Numbers 204.
Reports of Brigadier General John W. Geary, U. S. Army, commanding Second Division.

HDQRS. SECOND DIVISION, TWENTIETH ARMY CORPS,
Atlanta, Ga., September 15, 1864.
COLONEL; In pursuance of orders, I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of my command during the campaign just terminated by the capture of Atlanta:
[editor’s note: most of report not printed here except for excerpts pertaining to 7th Pennsylvania Cavalry]
I moved my division out (without interrupting in the slightest degree the march of the Fourth Corps_ to the main road, over a new one through the woods which I had cut during the day, and moved rapidly on and reached Pace’s Ferry about 4 a.m. on the morning of the 26th [August]. The command was immediately posted-Third Brigade on the left, extending across the Buck Head road, covering the bridge at the ferry; the Second Brigade in the center, joining the Third; the First Brigade on the right, joining the Second, and connecting with Williams’ division on the north side of Peach Tree Creek; Bundy’s battery placed in the works of the Third Brigade. My pickets from the works before Atlanta joined my command at 6 a.m. The withdrawal from my works before the city, and the march of nine miles to the ferry, were all accomplished without the loss of a man or of any material.
About noon the enemy’s cavalry appeared in my front and slight skirmishing commenced between them and my pickets. At 3 o’clock a body of cavalry, dismounted, charged upon the picket-line, but were driven back with a loss of 8 killed (left on the field), some 25 wounded, and 3 prisoners, with no casualties in my command. Skirmishing continued throughout the afternoon. The artillery firing a few shells into the cavalry caused them to disperse rapidly. The enemy was busily engaged in feeling my lines. At 8 p.m. Colonel Minty, commanding a brigade in General Garrard’s cavalry division, reported to me that the Seventh Pennsylvania Cavalry was left upon the opposite side of the river, with orders to patrol up the river as far as Soap Creek. During the afternoon Major-General Slocum, assigned to command of the corps, rode along my lines and was received with hearty enthusiasm by the men of his old command. 
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
JNO. W. GEARY,
Brigadier-General, Commanding Division.
Lieutenant Colonel H. W. PERKINS,
Assistant Adjutant-General, 20th Army Corps.