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with its usual gallantry and with its usual losses.
On the 9th of July General Johnston crossed the Chattahoochee river for the defense of Atlanta, but before there was another engagement he was superseded on the 19th by General Hood, a native of Kentucky, who at once assumed an aggressive policy.
On the 22d the enemy was attacked near Decatur, when the Kentucky brigade, under a terrific fire, lost in a few moments nearly one hundred and fifty men, the Federals being driven from their works and nearly one thousand prisoners and several pieces of artillery being captured.
On the 5th of August a portion of the brigade was again engaged, and on the next day Gen. S. D. Lee, at this time commanding Hood's corps, to which the brigade temporarily was attached, issued a congratulatory order in which he said: ‘The lieutenant-general commanding takes pleasure in announcing to the officers and men of this corps, the splendid conduct of a portion of Bate's division, particularly Tyler's brigade [the Second and Fourth Kentucky regiments also participated], in sustaining and repulsing on yesterday three assaults of the enemy, in which his loss in killed, wounded and prisoners was from eight hundred to one thousand men, two colors, and three or four hundred small arms, and all of his entrenching tools.
Our loss was from fifteen to twenty killed and wounded. Soldiers who fight with the coolness and determination that these men did will always be victorious over any reasonable number.’
Thus the command continued fighting from day to day in the entrenchments around Atlanta, and occasionally making sorties, until on the 29th of August they were sent to Jonesboro, to repel the advance of a heavy cavalry force, and there on the 1st of September, in addition to a number of killed and wounded, sustained the loss of about two hundred captured. Thus closed the long and arduous campaign of nearly four months, during which there had been no rest, since when not marching or fighting, these gallant soldiers
Atlanta, Ga. 1899.
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