The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1865-05-06

3eetaVe-the city OF Charleston. ireconno;
! !eled tne line IN person, and saw that tn.
heavy rains had swollen the river 80 thu
~a.el $1,000 IN the swamps for q breadth o
to twenty feet. Not having the remotas
intention OF fapproaching Charleston. a com
parahveiy small force was able. bv seam
ing preparations to cross over. to keen l.
their front considerable force of the emo
my, disposed TO contest our advance -,
charleston. On the eth, rode to the camr
OF General Hatch's division. of Fos,ar:.
command, on the Tullafuiney and Coosa
waschie rivers, and directed those places -
be evacuated, as no longer of anv use ~ ~ :. .
That division was then moved to Pocotal;.
60, 10 keep up the feints already beenn
until We should, with the right wing NOV.
higher up and cross the Salkehatchie ahon,
Rivers or BroxtOn's Bridge. On the oot n
! learned that the roads back Of Savannah
had at last become sufficiently free of ,he
foo !, to admit of General Slocum nuftino
MS wing IN motion, and that he was alrea.
oy approaching Sisters Ferry, whittier 2
gunboat, the Pontiac. Captain Luce. Kind.
~ furnished by Admiral Dahlsren, had
preceded him, to cover the CROSSING In
the mean time, three divisions OF the l5,h
Corps, had closed up at Pocotaiiso. and the
right wing had loaded its wagons. and was
ready to START. /, therefore, directed Gen.
Howard to move one corps, the 18th, along
the Salkehatchie, as high up as Rivers
Bridge, and the other, the 18TH. bv Hickory
Hii., Loper's Cross Roads. AuS,.sey Posi-
Office and Beau:or,'s Bridge, Hafch's al
vision was ordered 10 remain at Pocotaiico.
teinting Ut the Saikehatchie railroad bridge
and ferry, unit. our movement turned the
enemys position and forced him to fall be-
tiLd the Edlsto.
MARCH on BRASCHvILLE.
,
camp on the 3lst OF January, bu; the real
march began on the lst of February. All
the roads northward for weeks had been
Eetd oy Wheeler's cavalry, who had by
details Of negro laborers telied trees.
burned bridges, and made obstructions to
impede our march. But so well organized
were our pioneer battalions, and so strong
and intelligent our mei. that obstruct;ons
SCENE. only 10 quicken their progress
Felled trees were removed. and bridges
rebuilt by the heads of columns before the
rear could close up. On the I'd Of Februa.
ry tho 18th corps reached Loper's Cross
roads communicated with General Slo.
cum. still struggling with the foods Of the
Savannah River, at Sisters Ferry. He
had TWO divisions of the 2Oth Corps, Gene
raj Williams, on the east bank, and was
enabled to cross over on his pontoons the
cavalry OF Fitzpatrick. General Williams
was ordered to Beaufort's Bridge, by way
of Lawtonville and Allendale, Fitzpatrick
to Biackville, via Barnwell, and General
Slocum to hurry the crossing at Sisters
Ferry as much as possible, and overtake
the right wing on the South Carolina Rail-
road. General Howard, with the right
wing, was directed to cross the Salke ehatch.
le and push rapidly for the South Carolina
Railroad, At or near Midway. The enemy
held the line of the Salkehatchie in force.
having infantry and artillery intreuched
at Rivers and Beaufort's bridges. The
18th Corps was ordered to carry Rivers
bridge, and the 18th Corps Beaufort's
promptly and sk,llfufly BY M.wer's and
Giles A. Smiths divisions Of the 18th
Corps. on the Sd of February, by crossing
the swamp nearly three miles wide. with
water varying from knee to shoulder deep
The weather was bitter cold, and Generals
Mower and Smith led their divisions in
person, on foot. waded the swamp, made
lodgment below the bridge, and turned on
the rebel brigade which guarded it, driving
it In disorder aud confusion toward
BrAnchville. Our casualties were one offi
Ger ard seventeen men killed, and seventy
rnen wounded, who were sent to Pocotali-
go. The line Of the Sa!kehatchie being
thus broken. the enemy retrea;ed at once
behind the Edisto at Branchville, and the
whole army was pushed rapidly to the
South Carolina Railroad, at Midway. Bam.
berg. lor Lowry's statation,) and Gra-
nam's Station. The 18th Corps, by
Branchville, forced the enemy
to burn the railroad bridge, and Walkers
bridge below across the Edisto. All hands
were at once set to work to destroy the
railroad track. From the 7,h to the 10th
of February this work was thoroughly
sto TO Bamberg, and by the 18th Corps,
rom Bamberg up to Blackyille. In tue |
meantime General Fitzpatrick had brought
his cavalry rapidly by Barnwell to Black. |
vile, and mad turned toward Aiken, with !
orders to threaten Augusta, but not to be |
1rawn needlessly into serious battle
This he skillfully accomplished, skirmish-
It Blackville, and afterward at WiIliston I
md Aiken. General Williams, with two
divisions Of the 10th Corps, marched to the |
south Carolina Railroad at Graham's Sta.
ion ON the 9Th, and General Slocum reach.
ID Blackville on the 10th. The destruc-
ion Of the Railroad was continued by the
eft wing from Blackyille up to Windsor.
n the railroad from Midway to Johnson's
station, thereby dividing the enemy's for.
20. which still remained 1T Branchville
nd Charleston on the one hand, and at
aiken and Augusta on the other.
fg PASSAGE oFlTHE EDIsTo.
We then began the movement on Orange
,urg. The 17th corps crossed the eouth
ork Of Ediato river at Einnoker's Bridge,
nd moved straight for Orangeburg, while
he 18th Corps crossed at Holman's . bridge
nd moved to Poplar Springs in support.
he left wing and cavalry were still at
,ork on the railroad. with orders to cross
he south Edisto At New and Guignard's
,ridRes. maye to the Orangeburg and
:dgsfieid Road, and there await the result
the attack on Orangeburg. On the 18th
1e 18th corps found the enemy intrenched
, from, Of the OrAngeburg Bridge, but
wept him away by dash and followed ,
inn, forcing him across the bridge, which
as partially burned. Behind the bridge
as q battery In position, covered by . cot
N and earth parapet, with wings as far as
,uld be seen. General Blair held one di-
ision (Giles A. Smith's) close mp to the
disto, and moved the other two to . point !
oout two miles below, where he crossed
orces division by q pontoon bridge, hold I
q Movers in support. AS soon as Force :
merged from the swamp, the enemy gave
.ound, and Giles Smiths division gained
e bridge, crossed over and occupied the +
,emy's parapet. He soon repaired the
A>v~ NC