The New York herald., 1865-03-18
PRICE FOUR CENTS.
his two corps together drew long breath Of relief whep
Geary's division took the BRIDGE Saturday morning,


February
BEAUFORT DISTRICT.
General Williams moved from Robertsville through
Iawtonvile, two days before Gearys division Of hia
corps had crossed, and the 4th thirty I'VE miles
In the heart Of Beaufort district L. Keitts old stamp
Ing ground Geary had the trains OF the corps moved
with considerable difficulty roads where the mud
averaged two and half feet In depth, whore saw IL
several places animals standing upright In the middle Of
the road, literally mbedded to tho In mud Many
miles OF corduroy built and sunk and built again.
Coosawhache swamp and river, swollen by the heavy
rains, successfully crossed although three quarters
Of mile Of waist deep wadng was required 70 do IT,
The satketcher (Siltkatcher South Carolina vernacu-
ar), crossed at Beaufort bridge and williams corps
finally concentrated at Blackvllle, little town the
Charleston and Augusta Railroad, on Februaryo.
FIRST MPREssoSs.
Our first impressions In regard to the country we had
invaded gave very exalted opinion OF the eate Of
South Carona Vast swamps barrens, where nothing
but pine will grow houses few and far between no fence
rails burn, living things In tho fields to XIII and
cat, II pretty generally conceded that had not
struck very fine lead The soil is treachcrous like tho
people who own IT, thin crust OF earth and nne canes
four Hve feet Of qucksand; and 10 the
lucky horseman mueteer who leaves the beaten path
for short cut through the fields or woods. Heavy
bodies only safe the corduroy. More than
thousand wagons OF the Twentieth corps alone were
brought these roads TO Backvile by General GeaTy
In four days.
supPLEs
entered Barnwe district the country richer.
Foragcrs roamed will twenty miles either flank and
in front Of the column, and brought in large amounts
OF bacon and There longer anxiety
for the stomach's sake Two hundred head Of cattle
brought in by Captain Gillette, Geary's commissary
Thousands efbusheh Of left ty the roadside for
Of transportation. Fitzpatrick having been through
the country before us, with fifteen hundred dismouned
men, explained the scarcity Of horses and mules along tho
route Chickens turkeys and sorghum abundant
as in Georgia.
DEVASTATION AVID DESTRUCTION
During the FIRST part Of the march houses were burned
they were found. Whe never q view could be had
from high ground black columns Of smoke were seen
rising here and there within circuit OF twenty or thirty
plantation houses after the fearful bias, had swept by
The destruction Of houses barns mills &C. was almost
ken, the roof over their heads. :Refuseeing Is our
soldiers termed fleeing from the wrath TO come, was
evidence that the refugees rebels and the
properly they had left destroyed. Think Of this
black swah extending from Barnwell TO the COAST and
figure upon the value Of Southeastern South Carolina q
the present day.
TERROR
Even the negroes wary-afraid In come instances
10 trust themselves among the who made this fear
ful work on the country White table cloths wore
pended from windows with Have mercy on mel" for
ehectually. Occasionally, IN Georgia, man could b
found who had the to say that ne voted io SO.
|
they lived 10 . seceded State.
NO viGHrSo
General williams scattered q small force OF reOeS
cavalry at Robersvinc and his oragers drove them on
beyond Blackville AZ Robertsvie one man was Killed
and nine wounded Other than this organized Dooy
Of rebels bothered the Twentieth corps column.
BlAcKvrIL
The little village OF Blsckvlle had been visited ~ XII
patricks cavalry before the infantry column came up
The real had not suffered much personal properly
suffered General slocum ordered the destruction e ne
corps at upon the railroad Eight or ten miles Of
track wore destroyed, tn Ward Joined With ne xcur
| teenth corps, which had come up on the ieis M the
twentieth Thus the rebels Augusta were cut % NOM
Charleston No private dwellings were burned ~ S'sok
| vile.
Saturday, February IL, the Twentieth corps marched
ssSy bly, through % swamp bali mile il width vhss Ss
road crossed. the obstacles 70 bs surlno9ntsd
ing for . while; but strong skirmsh line, plunstsg
through the swamp dispersed them or drove them away
Sssy Ssa sHs :a' Ss whs
river The balance Of Gen slocum's command Wa welt
on the left with kilpatrck further on that nsns me
| fourteen miles long The corps marched 70 the nern
fork before night on the ia.h and went into CAMP 1 h
lower Edisto had concentrated here their force Wa
augmented somewhat and with the assistance Of four
working upon the bridge meanwhile. Monday morning
the enemy gone. General Wards division Dcih9
in advance that general mounted his Kicking stauiou1
took companies for smishers and advanced tewsrA
i Lexington and Columbia al a rafting pace
/ TUESDAY FEBRUARY IL
All day Tuesday the regiment OF rebels skirmished
with our advance but they were essiy brushed away
they made dash behind the advance and captured
Captain Reynolds Inspector Of General Hohnsons brf
gadc and chased Captain Ward four mles or more The
enemy appeared In blue clothes, and we're frequsuuy
'~'' : cAHrRf Sr lxrrofcs oow1 sorss
At nve O'Clock 10 the afternoon sf Wednesday, Feb
ruary l6 Gepefa Barhums brigade Of Gssrys division,
was at Two Notch T9ad w. miles % from Lexington and
| avia corr n q
and vile roads had prevented even that swift travel
ling corps from coming up General Barnum,s brigade
strike blow at the rear OF the rebel cavalry cosmn,
which had been pouring through all day towards colur
up on a line with the Twentieth. General
S1s FOR action s night mile. Co.
umba facing towards that town and he Issued the order
Se an enpecon ssst wsrd division Of The rwss
eth corps closely followed by Jackson's, moved down
Sous through lexington and struck the Seventeenth
corps the hanks of the Congaree opposite Columbia
he'I the right wing had reached Columbia ar.i d
| Grass battery Of twenty FOUNDER PARROTS wse
e a. ns s Sns ssssd ..s ..ss . s
across the Congarce Sherman slocum, Howard, Frank
Blair and other general officers gossped the banks
train 70 come up The rcbes did no. reply 70 the srtl-
lery nre and plainly to Be that they did mot
intsnd 70 fight much for Columbia OF the subsequsns
capture Of that city by the right wing will say nothing
leaving the description for your correspondent with !has
i wing will simply observe that the night Of Friday,
February IL in Columbia, would have cracked Aarisi
brain II he had witpessed H.
/ 70 fArRrfHrp DISTRICT.
| From the ffont OF Columbia, General Socums oom.
mand moved 10 the left the saluda and Broad
rivers to the Greenvic and Columbia Railroad, and
| destroyed that for thirty niles Cheatham and O d.
| lee with twenty thousand men from Hoods army,
were reported by Fitzpatrick crossing the river - New
berry and General Siocums idea 10 prevent juuc-
ton between them and Hardec's Charleston troops We
pushed rapidly TO Winnsboro the capital OF Fairfield
district where II expected the rebel cavalry would
| give us q naht They known TO outnumber XII
patrick's command two TO Wade Hampton, Whee-
Ter and Butler In command. Fairfield district Is
wealthy Forage began 70 rsl In more meat and bread
sturs than any time, during the Georgia CAM
| pagn was brought 10 the roadside day by day.
| oKxERAL sLocuM SAWS wrSssBoRo
| General slocum double. .qulcked the advance o. his
column into the village OF Nnnsboro 10 save the town
from the torch Of his foragers General rsruee
ttxt.. nadv