We could look away out across a large field in front of our works, and see the skirmish line advancing steadily towards the main works around the City.

Not a shot was being, fired on either side.
"To our surprise, instead of marching to the front and toward the City, we filed off into a small road cut through the woods and marched rapidly to the rear.

We could not understand what it meant.

We marched at quick time, feeling pretty mad that we had to go to the rear, when the rest of our Division were going into Atlanta.
"We passed the Sixteenth Corps lying on their arms, back in some open fields, and the wagon trains of our Corps all comfortably corralled, and finally found ourselves out by the Seventeenth Corps headquarters.

Two or three companies were sent out to picket several roads that seemed to cross at that point, as it was reported 'Rebel Cavalry' had been seen on these roads but a short time before, and this accounted for our being rushed out in such a great hurry.
"We had just stacked arms and were going to take a little rest after our rapid march, when several Rebel prisoners were brought in by some of the boys who had straggled a little.