4th Iowa Infantry History - Page 11

After these battles the Fourth moved to Woodville on the Memphis and Charleston Railroad and went into winter quarters. On the 25th of February, 1864, the men were mustered in as veterans, and were granted furloughs. They reached Des Moines, Iowa, on the 9th of March, while the Legislature was in session, which adjourned to give the veterans a royal reception. The ladies of the city joined with the General Assembly in tendering to the gallant soldiers a banquet, where all honors were accorded to the boys in blue, who had won fame on so many battle-fields. By the first of May, the regiment had again joined the army of General Sherman, which was sweeping onward, overcoming all opposition. Throughout that campaign, crowded so full of skirmishes and battles, in almost all of which they took active part, the Fourth Iowa Volunteers maintained their honorable reputation, added largely to it, and made many sacrifices to wounds and death. In every skirmish and in every battle, the regiment behaved with its wonted gallantry. One of these skirmishes which became extremely sever was at Claysville, Alabama, on March 14, after which 39 enlisted men were missing.

By the 4th of May 1864, the Confederate and Federal forces once again faced each other. This time Joseph E. Johnson was in command of the Confederate forces, and had pulled them back to the area of Dalton, Georgia. At first look a frontal attack was deemed impossible, and the Federal army began to move around the flank of Johnson’s army; the goal being Resaca so as to disrupt the lines of communication and supply. Then on the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th of May Johnson attacked the Federals at Resaca. The losses for the North were 2,747 and the South were close to 2,800. After the battle Johnson, once again, fell back to the cities of Calhoun, Adairsville, and Cassville.

The Fourth’s next obstacle was the mountains near Allatoona. When the troops neared Allatoona it was found that the enemy was well prepared to give battle, so Sherman decided to flank the enemy by moving to Dallas, Georgia, and on to Atlanta. However, the enemy caught the troops before Dallas, and the battle of New Hope Church began.

On the 23rd of May Johnson detected the flanking movement again, and battled Sherman to a stand still. Confederate General Hardee was ordered to march that afternoon, by New Hope Church, to the road leading from Stilesboro’, though Dallas, to Atlanta; and General Polk to move to the same road, by a route father to the left. General Hood was ordered to follow Hardee on th 24th. On the 25th the latter reached New Hope Church, early in the day.

Hood immediately formed his corps parallel with the road by which he had marched, and west of it, with the center opposite to the church; Polk placed his men in line with it on the left of Hood’s line, and Hardee occupied a ridge extending from the Polk’s corps, across the road leading from Dallas toward Atlanta. This left Bate’s division holding the road.

Once everything was ready, Hood began to search out the enemy by sending Colonel Bush Jones, with his regiment and Austin’s sharpshooters, in all about 300 men. After advancing about a mile, this detachment encountered Federal General Hooker’s corps. Having the written order of his corps commander to hold his ground after meeting the enemy, Colonel Jones resisted resolutely the attack of the overwhelming Federal forces.

An hour and a half before sunset, a brisk cannonade was opened upon Hood’s center division, Stewart’s, opposite to New Hope Church. General Johnson reported, "The enemy (Hooker’s corps) soon appeared in so deep order that it presented a front equal only to that of Stewart’s first line." The Federal’s approached gradually but resolutely, under the fire of three brigades and 16 pieces of artillery, until within fifty paces of the enemy line. The line then wavered and broke for the rear. Then the Federal’s rallied and regrouped for a second time, but the enemy fire was to strong, and the line broke once more. Thus the engagement continued for almost two hours until the assailants gave up the attempt.

Then began the contest to entrench faster than the enemy. The lines soon passed to the left faster than that of the rebels. So much so, that next moring Confederate General Cleburne’s division pulled out of the lines and shifted to the end of the lines to continue the race to build the entrenchments. Between 5 and 6 o’clock the Federals were again moving. This time the Fourth Corps pushed at Cleburne’s new line, and found a soft spot. The Federal’s drove the enemy back while recieving enflaiding fire from the enemy infantry plus two pieces of artillery. This resitance slowed the advance long enough for the 8th and 9th Arkansas to get to the field. Thus the Federals were repulsed, and they fell back to a hallow behind their position.

This closed the main battle, and latter Confederate General Granberry charged the hallow and took 230 prisoners, 72 of whom were severely wounded. The regiment took part in the assault on Kenesaw Mountain, Georgia, on June 27, where three enlisted men were killed and seven enlisted men were wounded. From July 2nd to July 17th the regiment took part in operations along the Nickajack Creek and Chattahoochee River in Georgia. After this the rebels fell back, this time to the inner defences of Atlanta. The goal of Sherman’s army was now within its grasp. Due to his constant retreat the enemy general Johnson was relieved and replace by General Hood.

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