Today in History:

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

Page 603 Chapter LIX. THE CAMPAIGN OF THE CAROLINAS.

Amount of forage captured and consumed: 647,853 pounds of corn, 522,263 pounds of fodder, and 5,500 pounds of hay.

The amount of property destroyed was as follows: 9 miles of railroad track, 77 cotton gins and presses, 3,387 bales of cotton, 2 saw-mills, 200,000 feet of lumber, and 3 flouring mills. One hundred and twenty-three negroes of both sexes followed the column.

Appended is a list of the casualties which have occurred during the campaign.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

N. J. JACKSON,

Brigadier-General of Volunteers.

Lieutenant Colonel H. W. PERKINS,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Twentieth Corps.


Numbers 133. Report of Bvt. Major General Alpheus S. Williams, U. S. Army, commanding First Division, of operations April 6-May 24.


HEADQUARTERS FIRST DIVISION, TWENTIETH CORPS,
Near Washington City, D. C., May 27, 1865.

COLONEL: I have the honor to submit the following report of the movements of this division from Goldsborough, N. C., to this point:

On 6th of April, having been relieved of the temporary command of the corps by Major General J. A. Mower, appointed its permanent commander, I resumed command of the division pursuant to Special Orders, Numbers 37, headquarters Army of Georgia, current series. On 10th of April the corps broke camp for Raleigh, my division leading. Moved out at 5. 30 a.m. ; passed through Goldsborough, and, crossing Little River and Beaver Creek, took the northerly road toward Smithfield. The rebel cavalry pickets began skirmishing with the advance soon after crossing Beaver Creek. Behind Moccasin Creek, a broad swamp, heavily tangled with trees, brambles, and bushes, full of pitfalls and badly overflowed, the enemy had torn up the bridges over two unfordable channels into which the creek divides itself at the crossing. Several hundred rebels under cover kept up a severe fire upon the roadway and across the swamp. The skirmishers of Selfridge's (First) brigade (One hundred and twenty-third New York, Colonel J. C. Rogers) spiritedly dashed into the swamp and, advancing through deep water and strong entanglements, drove back the enemy, so that the bridges were promptly relaid and the whole division placed in camp a mile north on Atkinson's plantation before nightfall. In this skirmish Selfridge's brigade lost 1 man killed and 3 wounded. While Selfridge's skirmishers were advancing in the swamp a regiment (One hundred and forty-third New York) of Robinson's brigade was sent to try a crossing at a mill a mile or so above. The enemy had left before the regiment reached the point indicated. The March to-day was estimated at sixteen miles. The weather was rainy and exceedingly unpleasant. April 11,, the division had the rear of the corps and did not get the way until 11 a.m. The roads very swampy and heavy and the day extremely sultry, with intervals of showers. March estimated at sixteen miles. The weather was rainy and exceedingly unpleasant. April 11, the division had the rear of the corps and did not get the way until 11 a.m. The roads very swampy and heavy and the day extremely sultry, with intervals of showers. March estimated at fifteen miles; encamped at Smith field before dark. April 12, the division moved second in line and marched out of Smithfield amidst the loud and hearty rejoicing over the news of the sur-


Page 603 Chapter LIX. THE CAMPAIGN OF THE CAROLINAS.