Today in History:

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

Page 335 Chapter LIX. THE CAMPAIGN OF THE CAROLINAS.

On the 10th instant one man of the Sixty-third Illinois Veteran Volunteers Infantry was killed and a limb falling from a tree under which he had gone to sleep and striking him on the head fractured the skull.

On the 13th instant another man of the same regiment shot himself accidentally while foraging for his regiment, the ball passing through his body, causing his death a few hours afterward.

I am, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JESSE M. LEE,

Captain and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General,

First. Brigadier, Third Div., Fifteenth Army Corps.

Captain JOHN E. SIMPSON,

Actg. Asst. Insp. General, Third Div., Fifteenth Army Corps.


No. 32. Reports of Bvt. Major General John M. Corse, U. S. Army, commanding Fourth Division, of operations January 28 - March 24.

HDQRS. FOURTH DIVISION, FIFTEENTH ARMY CORPS, In the Field, on Dutchman's Creek, S. C., February 21, 1865.

MAJOR: In compliance with instructions received during the night of the 20th instant, I have the honor to make the following as a special report of the operations of my command, from Sandy Run, the 15th instant, to the evacuation of Columbia by our forces, the 20th instant:

Pursuant to orders from the major-general commanding I moved my command from a point on the Orangeburg and Columbia road, four miles distant from Sandy Run, in rear of the Second Division of this corps, breaking camp at 8 a. m., and placed it in position on the Congaree Creek at 6 p. m., having marched six miles. At 10. 30 a. m. on the 16th instant I moved my command, in accordance with orders received from corps headquarters, from its position on the Congaree Creek to a position vacated by Major-General Hazen, directly in front of the city of Columbia, where, throwing Battery H, First Missouri Light Artillery, into position, succeeded in silencing and driving from its position a rebel battery which was directing its fire against the right of my infantry, then in the act of forming, and the trains of the corps. I remained in this position without further demonstration on the part of the enemy until 4 p. m., when in compliance with orders from the major-general commanding corps I moved across the Saluda River, following the First Division, Fifteenth Army Corps, and bivouacked between the Saluda and Broad Rivers at 11 p. m. On the 17th instant I moved in rear of the First Division, across Road River, passed through Columbia, going into camp on the southeast side of the town, near the junction of the Charlotte and Charleston railroads. On the 18th instant, the command being directed to move down the Charleston railroad and destroy as much of that road as practicable, in conjunction with the Second Division, I moved at daylight and destroyed between the Three and Six Mile Posts, and between the Nine and Twelve Mile Posts, all the iron, ties, switches, and tanks, and then returned toward the city. On arriving to within four miles of Columbia I received orders to finish the destruction of the railroad to the Fifteenth-Mile Post; consequently went into bivouac at the point I received the orders, and on the morning of the 19th instant returned


Page 335 Chapter LIX. THE CAMPAIGN OF THE CAROLINAS.