Today in History:

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

Page 847 Chapter LIX. THE CAMPAIGN OF THE CAROLINAS.

One wheel horse on another piece was killed as they were attempting to withdraw it, compelling them to abandon that also. The infantry getting on their right flank and rear at this time compelled them to evacuate their works. The captured gun, about 200 yards in advance of their works, was immediately turned upon them, expending all tund in the chests of both gun and howitzer. Our batteries were at once moved forward and occupied their vacated works. There were captured here one 12-pounder gun and one 12-pounder howitzer, both with limbers and harness complete, and three good horses, the others being killed, besides one limber and caisson, all of which, except the horses, were destroyed or rendered unserviceable. The enemy now fell back about one mile to another line of works. Battery I, First New York Artillery, advanced with our lines, taking position about 200 yards from the enemy. The infantry afterward retiring to a position farther to the rear, the battery was withdrawn. About 5 p. m. Battery M was placed in position on the road, and threw up a slight work in front of their guns. During the night the enemy withdrew. On the 19th the enemy were again found in force near Bentonville, the Fourteenth Corps being engaged as we came up. Our corps was hurried forward, the batteries arriving and taking position just in time to check an advance of the enemy who had broken the lines of infantry, and taken three pieces of artillery from the Fourteenth Corps. The enemy afterward made several assaults upon the lines, but they were each time met by a rapid fire from the batteries, which checked every advance.

During the night the enemy fell back to their original position. Many of their dead left on the field showed the effectiveness of the artillery fire. The batteries remained here in position until the morning of the 22nd, when they marched toward Goldsborough, arriving on the 24th, and camping about two miles from town.

During the campaign they subsisted principally on the country. The amount of subsistence and forage collected on the march, as near as can be ascertained, is as follows:

Flour. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pounds. . . . . . . . . . 8,000

Corn meal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . do. . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,000

Ham and bacon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . do. . . . . . . . . . . . . 25,000

Beef. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . do. . . . . 50,000

Corn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . do. . . . . . . . . . . . . 350,000

Hay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . do. . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,000

Corn fodder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . do. . . . . . . . . . . . . 250,000

Most of the horses captured were of an inferior quality. The number of animals captured, however, is, horses, 96; mules, 102.

3-inch. 12-pounder.

Case- Fuse- Percus Solid Spher

Command. shot. shell. sion- shot. ical

shell case

Battery I, First New 134 81 38 --- ---

York Artillery

Battery M, First New --- --- --- 97 84

York Artillery

Battery C, First Ohio --- --- --- 152 203

Artillery

Total 134 81 38 249 287

Aggregate, 789.


Page 847 Chapter LIX. THE CAMPAIGN OF THE CAROLINAS.