the sun shining hot down on us, but we
avoided stopping any of the shots, and we could not reach them with our
smooth bores. We lay there, with our guns loaded with canister, ready
to stop an infantry charge, but it was all delivered farther to our
right. Our monotony was released by chatting and munching the contents
of our haversacks. We surely had a hot time there in the hot sun and
shell combination, but we had no causalities. We had protection from
Yankee projectiles, but none from those of Old Sol. It was McPherson's
corps in our forest and south westward to success the Oastenaula. His
rifle batteries commanded the railroad bridge, with pontoon and common
bridge below. That night Johnston's army withdrew across the
Oastenaula.

At Cassville thirty miles south of Resaca, on night of May 19th,
Johnston had contemplated giving Sherman a general battle.

Orders were read to all commands announcing the battle for next day.
Our men were ready, believing Johnston had Sherman's army where he
could whip first one portion, then the other, but for reasons about
which there is controversy, the attack of our right wing on the enemy
the next morning was delayed, the opportunity was lost and the retreat
continued. When we crossed the Etowah below Cartersville, the railroad
bridge was burned and the battery went into position facing the
crossing on a low, rocky ridge, in the afternoon.

The writer remembers, sitting down at the roots of a tree, and
immediately springing up, brushing the seat of his pants vigorously.
Examination showed that he had set down on a nest of little brown
scorpions. Something like a crawfish in shape, with tails turned up
over their backs, with a sting like a wasp's in the end of the tail.
The laugh of the boys was on him.

Some Federal cavalry rode down to the river, on the other side, but a
few shells scattered them, and at dark we again moved southward toward
New Hope church and Dallas.

On the afternoon of May 25th, traveling the sparsely settled country
road, about 2:00 p.m. a courier brought our Captain orders to rush his
guns forward, infantry and wagons giving space and away we went, the
cannoneers mounting on our gun carriages and caissons. Private James
Hogan, of Tuscaloosa, in attempting to mount a gun, limber in motion,
fell, one wheel of the gun passing over his body. A man was ordered to
stay with him and see that an ambulance carried him to a hospital. He
was so injured, as to preve