handsomely drove the enemy's cavalry back about three miles beyond this point. The regiment then rejoined the brigade, which had encamped for the night. Later in the day a foraging party, under Lieutenant-Colonel Salomon, Eighty-second Illinois Volunteers, was sent up the Columbia road about five miles, but owing to the barrenness of the country was unsuccessful, and returned at nightfall. On the 15th 148 wagons of the train were assigned to the care of my brigade. The regiments were distributed through the train and directed to be unusually watchful against attacks from the enemy's cavalry. The column moved on the Lexington road. At 2 p.m. seven prisoners were brought in by foragers from the Eighty-second Ohio Volunteers. At 3 p.m. the brigade reached Congaree Creek, the bridge over which had been burned by the enemy. While the column awaited the repair of the bridge, a squad of five foragers from the Eighty-second Ohio Veteran Volunteers brought in eleven good horses with complete equipments, all of which they had captured from a detachment of rebel cavalry. Twelve horses were taken, but one being severely wounded had to be abandoned. My brigade crossed Congaree Creek at 6 p.m. The road beyond contained many boggy places, which returned the March very much. My advance regiment did not get into camp until 10 p.m. At that hour the head of column reached the cross-roads near Red Branch Creek.

At 7. 30 on the morning of the 16th my brigade moved in the direction of Columbia. The troops marched unencumbered by wagons, the trains being left in charge of the Second Division, and the column being stripped for action. At noon cannonading was heard toward the right, supposed to be caused by the advance of the Fifteenth Corps. At 9. 30 my brigade crossed the unfinished line of railroad constructed from Columbia to Augusta. At 10. 45 it arrived within five miles of Columbia, without having met any opposition. It was now ascertained that the Fifteenth Corps had reached the Congaree, opposite the city. At 3 p.m. my brigade crossed a small creek and encamped. On the 17th my command marched to Zion Church, a point on the right bank of the Saluda. My troops encamped at nightfall near the pontoon bridge, which had been laid at that point. On the following morning they crossed the Saluda. My brigade, being the rear guard of the corps, moved three miles beyond the bridge and halted to await the passing of the troops and trains. The One hundred and first Illinois Volunteers was stationed on the left bank near the bridge, to cover its removal. At 4. 30 p.m., the rest of the corps having all passed, my entire command resumed its March. The troops continued to move until 10 o'clock at night, when they encamped at Crooked Branch. On the following day (19th) my brigade was placed in charge of the entire division train. The column moved at 10 a.m. and in an hour afterward reached Rockville Post-Office. At 2 p.m. it left the road and pursued the crest of a ridge directly through the woods and fields. The soil was soft and gravelly, rendering it very difficult for the trains to get through. At 5. 30 p.m. my brigade encamped near the Broad River, about one mile below Alston Depot. Foragers from the Thirty-First Wisconsin Volunteers captured on this day 2 horses and 15 mules. The party from the Eighty-second Ohio Volunteers captured 8 mules and burned 1 cotton-gin and 23 bales of cotton. At 9 a.m. on the 20th my brigade crossed Broad River. The column then moved northeastward, and at 11 a.m. crossed Little River at Gibson's. The country now became quite undulating, and we seemed to have gotten fairly out of the swamps. There were many well-