Ozaukee County's
War History
by Daniel E. McGinley

as extracted from THE PORT WASHINGTON STAR
August 28, 1897



26th Wisconsin
Chapter 11

The Twenty-sixth Wisconsin and the Twentieth Connecticut formed the first line of Wood's brigade. The line was formed on low ground with two parallel ridges of hills in front, separated by a shallow ravine. The Badger skirmishers advanced and gained possession of the first and then the second ridge, which they held until the main lines of the enemy, pouring out of his intrenchments, swept forward in great numbers, driving the Union skirmishers back to the first ridge where our main line was now stationed. The rebels rushed to the assault with great bravery and determination, their well known "Rebel Yell" rising sharp and clear above the firing, but were met by such a well-directed, wicked fire of musketry that they were for a moment checked and the battle of Peach Tree Creek had opened in deadly earnest and remarkable fierceness.

Gen. Hood had succeeded Gen. Johnston in the command of the rebel forces in front of Atlanta, and the Fabian policy under which Johnston had been fighting was now cast aside, and an offensive-defensive policy was inaugurated at Peach Tree Creek, the history of which was written in blood and ended in the terrible disaster at Nashville, Tenn., in the following December. But his soldiers were veterans of scores of well-fought fields, and when they were met at Peach Tree Creek by that murderous fire, they were staggered and checked for a few moments, but not driven. Rallying, they pressed forward gradually, returning the fire with a will until they came within ten yards of our lines. But further than that they could not advance against that storm of lead, and for a few minutes, they sullenly held their ground and returned the fire from our line with an effectiveness that was not pleasant for our boys. At length, their endurance gave out, they could not live longer in that fire, and the survivors turned and fled down the hill again, followed by the Twenty-sixth in a spirited counter charge. Charging up the second ridge, our boys were quickly in possession of it, and the Twenty-sixth had captured the colors of the Thirty-third Mississippi regiment, and forty prisoners. The enemy being heavily reinforced, returned to the attack and the Twenty-sixth was assailed from front and flank, and quite a number of its men fell here. But the Connecticut regiment soon came to its assistance, and other regiments coming up on the right, the position was held during the remainder of the battle, which ended in a complete victory for the Union army.

The losses of the Twenty-sixth at Peach Tree Creek were not large considering the fighting it did there, but were large enough -- too large for their friends at home. They were: killed or died of wounds, 15; wounded, 39. Captains Seeman and Mueller were among the killed, and Capt. Steinmeyer was wounded. Of the Ozaukee boys, Julius Semisch, of Mequon, was wounded. He recovered in time, but owing to the effects of the wound, was transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps, Dec. 20, 1864.

The conduct of the Twenty-sixth in the battle of Peach Tree Creek was so heroic and gallant that it won the admiration of all who witnessed it, and wrung well deserved praise from its commanders. The commander of the brigade, Col. Wood, in his official report has this to say of the Twenty-sixth: ìWhere all behaved well, it may be regarded as invidious to call attention to individuals, yet it seems to me I cannot discharge my duty in this report without pointing out for especial commendation the conduct of the Twenty-sixth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry and its brave and able commander. The position of this regiment in the line was such that the brunt of the enemy's attack fell upon it. The brave, skillful and determined manner in which it met this attack rolled back the onset, pressed forward in a counter charge and drove back the enemy, could not be excelled by the troops in this or any other army, and is worthy of the highest commendation and praise.î

When, on the morning of the 22nd of July, it was discovered that Hood's army had evacuated its Peach Tree Creek line and fallen back to the defenses near Atlanta, the Twentieth Corps moved forward with the rest of Shermanís army and closed in on Hood's inner line with some hot skirmishing. During the great battle of Atlanta, which was fought on the left that afternoon between the Army of the Tennessee and a large part of Hood's army, the Twenty-sixth assisted in making demonstrations against the intrenchments in its front, but the rebels were found to be there in force and no attempt was made to carry their works. That evening and night, the Twentieth Corps intrenched itself in front of the enemy's fortifications and like the balance of the army, it, during the process of the siege, kept working closer and closer to the rebel lines.

When, after the death of McPherson, Gen. Sherman gave way to his West Point prejudice against volunteer officers, and instead of recommending the superb and competent Logan, sent in the name of the incompetent Howard as McPherson's successor in command of the Army of the Tennessee, Gen. Hooker took the promotion as a personal affront and asked to be relieved of his command. His request was promptly complied with. Hooker went to the rear and Gen. Slocum, who had formerly commanded the Twelfth Corps, was given the command of the Twentieth. The brilliant volunteer soldier and steadfast patriot, Gen. John A. Logan, who had really been offered an affront by Howard's being given the command that rightfully belonged to him (Logan), went quietly and manfully back to the command of his famous Fifteenth Corps and served till the last armed rebel had surrendered or fled the country, without so much as a grumble at the unjust treatment. The rank and file of the Army of the Tennessee felt very indignant and hurt in regard to Howard's unearned promotion. They considered it an insult to the whole army to have a general who was not wanted in the eastern army, who had proven his incompetency to command a corps, and who was a total stranger to them, placed at the head of their army. It seemed as though the Army of the Tennessee had no material of its own for a commander, and the boys swore long and loudly, but they were veterans, and too true to go further in their remonstrances. They were loyal enough to subordinate their own wishes to those of their revered commander-in-chief for they felt that he made the mistake while trying to do the best he could for the service.

The Twenty-sixth took an active part in the siege, and was constantly under fire until the 25th of August. That night, in compliance with Shermanís orders, the Twentieth Corps withdrew from its trenches before Atlanta, and marched back to the railroad bridge across the Chattahoochie, where it turned the old intrenchments of the enemy into fortifications for its own defense, and remained there while Sherman, with the remainder of his army, made the masterly movement to the rear of the "Gate City" and forced its evacuation. While holding the Chattahoochie line, the Twenty-sixth had a good deal of picket and other duties to perform; and when on the 2nd of September, it was discovered that Atlanta had been evacuated the previous night by Hood's army, the Twentieth Corps immediately marched in and took possession of the city. One division was placed in charge of the city as provost guard, the others being camped near the city and at the Chattahoochie railroad bridge. The Twenty-sixth Wisconsin was encamped near the railroad bridge in October when Hood's army crossed the Chattahoochie on its noted raid upon Shermanís communications. When Sherman started north to drive Hood away from the railroad, the Twentieth Corps was left to garrison Atlanta and the defenses at the Chattahoochie bridge, and there the regiment remained until the army returned and finished its preparations for the march to the sea. Here it did garrison and picket duties and rested after the long summer campaign. The monotony of camp life was broken now and then by the raids of the Guerilla bands upon foraging parties who ventured outside of the Union picket lines without proper guards. The Twenty-sixth was deeply interested in two of those episodes, of which an account will be given in the next chapter.

Although the regiment had been under fire during the whole siege of Atlanta, its loss was very light, and shows how much a body of soldiers can go through with but a slight loss. The official returns give the number of killed or died of wounds in the Twenty-sixth during the siege, as 2; and wounded 3.

On the 17th of August, Lieut. Col. Winkler was commissioned Colonel; Major Lackner, Lieut. Colonel; and Capt. Fuchs, of Company A, Major. But as the regiment had been reduced by losses in battle and by disease below the required number of men, these officers could not be mustered in in accordance with their commissions. Of the Ozaukee boys, John B. Mueller and Joachim Stegman were transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps during the year 1864, Mueller on March 16th and Stegman on August 19th.