Page:Journal history of the Twenty-ninth Ohio veteran volunteers, 1861-1865.djvu/115

 CHAPTER XVII.

Battle of Culp's Farm or Kenesaw Mountain—The Glorious Fourth—Advance to the Chattahoochie.

June 22d we move to the front, and occupy a ridge on Culp's farm, which covers the level on our front. We had been but a short time in this position when the rebel General Hood's corps was moved directly on our front, and immediately advanced in furious attack upon the divisions of Generals Geary and Williams. Our artillery was at once turned upon the advancing rebel columns, which, with the terrific volleys our infantry poured into their ranks, produced a sudden check to their further advance, and in less than one hour these two divisions succeeded in beating back and putting to total rout Hood's entire command, which suffered great loss, while ours was but slight. The enemy left on the field 2,100 killed, wounded, and prisoners, besides many wounded, removed from the field. The estimated rebel loss was 3,000 men. Eight hundred of the rebel dead were buried on the field.

At the close of this action a body of our skirmishers were deployed over the field, finding the enemy's dead and wounded scattered thickly about. In places they lay stretched across each other, literally heaped up, bloody, terrible—dead. Our skirmishers advanced rapidly, and were soon engaged with the enemy's rear, but this soon ceased, and we established a picket line for the night. We remained on the field until noon of the 23d, when we were retired and rejoined the main line.

At about 4 o'clock, one hundred guns opened a