140 years ago today. Just had to post this from Sherman's memoirs
Along the railroad they were more successful. Sweeping over a small force with two guns, they reached our main line, broke through it, and got possession of De Gress's battery of four twenty-pound Parrotts, killing every horse, and turning the guns against us.... These combined forces drove the enemy into Atlanta, recovering the twenty-pound Parrott guns -- but one of them was found "bursted" while in the possession of the enemy. The two six-pounders farther in advance were, however, lost, and had been hauled back by the enemy into Atlanta. Poor Captain de Gress came to me in tears, lamenting the loss of his favorite guns; when they were regained he had only a few men left, and not a single horse. He asked an order for a reëquipment, but I told him he must beg and borrow of others till he could restore his battery, now reduced to three guns. How he did so I do not know, but in a short time he did get horses, men, and finally another gun, of the same special pattern, and served them with splendid effect till the very close of the war. This battery had also been with me from Shiloh till that time. (Vol II, p81)
The area involved has streets named "Battery Place" and "Degress Ave". According to a battlefield guide, the battery just south of the railroad cut lost their guns but had men and horses so Capt. Francis DeGress was able to match them to his recovered battery. He also said DeGress had spiked the guns before giving them up; but Sherman contradicts that saying the guns were turned on them. Wonder which is true?
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