Today in History:

219 Series I Volume XLVII-I Serial 98 - Columbia Part I

Page 219 Chapter LIX. THE CAMPAIGN OF THE CAROLINAS.

Second Lieutenant H. P. Johnston, acting signal officer, transferred from Department of North Carolina and Army of the Ohio to Army of the Tennessee and assigned to duty with Major-General Hazen, commanding Second Division, Fifteenth Army Corps, by Special Orders, Numbers 59, headquarters Military Division of the Mississippi, reported to me at Raleigh for equipments and men, which were furnished him.

On the march to Raleigh, which occupied six days, the officers and men of the detachment made themselves generally useful.

Lieutenant Sampson and myself, in the absence of duties in our own department, of which the nature of the country and rapid movements of the army admitted none, performed the duties of aides tot he major-general commanding, being often sent in the advance to look out roads across the country to communicate with the different columns, our enlisted men at such times serving as escort. The party with the Fifteenth Army Corps under Lieutenant Sherfy assisted in a like manner. Lieutenant Sherfy says in his report:

On the 10th we started on another campaign, going in the direction of Raleigh, and on the following day, being in advance, we helped repaired the bridge over Little River, which the enemy had torn up. In the evening the general sent us several miles across to another column with dispatches. On the 12th we assisted in corduroying the road, which was very muddy, and on the 13th we were in the advance and captured four prisoners. When on the march Lieutenant Adams accompanied the general on staff duty, and Lieutenant Shellabarger and myself, with the remainder of the party, were in the advance reconnoitering and performing such other services as we could. During the remainder of the month there was no opportunity for us to perform any duty of importance, as the army was most of the time lying in camp and negotiations in progress which resulted in the surrender of the enemy in our front. On the 29th we started on the march with the army toward Washington. While lying in camp we had drill and practice in signals and occasionally the officers did staff duty.

The transcripts of daily record of the Seventh Army Corps party, Captain J. M. McClintock in charge, exhibit some good service performed. On the 10th, the first day of the march, this party was in the advance, skirmished with and drove the enemy's cavalry, and afterward assisted in replanking the bridge over Little River. It may be proper to here state that after the first day's march from Goldsborough the enemy disappeared entirely from the front of our army and offered no further resistance to our progress to the city of Raleigh.

Reaching the State capital of North Carolina in the 14th, the troops were immediately after put in camp oed by General Sherman, hostilities suspended, and negotiations commenced for the surrender of the rebel armies, and the commencement of the march of our army on the 29th for the city of Washington.

On the 30th, when ten miles north of Raleigh on our homeward march, I was ordered by the major-general commanding to proceed to New York City to transact important business for the headquarters. In accordance therewith I at once proceeded, via New Berne, Norfolk, and Baltimore, to New York, leaving the detachment in charge of proper officers.

Lieutenant Ware was ordered on the 27th to proceed with the enlisted men in his charge at New Berne, after turning over the public stores, to the vicinity of Washington, D. C.

I have the honor to be, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

P. A. TAYLOR,

Captain and Chief Signal Officer.

Colonel B. F. FISHER,

Chief Signal Officer, U. S. Army, Washington, D. C.


Page 219 Chapter LIX. THE CAMPAIGN OF THE CAROLINAS.