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Regiment: 4th Michigan Cavalry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures: David S. Stanley, John M. Schofield, Robert H. Minty
Head-Quarters 1st Brigade, 2nd Cavalry Division,
Department of the Cumberland,
In the trenches before Atlanta GA
8 P.M. August 4 1864
My dear Davidson
Your of 28th ult with the enclosed
deed I received this afternoon. You may sign
and send it to Lyon for me. See that the taxes
have been paid. You can invest the funds as
you profore. or can use them yourself if you
choose. I would not object to having a small
chore of them myself as all my available each
now consists of $3. after paying a $9 debt
to-day. Money with us is of no conswquence
when in the field; we can not use it. I
have not spent $20 since the 1
st of May
Since
[ ? ] to you of the 2d inct matters no
wain unchanged with us. We still hold
our own in the ditches. A great battle was
expected to have taken place this afternoon.
Orders were issued this morning for movements
which would have certainly brought one on,
Why those orders were not carried out is
more than I knows. It would be difficult
to tell here when a battle really commenced
such a continual firing of musketry and can-
nonading are kept up. Every hour of the day
and night the same popping goes on. Yester-
day we witnessed a heavy skirmish which three
years ago would have been called a “right smart”
battle. The 3d Division of Genl. Stanley’s (4
th)
Corps moved out against the enemy’s works to
“develop” whether they were there in force, or only
keeping up appearances. It was found that they
were “still there” as their cannon and musketry
soon showed us. Our men sent their skir-
mishers flying into their main works. We stood
on our works and saw the most of it. I
wish you could be down here sometimes and
see some of there sights. How your blood
would leah in your views. Even now as I
am, you could hardly sit still on account of the
sights and sounds. I am sitting in a kind of
arbor made of the marches of oaks (we have no
tents or shelters) writing on a table made of
cracker boxes, which we fixed up this afternoon.
In one corner of our arbor are lying Capt Thompson
and Lieut Dixon on their ponchos invoking, laughing
and talking, being “jolly under creditable circumstances”
Col Minty is looking over and comparing a monthly
return I have just made out. and at the same
time telling me he is the father of a new boy. Our
darkier are outside singing and humming nigger
songs. and a little farther off is another crowd of them
dancing their liveliest to a sort of a chant they have
a few rods from us the hand of an infantry brig-
ade is playing waltzes and other airs, which strange-
ly mingle with the bray of mules. A steady rattle of
musketry is kept up by the skirmisher about a half
mile or less from us; every few minutes corner in
the great “boom” of the cannon followed in a few
seconds by the report of the bursting of the shell.
Most of the firing is done by our men as the enemy
her very little ammunition to waste. Sometimes the
firing gets so sharp that we stop to listen, thinking that
are attack her been made. At other times we pay no
attention to it. Crickets and tree toads also keep up
their perpetual chatter. This is our usual evening
entertainment “before Atlanta” How like you it?
Our mess consists of Col Minty. Capt Thompson
7
th Penna, Brigade Inspector, Lieut Dixon 7
th Pa Provost Mar
shal. Dr Fish, 4
th Mich, of Flint. Brigade surgeon
Lieut Heywood 4
th Mich Copl Engineer Lieut Sandors
4
th Mich commissary Lieut Wilkinson 3d Indiana
quarter master and your brother. Landon and Wil-
kinson are the heavy men of the Brigade and generally
stay with the traines. We have a pleasant mess and
often a good deal of fun. that is when we forget
our hardships and inconveniences. They too fre-
quently make us sevear and growl however, and
give us longing ideas of home. How homesick we do
because! We are not yet in Atlanta, newspa-
per correspondents to the contrary notwithstanding. but expect
to be every hour. We shall be in twenty four hours or
I am very much mistaken. It can not stand much longer
I know that orders were given to-day to Genl Schofield
to attack on the right and he will either possess
Atlanta or the rebels will fight much better than I
think they can. Genl Stanley rode along the lines this PM and
gave us warning to keep a sharp look out to-night as it
was expected that the rebels would make an attack on
our left to-night (where we are) as they were seen to be
moving troops in this direction. They will get a list
reception when they do come as each one of our soldiers
carrier seven balls in the
[ ? ] carbine and will use
them without fear or favor. Some deserters who came in
yesterday say that the privates of the rebels declare they
will not attack our works again as they were so bloodily
repulsed in their last two attempts. The slaughter of the
rebels was terrible I do not think they have been more severe-
ly punished anywhere during this war. I wrote Mo-
ther and Mary to-day. Give my love to “Mistrys Madge”
Good night God bless you. Your affect Robert
