July 5, 1864.
Can hear no firing this p. m. It seems the Rebels have got
across the Chattahoochie. We are about 12 miles from Atlanta. The river will
probably trouble us some, but we all think “Pap” will make it before August
1st. Johnston don't dare give us anything like a fair fight. We are all in
splendid spirits and the boys have made the woods ring with their Fourth of
July cheers, tired as they are. We have lost no men since the charge of the
27th. I have an Atlanta paper, giving an acount of that fight. They say we were
all drunk with whisky and fought more like devils than men.
p. m. We have continued our march about four or five miles
today. Osterhaus and M. L. Smith are ahead of us, and I think we are on the
right of the army again. The 4th Division, 17th Army Corps is engaged one-half
mile ahead of us or rather are shooting a little with their big guns. I climbed
a tree a half hour ago, and what do you think? — saw Atlanta, and saw it
plainly, too. I suppose it is ten miles distant, not more than 12. The country
looks about as level as a floor, excepting one-half mountain, to the left of
the city, some miles. We seem to be on the last ridge that amounts to anything.
We are, I suppose, two and one-half miles from the river at this point, though
we hold it farther to the right. Very large columns of smoke were rolling up
from different parts of the city. I suppose they were the explosions of foundries,
machine shops, etc. Dense clouds of dust can be seen at several points across
the river; suppose it means trains or troops moving.
Have seen but few wounded going back to-day. We are laying
along some very good rifle pits, occasionally embrasured for artillery, which
the 17th Army Corps took this morning. They were not very stoutly defended,
though, and the artillery had been moved back. With some pretty lively
skirmishing the line has been advanced this evening. Not much loss on our side;
saw some one-half dozen ambulance loads only.
SOURCE: Charles Wright Wills, Army Life of an
Illinois Soldier, p. 273-4
