Page:Journal history of the Twenty-ninth Ohio veteran volunteers, 1861-1865.djvu/122

 CHAPTER XVIII.

Battle of Peach Tree Creek—Some of the "boys" go to Andersonville.

On the morning of July 20th, just as old Sol was tinting the east with his rosy hue, our army began a general forward movement, the Twentieth corps in this advance being on the right centre, the Fourth corps left, resting on our right, and Newton's division (Fourth corps) connecting with our left. Slight skirmishing ensued early in the morning, but towards noon the enemy retired. The unbroken stillness which followed caused us to advance cautiously lest the rebels draw us into an ambush. On reaching Peach Tree creek, a narrow, sluggish stream, whose abrupt banks, covered with briars and a dense, almost impassable undergrowth, would be a fatal barrier to a routed army, especially as the stream was without bridges, the entire command came to a halt until crossings could be constructed. Previous to the crossing of the main line General Geary ordered forward a force in reconnoissance, consisting of the Twenty-ninth Ohio, Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania, a detachment of the Thirty-third New Jersey, and four pieces of Bundy's New York battery, Geary himself following and directing the movement. When once across we advanced over several rough sparsely wooded ravines until reaching an eminence overlooking a narrow, open valley on our front and left. Immediately on our right front was a piece of heavy timber, extending also on our rear. The ridge directly in our front was covered with a thick undergrowth, affording a fine position for an