Today in History:

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

Page 524 OPERATIONS IN N. C., S. C., S. GA., AND E. FLA. Chapter LIX.

to Spartanburg. On the 20th the Second Division was left in charge of the corps trains and we marched five miles, the First and Third Division going ahead. On the 21st marched at 10 a.m. and crossed Little River and went ten miles and camped near Winnsborough. On the 22nd marched at 6 a.m. and went about ten miles, crossing the railroad at White Oak about eight miles northwest of Winnsborough. The First and Third Divisions coming in from the latter place intercepted our road. The Right Wing of the army camped near us that night. On the 23rd we marched at 7 a.m. and went eight miles, and camped by the Catawba River, passing the First and Third Divisions in the evening. On the 24th we marched at 10 a.m. and crossed the Catawba on a pontoon bridge and went two miles, and being able to get but a small portion of our train up the steep hill and across the miry roads we went into camp. The roads were awful and there was continual rain. On the 25th we continued our labor to bring up the train, and succeeded in getting the train of one division across. On the night of the 25th the high water broke our bridge and we remained in camp on the 26th and 27th. The bridge was relaid and the train crossed during the night and morning of the 28th, and we marched at 11 a.m. and went five miles, each division now taking charge of its own train.

On the 1st of March we marched at 6 a.m. and went twenty miles. On the 2nd we marched at 6 a.m. and went twelve miles and camped on Lynch's Creek. On the 3rd resumed the march at 6 a.m. and went eighteen miles and camped by Thompson's Creek. The rebels cavalry hovered upon our left flank and harassed our foragers; three of the regiment were captured while foraging (see list hereunto attached). On the 4th we continued the march at 6 a.m., and went fourteen miles to the Great Pedee River and camped near Sneedsborough. The Twentieth Corps met us at the Right Wing crossed at Cheraw. On the 5th and 6th we remained in camp, the pontoon bridge across the River having broken and delayed our crossing. On the 7th we crossed the River in the evening, our brigade, in charge of the division train, being the last to cross. On the 8th we resumed the march at 6 a.m. and went twenty two miles, crossing the State line into North Carolina. On the 9th we continued the march at 7 a.m. and went twenty-one miles. On the 10th we marched at 7 a.m. ; heavy firing was heard on our left, and in a short time our brigade was ordered to the relief of General Kilpatrick, who had been attacked in his camp. we marched briskly and in little over an hour reached the scene of action, but found the enemy had been repulsed with severe loss, and our cavalry in quiet possession of the field. In the evening we returned to the road and advanced ten miles, making a distance of twenty miles in all. A prisoners belonging to the -- North Carolina Regiment was captured by the regiment that day. On the 11th we marched at 10 a.m. and went ten miles and encamped near Fayetteville, N. C., the First and Third Divisions entering the town. On the evening of the 12th we marched through Fayetteville and crossed the Cape Fear River on pontoon bridge and camped, having marched about three miles. Both wings of the army crossed the River at that point and we remained in camp on the 13th and 14th, awaiting supplies by the River. On the 14th a prisoner belonging to the First South Carolina Artillery was brought in by one of our foragers. On the 15th we resumed the march at 9 a.m. on the Raleigh road, and went about twelve miles and camped near -- Creek; the First Division and two divisions of the Twentieth Corps accompanied us, while the Right Wing advanced on a road some distance to our right; the Third Division and the remaining divis-


Page 524 OPERATIONS IN N. C., S. C., S. GA., AND E. FLA. Chapter LIX.