The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-05-06
LETTER FROM ONE OF THE ARGUS
SOLDIER BOYS.
sherman's March Through the Carolina..
CAMP 18ru Mo. VET. Vol. INF'Y,
GoLpsRoRo. N. C. April 8. 1865.

somewhat resemble the angels, being Jew
and tar between" hope you will excuse me
if l do intrude on your good nature once in q
while. Even if my letters are not interest
ing enough to be of any other use, they will
at least give you an idea of the difficulties,
etc., we swamp angels" have had in our
campaign just ended. Swamp Angels" is
the name adopted by "Old Billy's" boys, and
think it is appropriate.
Having refitted, after our arduous cam.
paign through the state of Georgia, and OBJ.
tanned few weeks rest, we started on our
new campaign, from Pocataligo, s. c., on the
Both day of January, 1865, the 18th corps on
the right, and the 18th corps on the left. AS
the rest of our army, the 14th and Goth corps,
started from Savannah, Ga. am unac-
qusinted with their day of departure, and
order of march. We were pretty we'll sup
piled with coffee and sugar, and salt, but
other articles promised by "Uncle Samuel"
to his dear "nephews" were rather "s.arce."
For the first few days we got along first rate,
no "Johnnies" to bother us, no swamps,
good roads. etc. On the 9Th day of February
we got to the town of Midway, S. c.. on the
Charleston Augusta railroad, and tore up
the railroad. Near this town / visited the
residence of William Gilmore Sims, the South
Carolina author. got some books out of
his splendid library. He wasn't .to hum"
ku6T6IOrc VIC mdQc ourselves welcome. On
the 18th of February, we crossed the North
Edisto river, and entered Orangeburg. This
city tcds not far behind Atlanta in size and
population, and beautiful place, but there
Is but little left OF it now. We camped that
night on q plantation near the city, formerly
owned by Lawrence NJ Keitt. The country
around Orangeburg is beautiful and rich,
and pleased me better than any place | have
| seen In the south, not excepting Savannah or
Columbia,
Thursday. February 10th. we arrived on
the top Of high range of hills, which
| tanned birds-eye view of Columb ia, beauti-
fully situated on the ridge forming the other
side of the Congaree river Vast columns of
smoke were rising and lowering over the
place, like black mantle of mourning for
the defunct capital of the secession state OF
South Carolina. We camped that night near
the prison where our officers had been con-
fined. Near by, | noticed the graves of some
of our officers that died there. | wrote their
| names in my memorandum book, but lost it,
On the 18th day of February, we entered
| the city. Columbia, the"pride of the south, q"
| existed, a little orer month ago, but noU it
is very nearly blotted out of existence, and
| 1t viii take more years than a man lives to
make 1t what 1t was and if it is rebuilt, it
| will be by men that have LEANED q useful
tions, is in ruins. Such a sight it is scarcely
possible to conceive. The oity is Tor rather
| paS) about three miles in length and about a
! mile wide. Travel in whichever direction
| you choose, nothing will greet the eye but
| blackened masses OF brick or the charred re-
mains of frame buildings. The Inhabitants
| are almost all homeiess-the women and
children were huddled together in groups,
around bundles of the little remaining bed
| ding and clothing which they had saved from
the almost general conhsgration. The I'm
sane Asylum" was saved, as also the new
and unfinished state house, it having no
wooden material in il. The property OF the
rebel generals Wade Hampton, and Prescott,
was entirely destroyed. Some of the fires
originated by the rebels firing cOmmissary
| buildings cotton stOrehOuses, ect. Some of
| our men, | regret 10 say, were not slow in
/ following the example set by the rebels
| Most of them, though, worked like heroes to
stay the fire, some of them 30 much 30 that
| they were burned badly. But it was OF
no use-the city was douned.
| The rebels moved our prisoners to Char.
| lotte. n. c., on our approach. Some fifty es-
| capped officers came to us at Columbia. Such
an excited, glad set of men you never saw,
and we all felt that we had not waded
swamps and endured other hardships fosnoth.
| ing. We captured and destroyed their ap.
paratusses tor manufacturing confederate
| money, together with stacks upon stacks OF
signed and unsigned bills. The boys gam
bied heavily, that night, having stakes often US
high as a 100000.
We left Columbia on the 10th of February,
travelling parallel with and tearing ND the
| Charleston & Charlotte Railroad, a. far as
| WinsbOrO where we arrived on the odd OF
| February. Here we found the Goth corps
the first time we had seen them since we left
Savannah. We left the railroad at this place,
and travelled In the direction of Camden, OF
revolutionary memory. On the 24th of Feb
ruary we passed through Liberty Hip
once the scene of one of Marion's exploits
If am not mistaken, it has since changed
its name.
On the 4th of March, we entered the town
Chesaw, S. G.. Chesaw is a town of about
S,GC0 inhabitants, and a fine place. The
streets are wide, and lined with beautiful
shade trees, Some of the streets have rows
of trees and wells in the centre At this
place we captured an immense quantity OF
ammunition and small arms, and upwards of
q hundred pieces of artillery. A Blakely
(English) gun bore the following inscription:
"Presented to the Sovereign State of South
Carolina, by one of her citizens residing
abroad, in commemoration of the Goth day OF
December, 1860"
Monday. March 9th, we passed through
the town of Bennettsville. S. G., a pretty
little place. On the 9Th of March we crossed
the South and North Caroline line. This il
the terpentine region.
On the 18th of March we entered the city
Fayetteville, N. c. 1t is q fine place, and
resem bles northern city more than any
have yet seen in the south. On our arrival
| atX hsa nlara n,nbt 20 hova
train of refugees and contrabands, probably
az thouoopd in ahar in