Status - John Baer - 40th Indiana Regiment - Howard's Corps - Newton's Division - Wagner's Brigade
Battle of Kennesaw Mountain - John Baer Taken Prisoner
On the 24th, Sherman orders a direct assault on Confederate lines by McPherson, on the left, and by Thomas in the center. The next two days are spent deciding the particular points of attack; it is not a general assault all across the lines, but is designated only for selected points. 8 AM on June 27th is the time selected for the attack.
Despite his misgivings about the assault, Thomas chooses to attack directly, and to the left and right of an angle in the Confederate lines. Newton's division is in front of this point, and is one of the divisions chosen to make the attack. Wagner's division will attack to the left of the angle.
The men only are told about the attack on the morning of the 27th. After breakfast, they stack equipment, fix bayonets, and move to the attack position. Wagner's is one of the two lead brigades for the attack; the brigade's regiments are lined up one behind another, and the 40th Indiana is first in line, just behind the skirmishers of the 57th Indiana, meaning they will be right at the front of the attacking forces. The area they are to attack is obscured by trees, and they cannot really know what to expect. The day is very hot and humid already, and temperatures will approach 100 degrees in the afternoon.
The picture below shows the area:
This is the view from the Confederate lines; the Union attackers would be near the trees in the in the distance, and coming up the hill toward this entrenched position. Wagner's men would be to the right of this area, moving up through the trees.
One hour of Union artillery bombardment begins at 8 AM, and at 9 all the troops move forward to the attack. Wagner's brigade pushed through the trees and underbrush as fast as possible, taking heavy fire all the time. As they neared the trenches, the found a number of obstructions, including sharply pointed abatis. The musket fire from the trenches was intense and deadly, and there was also artillery fire from a battery nearby. Captain Kirkpatrick of the 40th was noticeable waving a sword while leading the attack, and was killed. None of the men could penetrate the Confederate lines and so they sought cover where they could. Within the hour the attack was called off, and all got back to Union lines as best they could.
The below picture is near where Wagner's part of the attack took place:
John Baer was captured during the fight. He does not describe in his diary the circumstances of his capture, except that it was on this day. The 40th Indiana regiment alone had losses of 30 killed, 78 wounded, and 13 missing. Six or seven of the dead were from John's Company A, according to one of his later diary entries.
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Virginia Campaign
The siege by Union forces continued around Petersburg, VA, and would continue for many months. General Burnside had ordered the digging of a tunnel under the Confederate lines, intending to fill it with explosives and detonate it underneath the rebel army's front line. Completion would take about a month.
More Information:
- Link: War Operations, see Volume XXXVIII, Chapter L, Part IV, Correspondence, pp. 581-629.
- The Civil War Day by Day, John S. Bowman, Ed. p. 168.
- The Civil War, A Narrative, Vol 1II, Red River to Appomattox, Shelby Foote, pp. 390-400.
- Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, Retreat With Honor, pp. 310-311.
- Decision In The West, The Atlanta Campaign of 1864, Albert Castel, pp, 303-322.
- Kennesaw Mountain, Earl J. Hess, pp. 54-234.
- Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, pp. 600-608.
- Memoirs of General William T. Sherman, pp. 530-532.
- Events: 1864
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