Today in History:

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

Page 819 Chapter LIX. THE CAMPAIGN OF THE CAROLINAS.

ing the night of that day in two or three small boats after a tedious effort, bringing across in the same manner all their baggage, horses, mules, wagons, &c., and camping on the South Carolina side the morning of the 2nd of that month. After crossing, several days were spent in receiving supplies and making necessary preparations for the coming campaign. The regiment moved from near the river, occupying positions at Hardee's plantation, Purysburg, and Robertsville. While at Hardee's plantation Lieutenant-Colonel Baker was compelled by sickness to turn over the command to Major D. Anderson and return to Savannah. While at Robertsville, preparations having been fully completed, the regiment began their march on that tremendous campaign so recently and gloriously terminated, moving from the latter place on the morning of February 2, they having been almost constantly on the march from the day of starting until the end.

The regiment has crossed the following named rivers: Combahee, North Edisto, South Edisto, Congaree, Saluda, Broad, Catawba, Cape Fear, Great Pedee, Little Pedee, Neuse, besides numbers of smaller streams. They have bridged streams, corduroyed swamps innumerable for many days in succession, drawing no supplies only such as they themselves secured from a poor, sterile, and impoverished country. They have taken prisoners, fought battles, and won victories. The regiment was hotly engaged with the enemy at Smith's plantation on the 16th of the present month, assaulting and carrying a line of rebel earth-works fully garrisoned, capturing 1 cannon and many prisoners, losing 4 killed and 17 wounded.

Annexed is an estimated statement of the amount of property captured by the regiment during this campaign, together with the number of miles of railroad destroyed:

Horses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Mules. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Cattle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Pork and bacon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pounds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15,000

Coffee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . do. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Flour. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . do. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,800

Rice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . bushels. . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Corn meal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pounds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,000

Sugar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . do. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400

Potatoes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . bushels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400

Railroad destroyed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . miles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

I also transmit a statement of losses and casualties occurring during the campaign.

D. ANDERSON,

Major, Commanding Regiment.


Numbers 196. Report of Captain Darwin R. May, Twenty-second Wisconsin Infantry, of operations January 2-March 24.


HDQRS. TWENTY-SECOND Regiment WISCONSIN INFTY. VOLS.,
Goldsborough, N. C., March 25, 1865.

CAPTAIN: Below please find report of the part taken by the Twenty-second Regiment Wisconsin Infantry Volunteers, in the campaign through the Carolinas;

The regiment crossed the Savannah River with the brigade on the 2nd day of January, 1865, and went into camp on the South Carolina shore. Remained in camp until the morning of the 4th, when it marched to Hardee's plantation, where it camped with the division and remained until the morning of the 17th of January. Marched on


Page 819 Chapter LIX. THE CAMPAIGN OF THE CAROLINAS.