bridge was not completed until daylight, the 19th, at which time the corps commenced crossing, and by night had completely torn up the railroad running along the River bank to Larkin's Station, a few miles above Alston, and went into camp in the vicinity of Thompson's Post Office. At this point we learned of the capture of

Columbia by the Right Wing of our forces and the retreat of the enemy in the direction of Cheraw, also of the close proximity of Cheatham's command to our left flank, crossing the River above us. Moving from their present camps, with Morgan's division in charge of general supply train, the corps marched upon Winnsborough, crossing Little River at Ebenezer Meeting-House, and went into camp in the vicinity of White Oak, a few miles in advance of Winnsborough, on the evening of the 21st, Kilpatrick's cavalry still co-operating on my left flank. At this point the general-in-chief visited the Left Wing of the army and established his headquarters at Winnsborough. Early on the morning of the 22nd, in compliance with orders, I commenced the destruction of the Columbia and Charlotte Railroad, between White Oak and Cornwall, and on the following day, the 23rd, concentrated the corps at Rocky Mount Post Office, on the Catawba River. Baird's and Carlin's divisions performed this duty, marching thirty-eight miles in that many hours, and destroying twelve miles of railroad. Morgan's division, in charge of the trains, moved direct from its camp near White Oak, via Gladden's Grove, to Rocky Mount Post Office.

In the afternoon of the 24th the Twentieth Corps and Kilpatrick's cavalry, preceding my command, had completed the crossing of the River, and Morgan's division commenced crossing. The rainy season, which so seriously impeded our progress for the succeeding few days, had already set in, and caused the River to rise to such an extent as to threaten the security of the bridge, which at the first had been located in a very injudicious place, and to render the passage of wagons very unsafe and slow. Nevertheless the crossing was contained until the stream had risen over five feet at the foot of the rapids where the bridge was located, when the anchors gave way and about 250 feet of the bridge was completely washed away. Anchors, ropes, boats, &c., were generally lost; fortunately but two teams were on the bridge at the time, and they, being near the shore escaped. This accident occurred during the night of the 25th, and early in the morning I ordered the remaining portion of the boats to be taken up in order to secure them from being washed away by the sweeping current. The continual rise in the River and want of material prevented the reconstruction of the bridge until midnight of the 27th, at which time Baird's division resumed the crossing, and by dark it was completed and the bridge taken up during the night. The difficulties overcome in crossing this River were by far the greatest met during our long campaign and the consequent delay was most vexatious, as it affected to some extend the progress of the whole army at an important juncture. The corps now being so far behind the other columns, and having a longer route designated as its line of march the column was pushed rapidly forward by forced marches, notwithstanding the rainy weather and extremely bad condition of the roads. Cheraw wasive point and the roads leading through the following places indicated the route of march for my column: Hanging Rock, Horton's Tavern, Taxipaw, McManus' Bridge over Lynch's River, Blakeney's Cross-Roads. Mount Croghan, and Sneedsborough.

At daylight on the morning of the 1st of March-each division in charge of its own trains-the corps marched in the following order: