The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1865-03-29


sea. and roturus with his spoils. lie mover
objects 10 gold watches or silver plate "if
I've can flnd thom in swamp milo from
any house, These mcu were strngg lers
not in rear hut IN front Of the army, and
they went before u like acloud, being oren
twenty or thirty miles in advance OF the
head Of the columns. They would fight
anything. Three hummers together would
at any tmo attack u company OF rebel cav
airy, and in favorable circumstances would
dispersc them and capture their booty
with the exception OF Columbia alone. ev-
cry town in Sonth Carolina through which
the army PASSED was first entered hy the
buwmcrs. st Chesterfield they were two
days and u half ahead OF the army, the
whole corps having congregoted at this
point They rugged up two logs for cannon,
sent flag ahead to tho town, which was
occupied 10y detachment of Butlcr's Di-
vision OF cavalry, demanded its surrender,
frightened oil the rebel cavalry, aud entcr-
cd the town in grand procession of broken
down mules, ragged "bummcrs," and the
Quaker gms.' Tho coat.tails Of tho rcb-
els disNppearcd at one end Of the town as
the DO Boys catered at the other.
When the army was marching toward
Midway, as above described u smoke house
ranger was seen rushing toward the front,
with an old bit OF carpet on his mule for n
blanket, and couple OF ropes with nooses
Tor siirrups. in which his feet rested, This
hero came rushing up to Gen. Howard, aud
shouted out. General tho hummers have
taken the railroad. and are in line Of battle
fighting TO hold il. and If you'l only hurry
up think they'll hold it," The General
did hurry up, and found tho railroad, as
Al, Il. L., Ia "a
of about seven hummcgs, who woro busly
engaged sl,irmiahmg at long range with a
detachment of Wheeler'd cavalry.
At OongNree creek, just in front of Co.
lumhia. the enemy was met in somc force
Oh the 18th OF February, Wade Hampton's
cavalry there making its first appearance.
The army was then entirely in hand, all tho
corps being united, aud Hampton discov-
eriug the condition of affairs, aud the mum
her of the enemy he must expect TO meet,
disappeared, burning the bridges artcr him
on all the roads. This made it necessary
to bring the pontooa trains to the front. A
bridge was thrown across the Saluda riv-
er, Just below the dam of the Saluda Cotton
| Factory. and about five miles above the
! city of Columbia. The Saluda and Broad
rivers Join Just above Columbia, forming n
| peninsula, TO which the 9TH corps crossed
on tho evening of the 10th of February
| Duiing the night and following morning,
most Of the 18th corps crossed. The m'u
were ut once sent over swing ferry across
the Broad river. arriving OF the main land
of the same side as Columbia. #....
The 18th corps started on tho same
morning to march into the city. Colonel
Stones brigade had tho advance, anil
entered the city about the middle OF the
day. Meantime, the 18th Iowa, under
Lieut.. Col Kennedy, Gen. Giles y. Smith's
division, of the l7th corps,) crossed the
river on pontoons directly opposite the
city Cen Smith wrote the following note
to Gen. Blair: as.t
ll'pQ'Rs FoURTH DV., SEyENTEEru A. c.,
COILMBIA :. G., Fob. IL.
My, Gen. +. p. Bhttr, CDmg,tR,lHJ l7h
4. c.:
The colors of the 18th Iowa were sus
pended over the capitol af | o'clock A. NJ
National salute is now being fired by Capt
Clayton, lst Minnesota Battery, to comm IN
| crate this event.
Very Respectfully.
Your 0bcdient servant,
GILES 4, SMITH, Brevot Maj. Gen.
On our entrance into the city the women
rushed frauticllly into tho street. with
bottles of whisltcy. and basins of whiskey
and cups of whiskey. and whskey ia every
sort of vessel. The soldiers naturally
were not aversc TO little whiskcy, whel
it was pressed upon thom in this manner
And the columns marching through th'
streets were besct on every side; il neod
be no matter of wonder il somo cx
citGment followed. South Carolin;
whiskey moreover is slla Il
WORSE even than Comm ssary whis
ky. The Mayor of the city was anx ou'
to have tho whisky destroyed, but the Gov
4 crnor of South Carolina said, "No, lot thu
damned Yankees drink il aud get drunk.
To somo extent they undoubtedly did.
1t was discovered on advancing through
the city that Wade Hampton had had large
quantities of cotton piled in tho street
The bales had been cut open, the cottol
pulled out loosely, and remained all ready
for tho torch. III several places it was ac
tually on fire. A high wind was blowing
at the time, which had scattered the cotton
through the trees aud on the hOusetops
and piazZas, and verandahs, the effect he
ing IN many places as il a snow Storm had
fallen Oh the city. Tie fire had been sci
to this cotton, the citizsns said, by Wheel
er's men, who were the last to leave tho
town, Tho wind abating, the efforts which
our men made to extinguish tile fire were
apparently successful. Toward evening q
strong south westerly gale came mp, which
famed the smolhdering embers and the hall
eXtingushed Gotten into blaze, aud waft
cd the newly burning tufts Of tile cottor
on to the roofs and into tho open windows
and doors OF the houses through o large
part OF tho city. At the same time a mar
who had store full of provisions which
belonged to the rebel Government, and tu
which onr soldiers were helping thenselveu
himself set his store on fire. Prnal tho
burning cotton which had blown iyans the
bales, the city was soon on fro in as many
as twenty places. the soldiers endcavorinI
everywhere T. arrest tho Ai.nes, the citi
IONS either sullenly looking en ou rushing
willy about, and in 0ithes ease making nc
effort 10 Stop the lho. 0ug escaped pris,
Oners weroto be seeR E,,r,l,ing 10 the houses
o! those who had betriendpl them aud
calling on the soldiers, for help, aud they
worked long and e,Anestiy to Save the bro.
! perty of those who had been. kind To thcr
comrades. Before Bnrnjng, however, iloar.
| IS the wholo city was in ashes. Nearly
! 5000 houses had besn destroyed. The on
Capit0l Was hntnr, The new one somewhat
! damaged the BIuk Npte aud Treasury
buiIdhgs where tho rebel notes were en-.
graved and printed were entirely lnrut
| Tho Sisters of Mprcy Home WAS burut, and
all tho hotels OIly one Churcl was de-