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794 Series I Volume XLVII-II Serial 99 - Columbia Part II

Page 794 OPERATIONS IN N. C., S. C., S. GA., AND E. FLA. Chapter LIX.

their leaders as ever. It is utterly impossible for me to enumerate whaat we have done, but I inclose a slip just handed me, which is but partail. At Colubmia and Cheraw we destroyed nearly all the gun-poweder and cartridges the Confederacy had in this part of the country. This arsenal is in fine order and much enlarged. I cnanot leave a detachment to hold it, and, therefore, shall burn it-blow it up with gun-powder, and then with rams knock down its walls. I take it for granted the United States will never again trust Carolina with an arsenal to appropriate at her pleasure.

Hoping that good fortune may still attend my army, I remain, your servant,

W. T. SHERMAN,

Major-General.

[Inclosure.]

Memoranda.

FAYETTEVILLE, N. C., March 12, 1865.

Forty-three guns at Columbia, 25 guns at Cheraw, 17 guns at Fayetteville, total, 85, of which four-fifths were field guns, and all were serviceable; 50 field and siege gun carriages, 30 caissons, 5 battery wagons, 3 traveling forges.

Memorandum of General Barry, chief of artillery.

SHERMAN.


HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI,
In the Field, Fayetteville, N. C., March 12, 1865.

(Received 16th.)

Lieutenant General U. S. GRANT,

Commanding U. S. Army, City Point:

DEAR GENERAL: We reached this place yesterday at noon, Hardee, as usual, retreating across the Cape Fear, burning his bridge; but our pointoons will be up to-day, and with as little delay as possible I will be after him toward Goldsborough. A tug has just come up from Wilmington, and before I get off from here I hope to get up from Wilmington some shoes and I stockings, some sugar, coffee, and flour. We are abundantly supplied with all else, having in a measure lived off the country. The army is in spelndid health, condition, and spirit, although we have had fould weather and roads that would have stopped travel to almost any other body of men I ever read of. Our march was substantially what I designed-straight on Columbia, feigning on Branchdville and Augusta. We destroyed in passing the railroad from the Edisto nearly up to Aiken. Again from Orangeburg to the Congaree. Again from Colubmia down to Kingsville and the Wateree, and up toward Charlotte as far as the Chester line. Thence I turned east on Cheraw and thence to fyaetteville. At Columbia we destroyed immense arsenals and railroad establishments, among which were forty-three cannon. At cheraw we found also machinery and material of war from Charleston, among which 25 guns and 3,600 barrles of gunpoweder, and here we find about twenty guns and a magnificent U. S. arsenal. We cannot afford to leave detachments, and I shall, therefore, destroy this valuable arsenal, for the enemy shall not have its use, and the United States should never again confide such valuable property to a people who have betrayed a trust. I could leave here to-morrow, but want to clean my columns of the vast crowd of refugees


Page 794 OPERATIONS IN N. C., S. C., S. GA., AND E. FLA. Chapter LIX.