information possible regarding the enemy and the country. His men, armed with Spencer carbines, as were all the enlisted men of the detachment on duty in the field, skirmished frequently with detachments of the enemy's cavalry. On halting after the march of the day of two corps of the army, moving on different roads, would usually be separated from six to fifteen miles. Frequently at such times Captain McClintock, with ten or fifteen men, would be sent to communicate between the columns, which duty he accomplished whenever undertaken.

On the evening of the 3rd, from Rivers' Bridge, he communicated with General Force, commanding Third Division, Seventeenth Army Corps, whose command at Whippy Swamp took a road diverging to our left, and brought information of interest to the general commanding. On the 5th, reconnoitered the country and communicated with the Fifteenth Army Corps, which crossed the Big Salkehatchie at Buford's Bridge, five miles above crossing of right column. At the Little Salkehatchie, which we reached on the 6th, he was sent again to communicate with the left column, six miles above. After proceeding a short distance his party came upon a superior force of the enemy's cavalry, and during a skirmish which ensued Sergeant Page received a severe wound in the foot by the accidental discharge of his own carbine while in the act of dismounting. Upon entering Orangeburg, where the army struck the South Carolina Railroad, Captain McClintock's party followed up several miles the rear of the enemy's retreating column and succeeded in capturing four prisoners. On the 15th the enemy's cavalry offered strong resistance to our advancing columns, but were steadily driven back to Congaree Creek, the defensive line of Columbia. Tskirmished during the early part of the day and aided in driving the enemy across the creek. Of its operations later in the day Captain McClintock says in his report:

At 11 a.m. I joined Captain Duncan's party and reconnoitering the river (creek) for several miles above the bridge to obtain another crossing. Upon arriving at Taylor's Mill we were informed that the rebels were guarding a bridge over the creek about a mile distant. We moved down immediately and found the enemy had fired it and fallen back. After extinguishing the fire and repairing the bridge we proceeded down the opposite side of the stream, had a skirmish with a party of rebels who were guarding a crossing below, and compelled them to leave. At this place we crossed all our horses and sent them back to camp in charge of a part of our men; with nine others, the captain and myself started on foot to reconnoiter the country on the north bank and down toward the bridge, at which the troops were then fighting. Night coming on compelled us to halt, as we were unable, owing to the impassableness of the country, to discover whether our forces had carried the bridge or not. 16th, started at daylight toward our lines, and at 10 a.m. came up with the Fifteenth Army Corps, part of which had crossed the evening before. We now found we had stayed the night previous almost in rear of the rebel right flank, or at least the early part of the evening.

I have no doubt but that the driving away of the enemy's pickets from the crossing referred to by Captain McClintock hurried the evacuation of the strong position in front of our army on the main road, as it would naturally have led the enemy to believe that a crossing had been effected above, flanking their position. After leaving Columbia and crossing the Wateree River it was deemed advisable to destroy the bridge over that stream at Camden, which place lay twenty miles to the right of our line of march. The mounted men with the headquarters were organized for the purpose into an expeditionarrdance with directions from the major-general commanding to send as many men as possible from the signal party, I directed Captain McClintock, with fifteen men, to join the expedition. The united parties,