Letter – Jacob Dickason, 22 May 1864

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Letter written by Private Jacob Dickason of Company B, 25th WI Infantry, to his brother, William H. Dickason, and sister, from a camp near Kingston, GA. The letter recounts events from the Atlanta Campaign. He mentions the Battle of Resaca, writing that the 25th WI, 63rd OH, 66th OH, and 27th MO marched in front. On the last day, his regiment dropped to the ground and fought for over two hours through heavy firing. The four regiments threw up breastworks to cover them from fire. He mentions that after the battle, the Confederates left their dead strewn over the ground unburied. He then describes another fight at Calhoun’s Ferry. The Confederates burned a railroad bridge, but were driven away before the fire did any major damage. Dickason hopes that the war will end soon.

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Gorgia May 22end AD 1866

Der Brother and sister it is wih pleasure that I take this present opportunity of riting a few lines to you to let you know how I am and what we have Bin doing since I last rote I have had my health first rate trusting that when this reeches you that it may find you all well for which we should Be thankfull we are in camp near Kingston But are under marching orders By the 23 since we left decatre [Decatur] we have had some prity hot work we had a three days fite at Resaca on the 12-13-14 on the evening of the 14 the 25 wis 633-66 Oh 27 missoura marcht out in front and they opend in on us and they Bullets flew as tick as hail and we dropt flat on the ground and we fot for 2 1/2 hours as fast as we could lode and fire

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when the firing ceast in whicht we lost in our Camp 2 killed and 4 wounded they threw some shell directed at our Camp But we watcht the flash of their cannon and we pord in a few vollyes But we soon silanst them we all 4 Regt threw out a detail and went to throwing up Brest works and By day Brake we had an in trenchment threw up sufficiant to hold the 4 regiments so we was under cover so their fire did not affect us we fot all day Sunday and in the evning we was relievd and that nite the rebs evacuated the town and on monday morning some of our Bois went over in town and where the rebs were formd around on the other hill the dead lay thick of which they had left unburied they left their dead all over the ground monday morning we took up our march

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to Calhouns Ferry where we had another fite But our forces had got them on the run Before we got there But the firing was prity sharp finly [finally] we was haulted for the nite But Before we al had supper over we was calld up in Battle aray a dispatch stating that the rebs was driving our forces we was marcht out 3/4 of amile and drawd up in line of Battle to welcome them in But they did not come we wated about 3 hours we lay down on our arms and lay there al nite and the next day untill nearly nite when we took up our line of march and marcht about 6 miles of which time we was haulted for the nite the next morning we marcht to the plaice where we now are our advance was fiting their rear guard all the way we did not give them time to fortify at Kingston they left for

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Atlanta which plaice the rebs caluculates to reinforce when they left Resaca they set the railroad Bridge on fire But our Batery opend on them that they did now great damage our carpenters went to work imediately and By the time we marcht here the cars came whistling after us the news is incourageing I feel in hopes the war will come to aclose By fall I just recd aetter from home up to the 15 stating that they were all well and that they planted corn on the 12 But I must Bring my letter to aclose Direct Co B 25 regt 4th Divis 16 Army Corpse via Nashville From

Jacob to Wm H Dickason

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Jacob Dickason, from Bloom, WI, enlisted on August 11, 1862 as a private in Company B, 25^th WI Infantry. Little more than three months after writing this letter, he died from disease during the Atlanta Campaign, on August 31, 1864 at Marietta, GA.

Letter – Robert Ardry, 2 June 1864

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Letter written by Sergeant Robert G. Ardry of Company B, 111th IL Volunteer Infantry, to his father from near the battlefront in Georgia. Ardry writes of the campaign to Dallas, GA and describes the organization of the line of battle, which extended over ten miles. The Union forces built breastworks covered with brush to conceal them from charging troops. The Confederates suffered heavy losses. Ardry also writes of another engagement while his regiment was on the skirmish line. Despite feeling exhausted from several straight days of heavy fighting, Ardry writes that “things are going very well for us now.”

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Near line of battle Georgia June 2d 1864

Dear Father

I will now pencil you a few lines that you may know that I am still well although we have been in some hot places during the last week We left Kingston on the 23^rd and marched again on the right flank, keeping 5 to 10 miles west of the RR till the afternoon of the 26^th, when we came up to the Rebs in force at a town called Dallas, 10 miles west of Marietta. The line of battle was then formed that night 15^th Army Corps (Logan) on the extreme right; 16^th (Dodge) next on our left 4^th (Stanton), next 20^th (Hooker), next and Schofield on the RR. This line of battle was over 10 miles long and fighting has been going on every day since some place on the line. Our brigade had

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a very hot place till yesterday morning on the night of the 26^th We built miles of breastworks and the next morning found us in three lines of battle The 111^th had the front line; heavy skirmishing all day Co. C was on this skirmish line and had two men killed and two wounded The skirmishers are advanced 200 yards in front of the lines and lie behind logs and trees and shoot at the Reb skirmishers If an advance is being made the skirmishers give the alarm Well, at 4 o’clock P.M. the Rebs made a charge on our lines The center of the attack was on the 83^rd Indiana joining us on the right Our works was built after night and we covered the clay over with brush and they did not know that we had anything of the kind They came up bravely and when within 75 yards and our skirmishers all in the word fire was given Our line for ¼ of a mile was

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one sheet of fire. This broke their lines, but they rallied and on they came waving their flag, but we just more than shot them down Their flag fell several times They got it within 15 steps of our trenches when they fled They carried off many of their wounded, especially officers, but many wounded and killed fell into our hands They had all sorts of wounds One man had his leg shot clean off with a cannon ball I thought the roar of artillery and musketry at Resaca was bad enough but it was nothing to this. We had all advantages The 111^th did not lose a man The 83^rd Ind. lost 3 in the charge They also charged our lines about one mile to our left at the same time but were repulsed Reb loss is estimated at three thousand At dark of the 30^th it came Co. B’s time to go on

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skirmish line for the next 24 hours The night was pretty quiet but with day shooting commenced We were within 300 yards of their breastworks We had holes dug behind logs and trees and lay in them with our guns cocked and fingers on triggers And the moment they showed themselves we sent three or four shots at them At dark we were relieved None of us got hurt On the 1^st of June there was several heavy attacks on the lines The 15^th Army Corps relieved Hooker and he moved still farther to the left We are now lying back as reserve, another brigade being in the front Our brigade was in the front five days at Dallas and we were pretty well wore out sometimes up all night The Rebs made 7 charges after night one night mostly on Dodge This night we did not sleep any but I must stop Things are going very well for us now But it is thought by some that the fight will last sometime It is 25 or 30 miles to Atlanta. One of the McConnell boys the youngest was killed a few days ago Our reg. so far here has lost 5 killed 8 or 9 wounded Lieut. Col. Black being among the later His is a flesh wound in the leg We get plenty of rations The most of the boys are well I do not know when I will get a chance to mail this but will the first chance Write soon So good By one and all.

                                             R G Ardry

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Robert Ardry was born in Muskingum, OH. He enlisted in Lively Grove, IL, as a sergeant on August 13, 1862 in Co. B of the 111^th Illinois Volunteer Infantry at the age of 27. He was captured at the Battle of Atlanta, July 22, 1864. After being held at Andersonville Prison, GA, he was paroled on September 27, 1864. Following the war he lived in Oakdale, IL, and died May 30, 1922.