left of Meade's lines, on the 9th, to prevent the enemy from intercepting Warren's movements on the Weldon railroad, and returned the next day, without any serious engagement.

After resting nearly a month at Savannah, Gen. Sherman began a new campaign into the Carolinas, on the 15th of January. Before his arrival at Savannah, Gen. Foster had moved out from Beaufort, South Carolina, toward Grahamsville, on the Charleston and Savannah railroad, co-operating with Sherman's movement by attracting the enemy's attention to that quarter. It had been conjectured that Sherman's destination might be the harbor at Port Royal, and Foster's advance, strengthening this probability, led to the concentration of a superior Rebel force in Foster's front, under Hardee, and to his temporary repulse near Grahamsville. He gained a permanent foothold near the railroad, however, in the vicinity of Pocotaligo. At the outset of Gen. Sherman's new movement, his right wing, under Gen. Howard, was sent around by transports to Beaufort, and from thence the Seventeenth Corps, (Blair's) advanced without difficulty to the Charleston railroad, near Pocotaligo, effecting a secure lodgment there on the 15th of January. A depot of supplies was established at the mouth of Pocotaligo Creek, whence there was easy water communication with Port Royal Harbor.

The left wing of the army, commanded by Gen. Slocum, and the cavalry corps, under Gen. Kilpatrick, proceeded at the same time toward their first appointed rendezvous, near Robertsville and Coosawatchie, in South Carolina. Gen. Grant, meanwhile, had sent Grover's division of the Nineteenth Corps to garrison Savannah. He also withdrew Gen. Schofield, with the Twenty-Third Corps, from Tennessee, and sent him to the coast of North Carolina, to aid Generals Terry and Palmer, in their contemplated movement into the interior of the State, to co-operate with Sherman. Transferring the command of Savannah and its forts to Gen. Foster, who was to follow by the sea-coast to Charleston and elsewhere, as the advance of the main army might invite, Gen. Sherman embarked for Hilton Head, on the 22d of January, and there conferred with Admiral Dahlgren and Gen. Foster. On the 24th, he reached

the encampment of Gen. Blair, at Pocotaligo. The Fifteenth Corps was not yet brought together-Wood's and Hazen's Divisions lying at Beaufort, Smith's marching by the coast road from Savannah, and Corse's still waiting at the latter place, his intended march having been intercepted by freshets and storms.

On the 25th, Gen. Sherman amused the enemy by demonstrating against his works on the Salkehatchie, where a line of defense had been established, on the supposition of an intended advance of the Government forces toward Charleston. Such a purpose was never entertained by Sherman. The demonstrations, having the effect to keep a considerable Rebel force in front, were continued until the freshets had so subsided on the route of Gen. Slocum as to enable him to move his forces up the Savannah river, on the west bank, to Sister's Ferry, where the crossing was for some time delayed by high water. The Fifteenth Corps entire having now arrived at Pocotaligo, and the wagon trains being in readinesss, the march of the right wing northward toward Branchville commenced in earnest on the 1st of February.

Wheeler's cavalry had for some time previous occupied the roads to be traversed, obstructing them by felling trees and destroying bridges. Gen. Sherman's pioneer battalions, however, quickly rendered the ways passable. The Seventeenth Corps, moving directly along the right bank of the Salkehatchie, reached Rivers' Bridge on the 2d of February, while the Fifteenth Corps, at the same time moving by a route further west, arrived at Loper's Cross Roads. Gen. Hatch's division of Gen. Foster's command remained at Pocotaligo, keeping up the feint at the Salkehatchie railroad bridge and ferry, until the general movement, turning the enemy's line on that river, compelled him to fall back behind the Edisto.

From Loper's Cross Roads, communication was opened with Gen. Slocum, who was still delayed at Sister's Ferry by swamps. and floods. The cavalry of Kilpatrick, and two divisions of the Twentieth Corps (Williams) had crossed to the east side of the-Savannah. Hastening forward the remainder of the left wing as rapidly as possible, Gen. Williams was ordered to

move on Buford's Bridge, and Gen. Kilpatrick by Barnwell Court House to Blackville, on the South Carolina railroad (from Charleston to Augusta.) Gen. Howard crossed the Salkehatchie, and moved directly toward Midway, on the same railroad. The enemy held the line of that river in force, having intrenched at Buford's and Rivers' bridges. The Seventeenth Corps crossed over by the latter, on the 3d of February, the divisions of Mower and G. A. Smith carrying the position, by wading through the swamp, nearly three miles wide, the division commander taking the lead on foot. The water was sometimes up to the breasts of the stalwart soldiers as they cheerily moved on, despite the bitter cold—many a man in the ranks, no doubt, recalling his readings of watery marches in the Netherlands, in the days of William of Orange. Effecting a lodgment below the bridge, they advanced upon the Rebel brigade which defended it, and drove the enemy in confusion toward Branchville. The Union loss was less than one hundred. The Rebels at once fell back behind the Edisto, guarding Branchville. The Seventeenth Corps pursued, menacing that place, so that the enemy burned the railroad bridge there, and also Walker's bridge below.

Sherman's whole force was now pushed along the South Carolina railroad, and proceeded to its thorough destruction, the Seventeenth Corps working from the Edisto up to Bamberg, and the Fifteenth Corps from Bamberg to Blackville. Kilpatrick moved beyond the latter point toward Aiken, demonstrating against Augusta, but avoiding any serious engagement. He had heavy skirmishing, however, both at Blackville and Aiken, with Wheeler's cavalry. These operations occupied until the 10th of February, at which date Slocum was fully up with the left wing, which continued the destruction from Blackville as far as Windsor. The whole army was now concentrated on the railroad, from Midway to Johnson's Station, being intercepted between the two portions of the enemy's forces, respectively at Augusta and Aiken westward, and at Branchville and Charleston on the east.

Blair's corps crossed the south fork of the Edisto at Binnaker's Bridge, on the 11th of February, and marched directly

on Orangeburg, the Fifteenth Corps crossing at Holman's Bridge and moving to Poplar Springs, in support. On the 12th, Blair carried the Orangeburg Bridge, in the face of stout resistance, and his whole corps entered the town at four o'clock in the afternoon. He at once proceeded to destroy the railroad, continuing the work as far as Lewisville, and on the 14th drove the enemy across the Congaree, compelling him to burn the bridges. The left wing and the cavalry crossed the South Edisto at New and Guignard's Bridges, and proceeded to the Orangeburg and Edgefield road, awaiting the result of the movement on the former place.

After the occupation of Orangeburg, all the columns were put in motion toward Columbia. The Seventeenth Corps moved by the State road, and the Fifteenth crossed the North Edisto. On the 15th of February, the Fifteenth Corps encountered the enemy, in a strong position, at Little Congaree, with a tete de pont on the south side, and a fort on the north side, commanding the bridge. In spite of the difficult nature of the ground, which was low and wet, the position, being skillfully turned by the division of Gen. Woods, was carried without any protracted fighting. After nightfall, the column approached the bridge across the Congaree, in front of Columbia, and encamped in the vicinity. During the night the enemy shelled the Union camps, from a battery above Granby, on the east side of the river. In the morning (on the 16th), the bridge was found to have been burned. The pontoons came up, and Gen. Howard crossed the Saluda near the factory, three miles above the city, and afterward the Broad river, approaching the city from the north, in the evening of the same day. The left wing, under Gen. Slocum, crossed the Saluda at Zion Church, and moved directly toward Winnsboro, destroying, on his way, the railroads and bridges near Alston. The city was formally surrendered by the Mayor, on the morning of the 17th. Wade Hampton, commanding the Rebel rear-guard of cavalry, had, in the mean time, ordered that all the cotton in the city, public and private, should be moved into the streets and burned. The wind was blowing with fury, and the bales of cotton opened and fired, were piled in every

direction, and the city in general conflagration, as Sherman's forces entered. Much of the town was burned in spite of the exertions of the Union soldiers.

During the day, the Fifteenth Corps passed through the place. The entire left wing and the cavalry passed some distance to the left, not coming within two miles of the city. The Seventeenth Corps, also, passed outside of the limits of the town, moving north-eastward toward Cheraw. In regard to the burning of Columbia, Gen. Sherman makes the following official statement:

Before one single public building had been fired by order, the smoldering fires, set by Hampton's order, were re-kindled by the wind, and communicated to the buildings around. About dark they began to spread, and got beyond the control of the brigade on duty within the city. The whole of Wood's division was brought in, but it was found impossible to check the flames, which, by midnight, had become unmanageable, and raged until about four A. M., when, the wind subsiding, they were got under control. I was up nearly all night, and saw Generals Howard, Logan, Wood, and others, laboring to save houses and protect families thus suddenly deprived of shelter, and of bedding and wearing apparel. I disclaim, on the part of my army, any agency in this fire; but, on the contrary, claim that we saved what of Columbia remains unconsumed. And, without hesitation, I charge Gen. Wade Hampton with having burned his own city of Columbia, not with a malicious intent, or as the manifestation of a silly "Roman stoicism," but from folly and want of sense, in filling it with lint, cotton, and tinder. Our officers and men on duty worked well to extinguish the flames; but others not on duty, including the officers who had long been imprisoned there, rescued by us, may have assisted in spreading the fire after it had once begun, and may have indulged in unconcealed joy to see the ruin of the capital of South Carolina. During the 18th and 19th the arsenal, railroad depots, machine shops, founderies, and other buildings were properly destroyed by detailed working parties, and the railroad track torn up and destroyed down to Kingsville and the Wateree Bridge, and up in the direction of Winnsboro.

Gen. Slocum reached. Winnsboro on the 21st of February. The Twentieth Corps reached the Catawba, at Rocky Mount, on the 22d, and crossed over on a pontoon bridge the next day.