At the Battle of Atlanta, July 22, 1864, John Gurley won his "Eagles," meaning his becoming a colonel. You might even say his alert actions saved the Union army from a disastrous defeat at that battle.
During the early morning hours of July 22 reports of noises off in the wood s started coming into the Union commander in that section, Gen. Giles A. Smith, doubted it was infantry that was being heard, but sent an officer to investigate.
That officer was Captain Gurley and he was to make an observation and report back to the general. He did just that and determined the sounds were coming from infantry.
On the evening of July 21, Confederate General Hood had ordered Lt. General William J. Hardee's corps to make a 15-mile night march and assault the Union army's left flank, commanded by Major General James B. McPherson's Army of the Tennessee. The sounds being heard were Hardee's march.
Riding back to report to Giles, Gurley took it upon himself to order two Union regiments into line of battle to prepare for enemy attack. He did this of his own accord and without the orders of his commanding general.
He got back to Smith's headquarters and made his report, "Infantry in large numbers, and will be upon you in a few minutes." The general still did not believe him and thought it was just cavalry. And when he found out that Gurley had taken it upon himself to order two of his regiments into line of battle without his express orders, the general blew his top, he turned to Gurley and said: "Captain, if they are infantry you are all right, if not, you are a ruined man."
--Old Secesh
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