PRESERVATION 2012
"The morning of the 12th, it was raining steadily, but we were ordered into line and marched to the front and left about a mile. Here our brigade was formed behind some unfinished works and went to work to strengthen them, the pioneers assisting. Here we pitched our tents in regular order. Owing to the bad condition of the roads, rations had not been brought up and some of the men were entirely without food. June 13, there was no change in our lines and there was little picket firing. It rained all day. The 14th of June, there was a general right wheel of Newton's and our division, which advanced the left of the corps about three fourths of a mile toward Pine Top Mountain. Our regiment and brigade had orders early in the day to be ready to move at any time, but it was not until near noon that our movement began. Skirmishing began soon after we moved out. Our regiment crossed a deep ravine and formed along the crest of a redge. Company A was sent out to relieve the skirmishers of the Thirty-second Indiana. Our regiment was the extreme left of our division and on the immediate right of Baird's division of the Fourteenth Corps. Late in the afternoon we moved to the left and occupied a line of works built for artillery. We found the position a hot one. The enemy's bullets came singing among us and wounded two men. Our skirmishers were ordered to advance and clear our front, but met with such a heavy fire from an unseen force that they halted and we could not get them forward. Just then, General Howard and staff rode up. The General dismounted and very much to our surprise started through the woods to the skirmish line. Two or three of his staff hurriedly dismounted and started after him but he ordered them back. He went alone to the picket line, told Lieutenant Hanson that if the men would rush the enemy's lines they would probably only find a few men behind a pile of rails. The line was at once ordered forward and found the situation just as General Howard had predicted. A few men behind a pile of rails had been holding the whole skirmish line in check. The men of Company A suffered severely in the rush. Lieutanant Andrew L. Hadden, a l;ovable young officer and Robert M. Brown were killed and Wm. Alexander, Albert G. Fleming and James F. McGee were wounded"-----Alex Cope