Today in History:

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

Page 662 OPERATIONS IN N. C., S. C., S. GA., AND E. FLA. Chapter LIX.

stocked plantations, and our foragers brought us in a plentiful supply of provisions. At 3 p.m. the column struck the direct road to Winnsborough. At 4 p.m. the troops encamped at Myrtle Hill. The March was resumed at 9 a.m. on the 21st. My brigade was put in charge of 420 wagons. The column moved through a fine, undulating country toward Winnsborough. My command arrived at this place at 4. 30 p.m. At 6 p.m. it encamped three miles beyond. At 10 a.m. of the 22nd it resumed its March, having been put in charge of 540 wagons. At 2 p.m. it passed Wateree Church, and at 4 reached Wateree Creek. Only three of my regiments, together with the wagons assigned them, succeeded in getting over this stream until the bridge broke down. These regiments, excepting the One hundred and first Illinois Volunteers, which was detached by the division commander to cover aside road, moved on toward Rocky Mount Post-Office, near which point they encamped at midnight. The regiments which had been cut off by the breaking of the bridge over Wateree Creek did not get into camp until toward morning.

My brigade crossed the Wateree River on a pontoon bridge at 10 a.m. on the 23rd. After crossing it was directed to assist the trains in getting up the high and difficult hill on the left bank. My command was kept thus employed until 3. 30 p.m., when it continued its March four miles farther and encamped. On the 24th my brigade marched at 7. 30 a.m. in the advance of the corps. The rain which had commenced falling during the previous night continued throughout most of this day. The soil of this region, any time soft and boggy, now became doubly so, and the trains moved with great difficulty. At 10 a.m. the head of the column encountered the Seventeenth Corps moving on the only road the could be taken by the Twentieth. The troops encamped on Patterson's plantation and here remained until 2 p.m. on the 26th, when the March was resumed. My brigade had charge of 112 wagons. The road was extremely bad and had to corduroyed almost entire. At nightfall my command encamped at a cross-roads two miles from Hanging Rock Post-Office. Early on the following morning it moved forward to that point. Then crossing a stream of the same name it advanced three miles farther and encamped. On this day some foragers of my command brought in a handsome silk banner inscribed on one side thus: "Our cause is just; we will defend it with our lives. " On the other side was this inscription: "Presented by the ladies to the Lancaster Invincibles. " My brigade marched again at 7 a.m. on the 28th, in charge of the train of the Second Division. A drizzling rain had kept falling during the previous night and continued throughout the day. The road consequently became very bad. The first two miles of the road had to be corduroyed almost entire. At 11 a.m. the brigade passed Horton's. After this the road became much better and the train moved along rapidly. At 2 p.m. the brigade crossed Little Lynch's Creek on a substantial wooden bridge which the enemy had left standing. The troops encamped one mile from the bridge at 4 p.m. The Eighty-second Illinois Volunteers was, by order of the corps commander, sent forward twelve miles to seize and hold the bridge over Lynch's Creek. The regiment pushed rapidly forward and succeeded in obtaining possession of the bridge by 10 p.m. The enemy made no resistance.

Our March was resumed at 6 a.m. of March 1. At 11. 30 a.m. my brigade crossed Lynch's Creek on the bridge seized by the Eighty-second Illinois Volunteers at Ferrily's Ford. It then moved four miles farther and encamped on Johnson's plantation. Early on the following


Page 662 OPERATIONS IN N. C., S. C., S. GA., AND E. FLA. Chapter LIX.