The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-03-31

CAVALRY ENGAGEMENTS.
What was Accomplished in the
March to Fayetteville.
FAYETTEVILLE, N. c., Marc

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On the morning of the 10th
of March Gen. Fitzpatrick was encamped
about fifteen miles from Fayetteville, and
was attacked by the whole of Wade Hamp-
tons cavalry. Hampton commanded in
person. The attack was very sudden and
fell entirely upon one brigade which was
surprised, and, for the time, could offer
little resistance. Near the portion of the
camp which it guarded were Kilpatrick's
headquarters, and Fitzpatrick himself mar
rowly escaped capture. He fled from the
house in which he was sleeping with bis
pantaloons and slippers on, two officers
following example. One of his colonies,
commanding brigade, and the rest of bis
officers were in the house, and, having no
time to escape, secreted themselves. The
lady who was in the house on being asked,
when Hampton rode up, whether there
were any Yankees concealed inside, an
swered that there were a couple of
wounded soldiers. Beneath these wound
ed men she had hidden Kilpatricks
flag, sword, and coat, and thus saved bis
personal effects. Hampton at once put a
guard over the house, and thus rendered
it impossible for the soldiers who were in
side to escape. Fitzpatrick was driven
back to swamp in the rear of his lines.
There he reformed his men, charged the
enemy in turn, got possession of bis guns
again, turned them at once on his head
quarters, and drove out the rebels. As
they were leaving at one end of the town,
Fitzpatrick entered by the other, got his
| flag and tied it on a staff, charged again
and completely routed the enemy, leaving
sixty-eight of them dead on the field, kill
ing Gen. Aiken, and taking a number of
prisoners. Klpatrick's loss in this affair,
killed, wounded and missing, was less than
200, according to his official report.
Two other cavalry fights of moment took
place, the first on the 9Th of February,
when the LIST Alabama and 9Th Kentucky,
of Col. Spencer's brigade, Kilpatricks
command, attacked Gen. Hingman's Ala
bama brigade, composed of the Sd, 9th,
18th and 51st Alabama, captured the gen.
eral headquarters flag and five other COL
ors, scattering the rebel brigade all over
the country. The other action was In the
attempt to gain crossing of the Broad
river, some distance above Columbia.
Maj. Estes and Capt. Hayes, of Kilpatricks
staff, with small force, charged through
the railroad bridge, which the enemy had
set on fire, and succeeded in saving it. =
The march has been one continued sue
cess. Shermans capital maneuvres COM
pletely split up the rebel army, breaking
them up into isolated bodies, thus destroy
| ing their power. The march was some
what retarded by the heavy falls of rain,
which flooded the creeks and swamps and
| cut up the rebel roads so that he had to
corduroy over hundred miles of road,
and build several miles of trestle work and
bridges. Besides compelling them to evac-
uate Charleston, Sherman destroyed O.
lumbia, Orangeburg and several other
places. Also over fifty miles of their chief
line of railroad, and thousand of bales of
cotton.
At Columbia Sherman captured So can
non, 200, 900 cartridges, ten tons powder,
5000 rounds of fixed ammunition, about
10000 muskets, over 100 government
presses, besides an immense amount of
public stores, locomotives, rolling stock,
and other kinds of government stock too
numerous to mention. At Oheraw he
took % cannon, 8 caissons and two tray
cling FORCES, besides a large quantity of
government stores of various kinds in the
arsenal and elsewhere. At Fayetteville
he took II cannon, besides large quanti-
| ty of stores of various kinds in the arse
nal and elsewhere.
This makes IS cannon-one-third of
which were field pieces carriages, caissons
and all complete. He captured abont
$4,000 animals on his line of march. He
gave food and transportation to ID, 900
colored refugees, thus depriving the Con-
federacy of colored soldiers and slaves.
He has also about 1000 white refugees,
all of whom were well cared for, and will
be sent north to whatever destination they
choose.
His army operated over the following
districts or counties: In South Carolina
Beaufort, Barnwel, Orangeburg, Lexing-
ton, Richmond, Kershaw, Fairfield, Ches-
ter, Lancaster, Sumter, Darlington, Ches-
terfield, Malbourg. In North Caroline
Mecklenburg, Arson, Richland, Union,
Robson, Cumberland and Moore.
The army moved on an average four
hundred and fifty miles, the wings extend
Au6 oOAlO ILL GyeANO Vi IOI lIlS6. 1ulS
would give an area of over fifteen thou
sand square miles which we operated over,
all the time supporting men and animals
on the country. Indeed, the loss he has
inflicted on the enemy is incalculable, and
all at trifing sacrifice of life.
1t is thought that one thousand killed,
wounded and missing will cover his cas-
ualties. Several of these were owing to
accidental explosions at Columbia and
Cheraw.
The enemy's loss must be in killed,
wounded and missing, about twelve hun
dred, while Sherman has captured and has
on hand over three thousand prisoners,
The army is just resting q few days at
Fayetteville, and will march then to Colds
boro or Kingston, to join Schofelds GAL
liant army.
The following order was issued by Gen.
Slocum:
HEADo'Rs LEFT Vino ARMY or GEoRo1A,l
Near SneedsbOro. N c.. March z 1865