Yankee Dutchmen under Fire: Civil War Letters from the 82nd Illinois Infantry

11. Atlanta Is Ours

152 yankee dutchmen under fire Eleven Atlanta Is Ours T he 82nd Illinois Regiment remained behind its works on the north side of the Chattahoochee River until August 25, 1864, enduring “the daily monotony of picket and artillery firing,” while “sharpshooters kept doing their annoying work.” On the 25th the regiment advanced to the Chattahoochee Bridge and built entrenchments for its entire brigade and then encamped. News arrived on September 2 that part of its division, including some regiments from its own brigade, had entered Atlanta, which had been abandoned by Gen. Braxton Bragg’s army on the evening of September 1. Bragg vacated Atlanta after Sherman had wheeled six of his seven corps southwest and south of the city, cutting the Atlanta and West Point Railroad and the Macon and Western Railroad; an attack by Hardee’s and Lee’s corps failed at Jonesboro on August 31. Bragg concentrated his army at Lovejoy Station, seven miles south of Jonesboro. After the Secessionists defeated a Federal attack at Lovejoy Station, Sherman returned his army to the Atlanta area. Lieutenant Colonel Salomon reported that on September 4 “[w]e marched through the conquered city, with colors flying and bands playing, and occupied the works erected by our enemies.” The 82nd Illinois and its brigade moved into the enemy works on the east side of the city, with its left covering the Buckhead road. Lieutenant Colonel Salomon was placed in charge of the prison barracks and the 82nd guarded Rebel prisoners from September 12 until October 4. Salomon’s command then worked on the defenses around Atlanta until October 15, when it engaged in extensive foraging expeditions. The 82nd Illinois would remain in Atlanta until November 15, when it and its corps joined in Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman’s famous March to the Sea. The letters in this chapter were written during the regiment’s stay in Atlanta.1 152 atlanta is ours 153 Müller reveals in the first letter that he is “emotionally sick” and would like to leave the army because cannot bear living in a “synagogue.” Acting Adjutant Loeb and Major Rolshausen are mentioned again in unfavorable ways. Atlanta, Ga. September 15th, 1864 Dear Colonel: Confirming receipt of your valued letter from the 14th of this month, I am finally giving you a sign of life from me again. Eugene [Weigel] has written to you about capturing Atlanta, so little remains for me to report about it. Enclosed is Group of Officers of the 82nd Illinois Infantry Regiment, Atlanta 1864. Seated in the center holding a sword and with a large hat on his knee is Lt. Col. Edward S. Salomon. To Salomon’s right is Maj. Ferdinand Rolshausen. To Salomon’s left is surgeon Charles E. Boerner. Standing on the far left in the second row is 1st Lt. Frank Kirchner. The soldier wearing the officer of the day sash is Capt. Eugene F. Weigel. To Weigel’s right, with his hand on his hip, is Capt. Rudolph Müller. First Lt. Christian Erickson is on the far right of the photograph, 1st Lt. William Loeb is standing next to Erickson, and 1st Lt. Carl Lotz is standing fourth from the right. The other officers are unidentified. The above-named officers were identified by Eric Benjaminson and the editor of this book (courtesy of Chicago History Museum [ICHi-08203, photographer unknown]). 154 yankee dutchmen under fire a map of the terrain showing Sherman’s last movement toward Jonesboro, near where the battle took place from August 31 to September 1, 1864, the outcome of which you learned long ago. I have shown Sh[erman]’s march route in red. Hood arrived near J[onesboro] at the same time as our army and attacked immediately; however, he was repulsed with a bloody nose. An attack followed on the 1st, carried out mainly by the 14th and 17th Corps, which finally broke through the center of the Reb[s]. However, before the Reb[s] evacuated Atlanta they destroyed 4 R. R. trains, 4 [6 or 7] locomotives, and 84 [81] cars loaded with ammunition, weapons, etc., which turned the ruins of the Augusta Depot into a true Sodam [Sodom] and Gomor[r]a[h]. We saw fires and heard explosions during the night of the 1st to the 2nd while we lay at the Chattahotee [Chattahoochee] to protect communications.2 The enemy’s main army is...