Today in History:

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

Page 663 Chapter LIX. THE CAMPAIGN OF THE CAROLINAS.

morning the March was continued in the direction of Chesterfield Court-House. My troops guarded the train of the division as far as Big Black Creek, where they were relieved by troops from the Third Division, and my brigade moved forward unencumbered. The First Brigade, in my advance, began skirmishing with the enemy about 2 p.m. At one time my command was ordered up to its support but did not happen to be needed. Afterward it moved rapidly forward and arrived at Chesterfield at 4. 30 p.m. After marching through the town my troops went into position and finally encamped just beyond it. At 9 a.m. on the 3rd my brigade marched to the upper bridge over Thompson's Creek, which stream it crossed by fording. It then moved down the creek to the lower bridge, and went into position covering an important cross-roads. It was at this time expected that the entire command would push forward toward Cheraw and attack the enemy there, but before the movement was commenced intelligence was received that the Right Wing had succeeded in obtaining possession of the town. No farther advance was therefore made, and my brigade encamped for the night on Potter's plantation. Next day (the 4th) my brigade marched again at 4 p.m., having in charge 180 wagons of the train. at 5 p.m. it crossed Little Westfield, and at midnight Big Westfield Creek. Shortly after crossing the latter stream my troops encamped at a point about four miles from the Great Pedee River. My brigade remained in this position until 9 a.m. on the 6th, when it marched again in charge of 180 wagons of the division train. The road being good, the column moved along rapidly, and at 3 p.m. reached Cheraw. Here my brigade remained until 11 o'clock at night, when it crossed the Great Pedee on a pontoon bridge. The troops continued to March until they reached a point four miles beyond the bridge, where they encamped three hours after morning. The column moved in a northeasterly course toward Fayetteville, N. C. My brigade crossed the North Carolina line at noon. The route lay through a sandy, rolling country abounding in pitch pines. Its barrenness stinted the customary success of our foragers. At 4 p.m. my brigade encamped near the unfinished railroad known as the Wilmington and Rutherford Railroad.

At 7 a.m. of the following day my brigade marched again in the advance of the corps. The general direction of the March was toward McFarland's Bridge, on the Lumber River. At 9 a.m. the column encountered the Fourteenth Corps, which was moving on the road designed for the Twentieth. After some delay the brigade again pursued its way, moving through woods and fields about two miles, when a new road was found leading to the Lumber. At noon my command crossed Gum Swamp Creek. Soon afterward, in obedience to order from the corps commander, it pressed forward withetting possession of and, if possible, saving the bridge over the Lumber. The line of March now led through a wild and almost uninhabited country thickly timbered with pines. It afforded nothing whatever to our foragers. During a March of some fifteen miles two or three wretched cabins were about the only observable signs of civilized life. Just before nightfall my command reached McFarland's Bridge, which was found to be already destroyed. The enemy had burned it during the night of the 7th. The Lumber is a deep, narrow, and difficult stream, rarely fordable at this season of the year. It was therefore necessary that the bridge be reconstructed. I put almost my entire command, including the pioneer corps, at work upon it early on the morning of the 9th. The work was prosecuted with great energy and


Page 663 Chapter LIX. THE CAMPAIGN OF THE CAROLINAS.