The New York herald., 1865-03-18

epanned Dy seven bridges, which the enemy had
burned their retreat thus flooding the and
dcrng them almost impossible with slashed Gen.
Mower crossed his entire division Frs) tho swamp
by wading, and fallen trees kee ping up fire all the
time with the enemy. General Howard, Colonel Wa
liam T. Strong, Lieutenant Taylor and their orderies,
advanced to rcconnoitre when the rebels opened
them, badly woundng Lieutenant Taylor.
Next morning the whole column took up It's line Of
who Il made stubborn resistance. General Mower de
ployed his advance brigade; found Braxton bridge
with es po
and two batteries Of artillery General Mower 10 one
regiment TO skirmsh with them there feint, and
pushed the rest OF his command for River bridge where
he Joined by Colonel Hughs cavalry which engaged
the enemy, making several spirited charges on their
General Blar's staff had his horse killed. and was him.
self wounded in the Leg Tho rebels had been pressed
crossing the @ % inets s. to % the saketcher @
They commanded River bridge with two pieces of artil
lery Mowers skrmishers advanced close on the river
30 as to command the enemy's works Here Colonel
Swayne Forty-third Ohio, lost his leg by.a she'll
CROSSING THE sAIIKETcuER
The next morning General Giles A. Smiths division
Fourth) rcconnoitered along the Saltkecher above
Braxton bridge for position TO cross, and finally
Mower succeeded in crossing brgades above Rivers
bridge thus turning the enemys position. Heavy skr
mishing continued all day; but the enemy cleared out
LoeAs's CORPS CROSSES THE rALKAHArcHR
General Logan moved on toward Beaufort bridge, which
he found destroyed by the enemy. This bridge
the Takahatchie river the church on the Owens
boro road Here learned that the Twentieth corps
and that II had communication with the Fourteenth
corps whose march had been considerably delayed by
now meeting but slight resistance from the enemy's
cavalry Kilpatrick's cavalry was advancing on the
Next morning, February S, we crossed whippy Swamp
encamping on the other side. Whppy Swamp s
dense marsh Of about mile in breadth and several in
length well colonized by snakes anil alligators The
rebels commanded this causeway by strong intrench
ment, with redoubt and unetes. Here regiment
could keep whole army at bay; but the movement Of
the seventeenth corps turned this strong natural posi-
tion.
Our line Of march now lay along the Savannah and
Orangcburg road-the very road over which Marion
marched during the Revolutionary war.
made vigorous stand Orange church. the Little
Talkahache. Their front was protected by deep swamp
formed by the extension Of the river Of defence
Colonel Weavers brigade, Of General John A. Smiths
division, depoyed and charged right through the swamp
up to their hips in mud and water, and soon dsodged
Wheeler had his headquarters in house beyond the
river the previous night Sherman and Logan occupied
1t the following night.
The advance Of the Twentieth corps had just up
with our rear guard The Fourteenth corps st occupied
their left From the head Of column could hear
Kilpatrck's artillery toward Barnwell
TAPPING
About ten O'Clock on the morning Of the 7th the
Twenty ninth Missouri mounted infantry struck the
Charleston and Savannah Railroad at Banbury. This
station Is some fifteen miles west Of BrenchvIe and
nearly equidstant from Charleston Augusta and Coum
ba We were close on the rebels that they had to
unload several Of cotton. Major General Woods
the a
brigade having had the honor Of tearing up the FIRST
rail About the same time che Seventeenth corps struck
At Hamburg we burned about three hundred bales Of
cotton and some stores. We also captured mail bag
It contained several letters from soldiers their friends
all in the most desponding tone.
CROSSING THE RDIsro
On the evening OF the Sth General Hazcn
ordered General jones' brigade (Second) out
on q reconnaissance toward Cannon's bridge,
on the Edisto river the enemy being intrenchsd on
the other side Three companies Of the FyIourth Ohio
were deployed as skrmishers After wading through
the edge OF the ver and commenced skrmishing This
was intended merely as Q fcint
Next day reached this village, where we destroyed
the track along route burned the railroad and several
taking the Savannah and Augusta ne thence proceeding
to Homan's bridge, on the South Edisto
CROSSING SOUTH RDIsrO.
The enemy wore strongly ntrcnched on the opposite
side OF the river and had burned the bridges In their
front The First bnsade Ha1sns division, wa, was sent
Illinois crossed the river considerably above the bridge
so as TO strike the enemys aank They had 70 cross
through miserable swamp before they effected lodg
ment
found the hero Of Fort McAllister-General Hazen-
guiding the movements of his pioneers who were telling
trees for the troops TO cross over THIS had 70 be done
for about mile as the swamp was at some places four
feet deep
The rebel defence was poor indeed They had about
three hundred infantry and cavalry here yet they
made stand before handful Of men, who had to
wade across swamp as best they could for about mile
LARS MOVEMENTS.
On the evenng OF the 9th the Seventeenth corps
ceeded in eecting andSg ut Binnekers bridge where
the cnemy had been intrvnched General Mower had
crossed below the bridge during the night and pontooned
the river and corduroyed oe road The rebel position
being now tsrned they retreated.
On the 11th Blair marched about eighteen miles, and
skrmished with the enemy he north fork OF the
Edisto the enemy using artillery. They were strongly
ntrenched the other de and extended their Hanks TO
correspond with
CROSSING TIE soRrh suuxs
The approaches to Dis river were protected by the
usual swampe and brush We had asccrained from
Of General Iogans orderss who had been captured
and afterwards recaptured by the Twenty nh6 Mis-
souri, mounted infantry that the enemy ntrenched
along the northeast bank We had also asceraned that
these works were guarded by Chalmers brigade. Early
in the morning Gen r Logan ordered General Hazen TO
The second brigade Colonel Wei Jones) at once pro-
ceeded TO try the passage here
The One Hundred and Eleveneh nknoH and Ffty third
Ohio dcployed skkmshers and after wading through
the swamp up to their waists they opened sharp Ore on
the rebels, which briskly responded to-
The Forty seventh Ohio had gone up the liver some
distance and not finding the enemy there crossed over
on RATS whie Colonel Theodore Jones' brigade Uhe
the same time General Blars corps he seventecnth)
striving TO eest crossing in front Of Orasgeburg
The enemy had section OF artillery here, which opened
upon them Soon, finding that we had crossed their
flank and threatening their rear they retreated at
wounded Hazen's division captured about ATTY pris-
oners, the Seventeenth corps some more
About four O'Clock the head OF Blars column entered
Our columns were now hst closing in about Columbia
We averaged at this time Of march nearly fifteen
miles day. Sherman had deceived the rebels Those
In Augusta completely cut on by tho destruction Of
the Charleston line Those at Branchvle were also bo-
widexed "a TO movements
LIE ooNGARHH
After the capture Of Orangeburg troops made
rapid march, meeting but little opposition from the enemy
until they approached Little Congarce creek Here they
seemed resolved TO make o stand. Logans corps had
marched through byroads until they struck the State
road, Sandy run. Blars corps had followed the
the Of the Fifteenth corps at Sandy Post Office
Major General Woods division First had the advance,
them back behind the creok Here they wcro strongly
ntrenched and commanded the bridge by section OF
cry besides their left protected by tho Congaree
river while deep stream, with sof marshy banks lay
In their front
A regiment waded the river their right and left
compelling the enemy TO give up their position Our
administers pressed closely them that their cavalry
wheeled round and charged them, but were speedily
pulsed.
Their artillery kept up continuous Gre all night on