Frederick Fout (Shot that went Away) and Battle of Atlanta:

Hood’s original intention had been to attack McPherson from the south on the McDonough Road, but Blair’s corps had in trenched with his right resting on Leggett’s Hill, and his left refused, faced south and southeast, causing Hood to make a change in his orders. Hardee withdrew from his position in the line, two and a half miles north of the city, then marched through the town and by a circuit of fifteen miles northeast towards Decatur. When within two and half miles of that town he halted to have his troops closed up and rested, then forming to face the northwest, That Sherman’s whole army would be on the lookout for unexpected blows from Hood was but natural, after his assault the previous day on Thomas, and no one knew Hood better than Schofield. On the 21st we had advanced on the distillery road, about one and a half miles closer to Atlanta, and kept up the alignment with McPherson and Thomas. That evening, we halted, the chief of artillery, Major Wells, came to me, asking to follow him with my section. I did so and he took me about six hundred yards into a dense woods, had me unlimber and a company of pioneers ready to throw up a little breastworks for the two guns, but with no protection for horses and limbers, while the caissons remained with the rest of the battery. The Major instructed me to load the guns with banister and fire at anything that approached from that direction, enjoining us to keep the greatest silence, but how could we see anything approaching us in a dense woods and on a pitch dark night. I must confess that my fears were that our time had come and that we had been chosen to be sacrificed in order to give the alarm of a night attack, and my fears were well grounded, while we, in dead silence, listened for any noise; my fears were such had my hair inclined to be white, they would surely have been such in the morning. With lanyard in hand, and primer in the vent, No. 4 leaned on the wheel all night, ready to pull at the approaching noise, but as none came, at 4 a.m. our chief called me and had us withdrawn our charges of canister, and then we returned to camp to enjoy a little rest with the others of the battery. The enemy had been in our front not over two hundred yards distant, but at 1 a.m. had left and retreated into the fortifications of the city. As soon as daylight had fully arrived Cox’s division moved forward, on the distillery road. Schofield and Sherman at the head of the column, soon had their telescopes strapped to a tripod and with the enemy working like beavers in full view of all that cared to look. Scarcely had our appearance attracted the enemy when some of well directed shells of the siege guns exploded where we were. Sherman, on foot, walked right in the road, and Captain Cockerell of Battery D noticed that these shells created the danger. He followed Sherman for about fifty yards and called his attention to the danger. The General appeared to be in deep thought, but returned with Cockerell, and, as some of his staff officers had returned, kept himself busy with them. Captain Daniels of the signal corps had a station fixed on top of the turret, in the Howard house, and the waving g of the flags brought several general officers to the spot, among them McPherson, Dodge and Logan. We halted in the road, the 15th Indiana battery leading the division artillery column. Major Wells called on me to bring the gums forward, file the head of column to the left, and come to an action right and fire at the enemy, then busy perfecting their breastworks, some nine hundred yards distant. This was promptly complied with as the commands would be given, and the first shot from that position under Sherman’s, Schofield’s, McPherson’s, Dodges’ and Logan’s very eyes were sent to the doomed city by our guns, but the enemy’s lines was still some three quarters of a mile from the city, and an ordinary shot could not read the town, so, without orders, one of the number 6’s prepared a case shot with a double charge and a twenty seconds fuse, unknown to me and then gun sergeant. A higher elevation was given and the shell went on its way to the center of the city. This and the recoil of the gun had been noticed by the general officers then around our guns. The chief of artillery, in great anger, was besides me and wanted to know why I had fired into the city, and not confined myself, as ordered, to the line of the enemy’s defense. I stammered an excuse that I was as ignorant as he was, and feared my shoulder straps would be lost. This shot was the first that reached the heart of the city, I have evidence from reliable witnesses that it struck the Trout House, a hotel, near the depot. As nothing came of the incident I was enable to retain my rank. Cockerill’s battery took position next to us and for several hours we enjoyed the privilege of chasing the Georgia’s militia over the breastworks whenever they appeared.

At the same time appeared a general officer on the Confederate side with his staff and escort. He became a prominent mark for our practice, and we had the satisfaction to see him change position about as often as he came in sight of us. He proved later to be General Hood, taking a survey of our position, also waiting for Hardee to make his assault on the rear of Sherman’s left and crush the Army of Tennessee. Their skirmishing, by the opposing outpost, especially on the distillery road, west of Clear Creek became very lively. Sherman and the aforenamed officers were in and about our limbers and caissons with map in hand tracing the lines occupied, sometimes standing, then stitch of the porch of the Howard House, and finally McPherson and Sherman were seen a little off to our right still tracing over their maps, while seated beneath a tree. Just then the skirmishing on our extreme left and rear became very hot and lively and with this, about 11 a.m., was the mingled the deer roar of artillery. In the direction of Decatur and south of us near Bald Hill, McPherson, dressed in full Major General’s uniform with gauntlet gloves incasing his hands, high top riding boots, mounted his horse sitting as erect as an arrow and with his staff and escort following him, rode off in a gallop to the left of his line. The volume of the firing, both infantry and artillery, on that part of the field increased for the distance of about five miles, and the enemy inside of Atlanta was very active, and the thundering cannonade of the heavy guns on both sides, aided by the rattling volleys of the infantry were deafening. This soon became more aggressive and nearing our lines rapidly. We, of course, were active and gave the Confederates prompt reply with the best that we knew how. Some provisional breastworks, about three feet high, had been erected, which afforded little protection, but we were saved by the bad marksmanship of the enemy and their extremely bad powder that refused to carry their projectiles far enough to reach us. Our line was now continuous, from Thomas’s right flanks to the left of McPherson, including Bald Hill, occupied by Leggett on the previous day. As the extreme right protection to the railroad of the Chattahoochie, the work of rebuilding the bridge was progressing rapidly. During the time we were engaging the enemy with our rifle guns. Logan’s corps filed in on the left of us, and formed a a straight line from our left, due south to the Augusta railroad. One regiment, for lack of space in the lines lay close to read of our battery, and for the first time during the way I found a soldier having his wife with him in the field. The woman, unmindful of the shrieking shells set at once about her work to prepare a meal for her husband’s mess, while the battle with all of its fury was in progress. She was treated by officers and men with the courtesy due a lady, and had proven herself as such.

The storm of combat had lasted about a half hour, when Sherman, who was still near our guns, received word that McPherson had been killed. McPherson had left Sherman at the Howard House and in a gallop had ridden to the railroad where he met Logan and Blair between their lines, and Dodge’s 16th Corps. The heaving firing of the last named corps indicated a large force of the enemy in our rear. Logan and Blair rode to their corps in a gallop and McPherson to Dodge’s corps.

To reach Fuller’s and Sweeny’s division of that corps, the enemy had to cross an open field, and as Fuller was on the right he was reached first and though at first repulsed, renewed the assault with great determination. Just then Welker’s Missouri battery, supported by the 14th Ohio infantry, swept the front of Fuller and Sweeney, permitting the Confederates under Walker and Bates to cross the field. McPherson just now on Fuller’s right had ordered the trains away, and received a message from Blair that his flanks had been attacked. A brigade of Logan’s reserve, under General Wangelin, was near, and the latter received a personal order from General McPherson to fill the gap between Dodge and Blair. This satisfied him that Dodge could hold his position and he started at a gallop for Blair’s line over a road which had been clear of the enemy, but he had not advanced over a hundred yards when he ran into Cleburne’s Confederate skirmish line, then advancing. Then called on him to halt and surrender, but, instead, he saluted and wheeled to gallop away. The enemy fired a volley and the great general with the traditional smile on his face sank from his horse, mortally wounded. As his staff was busy carrying orders, he was alone with an orderly. The latter was wounded and captured, but a wounded soldier nearby got away and gave the information of the great loss of the invincible army had sustained.