Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler Camp #863, Conyers, Ga. Gen. Joe’s Dispatch Volume 10, Issue 5 September, 2014 Camp Officers: Camp Cmdr: Joe Underwood Battle at Lovejoy Station [email protected] From the Nash Farm Battlefield website 1st Lt. Cmdr: Tommy Cook About a mile from the railroad One of Long’s regiments was the road forks, the two prongs formed near the fork of the road, 1st._ [email protected] striking the railroad about a mile the Fourth Michigan was being 2nd. Lt. Cmdr: Jerry New apart. A few hundred feet in front placed there, and the enemy tried of and parallel to the railroad again and again to take our bat- 2nd_Lt. [email protected] another road ran. The Fourth tery. It fought magnificently, and Camp Adjutant: Steve Camp Michigan was sent by the right- the guns were made to radiate in hand road to the railroad, which it all directions and did splendid [email protected] This past week marked the 150 reached without any trouble; the work, our men supporting them Coming Events anniversary of Kilpatrick’s Saber rest of the brigade took the left- well. One of the guns, by the Charge at Lovejoy Station. The hand prong of the road, having rebound, had broken its trail off September 9, 2014 - Regular event was reenacted at Nash Farm the last mile or two driving off short, so that it could not be meeting of Maj. Gen. Joseph on Saturday, August 23rd and the about a dozen cavalrymen. As we drawn from the field. When the Wheeler Camp #863 - Masonic photos in this article are from that neared the railroad, the firing rest of the pieces had been with- Lodge, Conyers, Georgia event. Below are descriptions of became hotter and hotter. drawn Colonel Minty called for the battle from diaries of a Yankee men to draw off the piece by October 14, 2014 - Regular and a Confederate of the actual hand. Captain Burns took about meeting of Maj. Gen. Joseph The Seventh Pennsylvania Cav- Wheeler Camp #863 - Masonic event taken from the Friends of alry was dismounted and sent twenty men of the Fourth Michi- Lodge, Conyers, Georgia Nash Farms Battlefield website. forward to the woods-one battal- gan Cavalry down and helped ion, four companies, of it had pull it off, though the enemy was Captain Burns account of the been advance guard. Hotter grew very close to us. While this was taking place, heavy firing was battle at Lovejoy Station; Our the firing, and the horses of the brigade moved on and turned advance that had been dis- heard in our rear, for the cavalry sharply to the right, in a south- mounted came hurrying back. with which we had been fighting westerly direction, to strike the The Fourth United States had followed us, and had us in a railroad again about eight miles (Regulars) were then dismounted pretty tight box, as follows: a below Jonesboro. I stayed on the and sent in. Captain Burns was brigade of infantry in our front hill with Captain Burns, for a short sent back to hurry up two of and a party on our left, a division time, to witness the skirmishes Long’s regiments; but before this moving on our right and but a short distance off, three brigades Inside this issue: between Long and the enemy. could be done the Seventh Penn- From where we were all our ma- sylvania and Fourth Regulars of cavalry in our rear. “Our Commanders Comments” 2 By: Commander J. H. Underwood neuvers could be distinctly seen, as were driven from the woods in also the enemy, who would ad- some confusion. We had run on a Stoneman and McCook threw up “Battle of Lovejoy Station” 2 vance upon our men, only to be brigade of infantry who were the sponge under like circum- From: Friends of Nash Farms Battlefield driven back. It was a beautiful lying in the woods behind barri- stances. We decided we must website (Continued from Page 1.) sight. “By Heaven, it was noble cades at the side of the railroad; leave the railroad alone, and sight to see-by one who had no or and a force of the enemy was also crush the enemy’s cavalry, and “The Confederate Cemeteries 3 brother there.” & Captain Burns, pushed in on the right, where the consequently withdrew from of Covington & Oxford” (76th and 77th Soldier’s in a series) myself following, now galloped Fourth Michigan were at work. fighting the infantry, who now Continuing project by Compatriot Gene off to overtake our brigade, which Long’s brigade was put in posi- became very quiet, probably Wade we soon did. Colonel Long had tion to check the advancing Con- expecting to take us soon. The orders to follow as quickly as pos- federates, and our battery brought command was faced to the rear “The Confederate Cemeteries 4 sible, Colonel Murray to come up, as the woods before us were as follows: Our brigade was of Covington & Oxford” after. We (our Brigade) pushed for swarming with enemy The Forth formed on the right hand side of (76th and 77th Soldier’s in a series) Continuing project by Compatriot Gene Lovejoy Station. When within a Regulars and Seventh Pennsyl- the road, each regiment in col- Wade (Continued from page 3.) mile and one half of the railroad vania were placed in support of umns of fours (four men we halted for the rest of the com- the battery. Poor fellows, they abreast); the Fourth Regulars on mand to join us. were badly cut up. the left, Continued on page 3. 1 GEN. JOE’S DISPATCH VOLUME 10, ISSUE 5 PAGE 2 Our Commanders’ Comments By: Commander J. H. Underwood Compatriots; The highlight of the event was the unveiling I am proud to have been your commander of the monument to the soldiers of both when this was accomplished and I encourage First of all I want to thank sides who made the ultimate sacrifice. all of you to visit Nash Farm Battlefield to see Mr. Gould Hagler, author the monument. It is extremely well done and a of “Georgia’s Confederate fitting tribute to those it represents. Great job Monuments: In Honor of a Cassie Barrow and Friends of Nash Farm Bat- Fallen Nation” for his tlefield! wonderful program on his Please mark your calendars and save the date new book at our of Saturday, January 24, 2015. This will be the last meeting. Mr. date of our 27th Annual Lee-Jackson Dinner Hagler’s presenta- which will be held at the Cherokee Run Coun- tion was both try Club at the Georgia International Horse interesting and Park. Thanks to the 13th Brigade Commander, informative. and our compatriot Steve Camp, we will have Those of you that the former Virginia Division Commander, Mr. missed the oppor- Frank Earnst, in the person of “Lt. Col. Johann tunity to purchase August Heinrich Heros von Borcke” as our one of his books This is the monument we helped raise funds guest speaker. may do so from for a few months back and as a result the Mercer University camp is recognized on the monument. Johann August Heinrich Heros von Borcke Press at (July 23, 1835 – May 10, 1895) was a German www.mupress.org or at amazon.com. Calvary officer in the Confederate States Army and a member of Maj. Gen. J. E. B. Stuart’s On Saturday, August 23rd, Pat and I had staff. Should be an interesting program. the pleasure of visiting the Nash Farm Bat- tlefield to witness the reenactment of Our next meeting is September 9th, I hope to Kilpatrick’s saber charge. This sesquicen- see you there. tennial event started at 9:00 am on Friday the 22nd, the charge at 2:00 pm on Satur- J. H. Underwood, Commander. day and ended Sunday the 24th. Battle at Lovejoy Station From the Nash Farm Battlefield website Fourth Michigan center, Seventh Pennsyl- Lt. Griscom’s diary account of charge at – the Brigade acted most gallantly household- vania on the right, Long’s Brigade formed Nash Farm ers & all fighting them hand to hand & giving in close columns with regimental front, away when overpowered – finally fall back to that each regiment formed in line, the men Skirmish & Battle the timber & as soon as their column passed side by side, boot to boot, thus: again took the field and commenced assem- bling – gathering up nearly all the men and August 20, 1864 – Moved up at light through horses – losing but a few & not a man killed MINTY’S BRIGADE, FOURTH U. S., Jonesboro – have Capt. Wells buried – follow in the charge (55) FOURTH MICHIGAN, SEVENTH PEN- the enemy on the McDonough road – 3 rd SYLVANIA, LONG’S BRIGADE, FIRST Texas skirmished with them 2-1/2 hours driv- OHIO, THIRD OHIO, FOURTH OHIO. ing them off – Brigade pursuing until 10-1/2 AM coming up with them near Lovejoy The soldiers account ends with the cavalry where Reynolds’s Infantry was fighting them lined up for the saber charge at Nash Farm. in front & engaged them briskly as cavalry & then dismount & deploy – bring up battery & play on their charge & drive in their skirmish- ers but their main line repulses us – & we are charged in turn by 3 heavy columns of Cav- alry & a heavy line of Infantry stampeding our horses & running through our Brigade capturing the battery after a stubborn resis- tance some ambulances & a number of horses 2 VOLUME 10, ISSUE 5 GEN. JOE’S DISPATCH PAGE 3 The Confederate Cemeteries of Covington and Oxford (76th & 77th Soldiers in the series) Continuing Project by Compatriot Gene Wade Headstone at Coving- Battle ofAtlanta.