Kilpatrick's cavalry passed the same bridge during the night of the 23d, in the midst of a heavy storm of rain, and moved up to Lancaster, keeping up the appearance of a general advance toward Charlotte, N. C., on which place Beauregard and all the Rebel cavalry had retreated. Cheatham's corps, of Hood's army, returned from his disastrous campaign in Tennessee, was also known to be endeavoring to join Beauregard at the same place, having been cut off by Sherman's rapid march upon Columbia and Winnsboro.

Heavy rains and swollen streams rendered further movements nearly impracticable, until the 26th, on which day the Twentieth Corps reached Hanging Rock, there waiting for the Fourteenth to come up. On its arrival, the entire left wing was put in motion on the road to Cheraw, toward which point the right wing was already considerably advanced. The Seventeenth Corps had crossed by Young's Bridge, and the Fifteenth by Tiller's and Kelly's Bridges-detachments from the latter corps having entered Camden-ground already historic-and burned the railroad bridge over the Wateree, destroying stores and other public property. Detentions of the right wing at Lynch's Creek enabled the left to make up nearly all the time it had relatively lost in getting across the Catawba, and on the 2d of March, the advance division of the Twentieth Corps entered Chesterfield, encountering some slight resistance from Rebel cavalry. On the 3d, the Seventeenth Corps entered Cheraw, the Rebel force there retiring across the Pedee river and burning the bridge.

Meanwhile, these movements in the interior, in connection with the previous operations on the coast, and especially the capture of Fort Fisher, had rendered comparatively easy the work of successively occupying Charleston and Wilmington. Columbia was taken on the 17th of February, as already seen, and on the 18th Charleston was evacuated by the Rebel garrison, and taken possession of by Gen. Gillmore. This result was hastened by an advance of Union forces on the Edisto and from Bull's Bay. Among the captures of Rebel property were about two hundred pieces of artillery and a good supply of ammunition. The cotton warehouses, arsenals, army stores,

and railroad bridges were burnt by the enemy, as well as two iron-clad boats, and a number of vessels in the ship-yard. Universal joy, throughout the loyal States, was manifested at the final subjugation of a city, in which was hatched the deadliest treason the world ever saw. The fearful retribution had come at last, and possession of the place revealed a picture of desolation beyond what the fancy, musing on "poetic justice," had as yet fully conceived.

On evacuating the city, a considerable quantity of ammunition and many cannon had been removed by the Rebels to Cheraw-not then apparently threatened-where they fell into the hands of Gen. Sherman.

On the coast of North Carolina, Gen. Schofield assumed command of the forces of the Department, on arriving with his corps from Tennessee, Gen. Terry taking command of a corps under him. Possession had already been gained of the remaining works near the mouth of Cape Fear river, but no serious advance was made upon Wilmington until the 11th of February. Meanwhile, in pursuance of a plan formed before the fall of Fort Fisher, to occupy and restore the railroad from Newbern toward Waynesboro and Raleigh, and to move a column by this route inland from the coast, co-operating with Sherman's army, a construction party, with a supporting force, was landed at the former place, under the direction of Gen. Schofield. On the morning of February 11th, the divisions of Gen. Ames and Gen. Paine, near Fort Fisher, attacked the Rebel lines across the peninsula, between Cape Fear river and the sea, and drove back the enemy. On the 17th, Gen. Schofield, with 8,000 men, advanced from Smithville, on the west side of the Cape Fear river, supported by a portion of Admiral Porter's fleet, and on the following day captured Fort Anderson and adjacent works, the last defenses of Wilmington. While the guns played upon the fort in front, Major-Gen. Cox led a force, by a circuit of sixteen miles, around the right flank of the enemy, completely turning his position, causing his immediate evacuation of the works assailed, and his retreat to Wilmington. On the 21st, our forces had a successful engagement, four miles from town, which resulted in its speedy occu

pation by Gen. Schofield.

The columns moving from the seaboard were to concentrate at Goldsboro, as pre-arranged with Gen. Sherman.

After a brief delay at Cheraw, Gen. Sherman resumed his march, passing into North Carolina and moving toward Fayetteville. His right wing crossed the Pedee river at Cheraw, and his left and cavalry at Sneedsboro. The Fourteenth and Seventeenth Corps entered Fayetteville on the 11th of March, driving back Wade Hampton's cavalry, which covered the rear of Hardee's forces, as they retreated across the Cape Fear river, burning the bridge behind them. The next three days were passed at Fayetteville, during which the arsenal, including a large amount of machinery from the old armory at Harper's Ferry, were completely destroyed, as well as much other valuable property of use to the enemy.

The Rebel forces, hitherto successfully separated by Gen. Sherman in his march-those under Beauregard, including Cheatham's brigade, driven aside to Charlotte, as well as the troops which had garrisoned Augusta, and those under Hardee, which had escaped across the Cape Fear river-were now getting in a condition to form a junction with Johnston and Hoke, at or near Raleigh. These several commands, united under Johnston-one of the most skillful of the Rebel generals-with a combined cavalry force superior to that under Kilpatrick, would constitute a formidable army, fighting on familiar ground against an invading force without a "base." By trusty scouts, Sherman opened communication with Gen. Terry, now in command at Wilmington, and with Gen. Schofield at Newburn, apprising them of his situation and plans. Communication was also opened by a gunboat, which now ran up to Fayetteville. Both Schofield and Terry were ordered to advance at once on Goldsboro, toward which place Shermanhimself moved on the 15th of March, first feigning an advance on Raleigh. Kilpatrick moved out accordingly, on the road to Averysboro, followed by four divisions of Slocum's command, accompanied by Gen. Sherman in person. On the 16th-Kilpatrick having had some heavy skirmishing with the enemy's rear-guard, three miles beyond Kyle's Landing—the

Rebels were found in a fortified position, covering a point where the road branches off through Bentonville to Goldsboro. It was apparent to the commanding General that Hardee, whose force was estimated at 20,000 men, had made a stand here, on the narrow, swampy neck between Cape Fear and South rivers, in the hope of gaining time for a concentration of the various forces under Johnston, at some point beyond, toward Goldsboro. It became expedient, therefore, to dislodge the enemy as promptly as possible, and was necessary, as well for the purpose of continuing the feint on Raleigh, as of securing the use of the Goldsboro road. After a conflict, chiefly difficult from the nature of the ground, over which horses could not move, and which yielded to the steps of the men-two or three charges by brigades, and some artillery firing by a well-posted battery, comprising the sum of all-the enemy was forced back from his first and second lines, and made his escape in the darkness of the ensuing night. It was soon found that he had retired by the Smithfield road, and not toward Raleigh. The only Union forces engaged were portions of the Twentieth and Fourteenth Corps, the command of Gen. Slocum, who reported his losses as twelve officers and sixty-five men killed, and 476 wounded. The enemy left 108 dead on the field, his whole loss probably exceeding 700. Such was the battle of Averysboro, fought on the 16th day of March.

The left wing now took the Goldsboro road. Howard's column and the trains were already moving in the same direction on the right; Kilpatrick watching the right flank. Slocum encamped on the night of the 18th, at a point where the road from Clinton to Smithfield crosses the Goldsboro road, twenty-seven miles from Goldsboro, and five from Bentonville. Howard was at Lee's store, two miles south, and both wings had pickets thrown out for three miles, to where the two roads united in one. Not anticipating any further opposition, Howard was directed to advance, on the 19th, along the new Goldsboro road, by Falling Creek Church, while Sherman procceded to join this column in person, desiring to open communications with the converging columns of Schofield and Terry,

advancing from Newbern and Wilmington. Slocum had not gone far before Carlin's division, in the advance, encountered Dibbrell's division of Rebel cavalry, supported by infantry, which gained some advantage over him; and soon after it appeared that he was confronted, near Bentonville, by the whole of Johnston's army in position, under that officer in person. Sherman speedily made his dispositions for battle. Couriers from Schofield and Terry arrived at this juncture, reporting that the former was at Kingston, and could reach Goldsboro by the 21st, and that Terry was at or near Faison's Depot, some thirty miles south of Goldsboro, on the Wilmington railroad. Orders were issued to these commanders, with a view to secure their most effective co-operation, at the earlicst moment, in the battle now pending.

Meanwhile, Slocum had protected himself by a line of barricades, and remained on the defensive, having with him but four divisions, to which the cavalry of Kilpatrick was added, after the latter had heard the sounds of battle. In this position, six successive charges were made on the left, by the combined forces of Hardee, Cheatham and Hoke, under the direction of Johnston himself. Each attack was repulsed, with heavy loss to the enemy. During the night of the 19th, the two divisions guarding the wagon train arrived, together with Hazen's division of the Fifteenth Corps, enabling Gen. Slocum to make his position secure. Gen. Howard, on advancing the Fifteenth Corps to form a connection with Slocum, found that Johnston's left occupied a strong position, fortified by a line of parapets across the Goldsboro road, thus interposing a barrier between Sherman's two wings. Howard, however, succeeded in forming a connection with Slocum's right, without engaging the enemy. Before nightfall, on the 20th, Sherman's united forces, in a strong line of battle, had Johnston on the defensive. On the 21st, Gen. Schofield entered Goldsboro without serious opposition, and Gen. Terry reached the Neuse The three armies were thus river, ten miles above Goldsboro. brought into communication, within supporting distance of each other—a triumphant success of the various movements. During the day, on the 21st, it rained steadily, but Mower's