CHAPTER XVIII.
Battle of Peach Tree Creek—Some of the "boys" go to Andersonville.
On the morning of July 20th, just as old Sol was tinting
the east with his rosy hue, our army began a general
forward movement, the Twentieth corps in this advance
being on the right centre, the Fourth corps left, resting
on our right, and Newton's division (Fourth corps) connecting
with our left. Slight skirmishing ensued early
in the morning, but towards noon the enemy retired.
The unbroken stillness which followed caused us to advance
cautiously lest the rebels draw us into an ambush.
On reaching Peach Tree creek, a narrow, sluggish stream,
whose abrupt banks, covered with briars and a dense,
almost impassable undergrowth, would be a fatal barrier
to a routed army, especially as the stream was without
bridges, the entire command came to a halt until crossings
could be constructed. Previous to the crossing of
the main line General Geary ordered forward a force in
reconnoissance, consisting of the Twenty-ninth Ohio,
Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania, a detachment of the
Thirty-third New Jersey, and four pieces of Bundy's
New York battery, Geary himself following and directing
the movement. When once across we advanced
over several rough sparsely wooded ravines until reaching
an eminence overlooking a narrow, open valley
on our front and left. Immediately on our right
front was a piece of heavy timber, extending also on
our rear. The ridge directly in our front was covered
with a thick undergrowth, affording a fine position for an
