History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5; prepared in compliance with acts of the legislature, by Samuel P. Bates.

990 SEVENTY-SEVENTH REGIPMENT. 186until the close of the year. In January a large proportion of its meembers reenlisted, and were given a veteran furlough. Upon their return to the front,
in April, they found Sherman preparing for his Atlanta campaign. At Tunnel
Hill, on the 7th of May, they first encountered the enemy, from which position.
he was driven, and on the following day at Rocky Face Ridge, the contest contiuing until the morning of the 13th. At Resaca, and at Kingston it lost
severely. Again on the 25th, at New Hope Church, they were warmly engaged.
Temporary breast-works were erected, and for three days the fighting continued.
On the 4th of June they were moved three miles to the left, where again the
ground was hotly contested. At Ackworth, on the 6th of June, Colonel Rose,
after his long confinement as prisoner of war, re-joined his regiment, and resumed command. From the 19th to the 23d it lay close up to the base of
Kenesaw Mountain, where it was hotly engaged, and was exposed to a terrible
fire of artillery, losing heavily. On the 24th, with the entire corps, (it being
now in the Third Brigade, First Division of the Fourth Corps,) it moved to
the right, and for four days had sharp fighting. A desperate assault was then
made upon the fortifications, which was repulsed; but the lines still held
their position close up to the enemy's works until July 3d, when he again retrea.ted. At Smyrna the enemy made a stand, and the brigade was ordered to
assault his works. They were gallantly carried and occupied. At the Chattahoochee River the regiment was kept busy for several days in skirmishing, and
at Peach Tree Creek, on the 20th and 21st, was hotly engaged.
The enemy now retired to his fortifications about Atlanta, and for a month
the regiment was constantly employed in the operations of the investment.
Captain John E. Walker was killed on the 5th of August. On the 25th of
August it moved to the Montgomery Railroad, and was employed in destroying
the track. On the 1st of September it struck the Macon Road, and assisted in
effecting its destruction for a long distance. At Jonesboro the command went
into position on the left of the Fourteenth Corps. The enemy was driven to
his second line of works, from which he opened a heavy fire. Halting for the
troops to come up, preparations were made for renewing the engagement in
the morning; but when morning came it was discovered that he had retired.
At Lovejoy the regiment was warmly engaged on the 2d, 3d, 4th, and evening
of the 5th of September. On the 3d Major Phillips lost an arm, and Lieutenant H. R. Thompson was killed.
After the fall of Atlanta, Hood, now in command of the rebel army, moved
north upon Sherman's communications. Sherman followed as far as Gaylesville, Alabama, where, finding that he could not bring his adversary to battle,
he sent Stanley with the Fourth Corps, and Schofield with the Twenty-third,
to report to Thomas, in command at Nashville, while he turned back with the
balance of his army to Atlanta, and subsequently to the sea. With the Fourth
Corps the regiment moved to Pulaski, on the Nashville and Decatur Railroad,
arriving on the 3d of November. Three weeks later it retired to Columbia, and
here the enemy again made his appearance, and was warmly greeted, not having
been seen for a month. His main columns approached on the Waynesboro
Road, and the Seventy-seventh, with other troops, was posted on an eminence
commanding it. Without attempting to force his way in front? he designed by
a flank movement, to cut off the Union forces from their way of retreat to
S'ashville, and thus beat them in detail. In this he came nigh being successful.
Remaining until after dark, on the 29th, the regiment moved in rear of the