7th line "Original pay roll Enlisted
camp near Dalton, Ga. March 29, 1864
Captain Jordan says he came into our lines of his own record
yesterday
evening. His regiment belongs to Holtzclaw�s brigade
Clayton�s, division,
of Lee's corps, numbers about 250 men, and is
the strongest regiment in the brigade. Says their division is about
2500 strong, is in front
of the Fourteenth Corps, the left resting on
the Sandtown road and the right a little to the left, in
front of General R. W. Johnson�s headquarters. Brigadier-Generals
Stovall, Holtzclaw, and Gibson are the brigadier commanders and
are in position from right to left in the order named.
Holtzclaw and Baker have Alabama troops; Gibson has Louisiana
troops, his is counted the best fighting brigade in the corps.
Stovall has Georgia troops, and his men are very demoralized,
won�t fight, and are constantly deserting. Clayton�s division is
on the left of the corps (Lee�s), Hindman�s division now commanded
by General Brown, of Tennessee, is in center, and Stevenson�s is on
the right. Thinks their division, Clayton�s, is fully as strong as
either of the others. All the regiments of their corps are very
much extended, in many places the line being one rank and the
men three feet apart. Gibson�s brigade, the left flank of
their division, is one rank, with no reserves, and covers at least half
a mile. Has not been to the left of their army and can give no
particulars about position of troops there, except that Hardee�s
corps (except Cheatham�s division) is on the left of Lee�s, and holds
the left flank of the army; thinks the extreme left is near the river.
Stewart�s corps is on Lee�s right; says Stewart�s division are
much stronger than theirs; when he first came to them at Resaca
some of his regiments numbered 1,500 men; thinks the right of
Stewart�s corps is about half a mile from the Augusta railroad.
The militia are on Stewart�s right, and are abort 5,000 or 6,000
strong. Cheatham�s division, of Hardee�s corps, holds the right flank
of the army and pickets the front of the militia� thinks Cheatham�s�
division is about 3,000 strong. Does not know of any reserves in rear
of the line at any point, and is pretty confident that there are none.
No re-enforcements have been received except militia and
men from convalescent camps and hospitals; says a large
number of men have been added to the army from these sources;
thinks the aggregate number since Hood has been in command,
including cooks, teamsters, and other detailed men, will reach
15,000 men. His own company, Jordan�s, numbered 14 men at
Kenesaw, and yesterday mustered 34 guns; has received 12 men
since the fight on the 22nd. All he can say about the cavalry is
that it is on the flanks; says Wheeler�s command numbers
25,000 men; has not heard of any raid contemplated by him.
The whole army is said to be 75,000 men. With regard to its
morale Captain Jordan says it is greatly demoralized, both
officers and men feel that they are whipped. The officers will not
acknowledge it, but the men feel that there is no longer any chance
of success, and, although they will fight desperately if
attacked in their works, they would refuse to make a general
charge; says he is confident that if the men could be
made to know how they would be treated after coming over the
majority of Hood�s soldiers would desert him, and that if the
practice of the picket-lines agreeing to a truce for a few
hours at a time was encouraged a great many men
would desert them every day Their men have great
confidence in the honor of our soldiers, and a proposition to cease
firing is at once accepted. It was during one of these armistices along
the picket-lines that he questioned our pickets as to the kind
of treatment he would receive in case he deserted, and was
told he would be sent North. Their men are taught to believe that
the Government would force them into the army as soon as the
came over; says he has been looking for and opportunity to desert
during the whole campaign and improved the first opportunity
after being assured that he would be sent North and allowed to stay
there. Since the 20th of July only about one quarter rations have
been issued. There are no supplies of any kind in Atlanta.
They are shipped from below as they are needed by the troops, two
or three days� supply being issued at a time. The ration consists of
bacon and cornbread and occasionally beef; has often seen his men
eat a day�s supply at a meal and then not be satisfied. Officers
draw rations with their men. The supply of ammunition is very
small; men are ordered not to fire when upon picket duty
or when acting as sharp-shooters unless sure of their mark, and
whenever an assault is ordered or an attack is expected an
order is issued cautioning the men to be saving of the cartridges.
Our artillery is often not replied to because of the scarcity of
ammunition. One third of the men in the trenches are kept up all
night, and at 3 o�clock the whole force is ordered under arms until
daylight.
Captain Jordan describes the breast-works as being very strong,
and protected by abatis constructed with great care and extending
along the whole line; thinks the weakest part of the line is that
portion held by the militia. The works there are the same, and
were constructed by old troops, but the militia will not stand; does
not know what damage was done to the railroad by Stoneman,
but learned that all bridges south of Macon for a distance of
thirty miles were burned, together with some engines and cars
at or near Griswold Station; states that one of his men who was
sick at Montgomery came over the Atlanta and West Point
Railroad, and that about three miles at each end of the break was
repaired. Parties were employed repairing the road
at each end of the break. Has not heard anything in regard
to the Augusta railroad, whether it is being repaired
or not. States that supplies are scattered from Atlanta to
Macon, no great quantity at any one point.
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