Loss, 1 commissioned officer wounded and 1 missing and 6 enlisted men killed and 23 wounded. Several days were passed in desultory skirmishing till June 15, when we participated in a warm engagement near Lost Mountain, with a loss of 1 man killed and 3 wounded. On the night of the 17th of June the enemy fell back from our front and we pursued. On the 22d of June while we were in line of battle near Kenesaw Mountain the enemy made a vigorous attack upon our position. Colonel McGroarty, who was in command of the regiment, was ordered to report temporarily with his command to Brigadier-General Knipe, commanding the First Birgade of our division. The regiment was pushed forward to a position in front of the general line of battle and suffered severly, but inflicted much heavier loss upon the enemy than we sustained ourselves. Maj. D.C. Beckett was killed, Lieut. William A. Smith and 6 enlisted men wounded. On the next day returned and took our position in the brigade; lay in front of the enemy's position near Kenesaw Mountain for several days with continual skirmishing in our front, in which we lost 2 men killed and 3 wounded. The enemy fell back from our front during the night of July 2 and on the morning of the 3d we pursued toward the Chattahoochee Rivier and found him intrenched in a strong position about four miles south of Marietta. On the morning of July 4, the enemy having again disappeared from our front, we pursued toward the river, and that night encamped within sight of Atlanta. July 17, crossed the Chattahoochee and moved toward Atlanta, the enemy falling back before our advance. On July 20 the enemy made a desperate assault on the Twentieth Corps near Peach Tree Creek. My regiment was in the first line of battle, and the enemy advanced until some of his men fell within ten feet of our line. Having maintained our position against vastly superior numbers, until every field officer and more than half of the men were either killed or wounded, we were ordered to retire, which we did in good order, to the second line, where we remained for a short time, and then retook our former position and maintained it to the close of the fight, which resulted in the repulse of the enemy. Our loss was 5 commissioned officers wounded and 20 men killed and 52 wounded. Owing to the short range at which we fought the wounds were generally severe and many have since died. On the 22d of July we advanced close up to the outer defenses of Atlanta and threw up intrenchments within rifle-range of the enemy's forts, where we lay until August 24, and then fell back to the Chattahoochie River. September 4, advanced and entered Atlanta.
I inclose a statement of the losses of commissioned officers and enlisted men in each engagement in which we participated.
I am, respectfully, your obedient servant,
John Garrett,
Captain, Commanding Regiment
