bridges could be rebuilt and supplies reach us. May 23rd we
crossed the river, keeping to the west of the Altoona Mountains in the
direction of Dallas, the 20th corps under Hooker having the advance on the
road to New Hope Church, where several roads formed a junction. In the
effort to reach this point Hooker became heavily engaged and we, the
nearest division of the corps and army, were rushed to his aid, and just
as twilight faded into darkness, in the midst of a very heavy rain,
thunder and lightning storm and the roar of artillery and crash of
musketry, we closed upon Hooker's left within 300 yards of the enemy's
main line of works. Here we fortified and remained under their fire and
responded to it until June 6th. Johnston having retreated, we moved to
near Ackworth, on the railroad, south of Altoona. Here we rested until the
10th. We moved forward southeast, heavily skirmishing almost continuously,
the artillery firing constantly, to Pine Mountain, Lost Mountain, Muddy
Creek and Kenesaw, each of these being thoroughly fortified. We reached
the west slope of the latter June 20th, and on the 22nd drove the enemy's
skirmishers into their main line. While holding our position and building
rifle pits for our pickets, Daniel Densel of company E was mortally
wounded. Our division formed the assaulting column of the 4th corps June
27th. Company E had one wounded.

I dislike to leave this heroic assault without a short description. The
ground in our front was heavily timbered, descending for 200 yards to a
ravine, thence a thirty per cent rising grade for 300 yards to their line
of works, consisting of heavy embankment with head logs, so mounted as to
give space for firing underneath. A wide and deep ditch was in front of
the works. A large share of the timber was felled with tops down the hill,
all twigs and light limbs cut off, so that in advance up to their works
haste or alignment was an impossibility. Through this in double column we
struggled, a few of the men falling very near the ditch and others
actually reaching their embankment, but they could not reach them in mass
sufficient to drive the enemy. A new stand of colors, presented to the
regiment by the ladies of Chillicothe, Ohio, was carried into this
desperate charge. The color sergeant was killed and several of the color
guards killed and wounded and the staff of the colors was shot in three
places with fifty-seven bullet holes through the colors. Go see the fl