CHAPTER XVII.
Battle of Culp's Farm or Kenesaw Mountain—The Glorious Fourth—Advance to the Chattahoochie.
June 22d we move to the front, and occupy a ridge on
Culp's farm, which covers the level on our front. We
had been but a short time in this position when the
rebel General Hood's corps was moved directly on our
front, and immediately advanced in furious attack upon
the divisions of Generals Geary and Williams. Our
artillery was at once turned upon the advancing rebel
columns, which, with the terrific volleys our infantry
poured into their ranks, produced a sudden check to their
further advance, and in less than one hour these two
divisions succeeded in beating back and putting to total
rout Hood's entire command, which suffered great loss,
while ours was but slight. The enemy left on the field
2,100 killed, wounded, and prisoners, besides many
wounded, removed from the field. The estimated rebel
loss was 3,000 men. Eight hundred of the rebel dead
were buried on the field.
At the close of this action a body of our skirmishers were deployed over the field, finding the enemy's dead and wounded scattered thickly about. In places they lay stretched across each other, literally heaped up, bloody, terrible—dead. Our skirmishers advanced rapidly, and were soon engaged with the enemy's rear, but this soon ceased, and we established a picket line for the night. We remained on the field until noon of the 23d, when we were retired and rejoined the main line.
At about 4 o'clock P. M., one hundred guns opened a
