Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-03-30
RUTLAND HERALD.
THURSDAY, MARCH 2S, 1865.
sHERmAN,s GREAT MARCH.
The Campaign In The Caroiinas.---
Interesting Details of the March.

through South Carolina and portion
OF North Carolina, are condensed rom
the correspondence Of the New York
Tribune and Herald;
The movement of the army from Sa-
yannah was commenced on or about the
l4th Of January last, and 1t arrived at
Fayetteville on the 10Th inst. In all
this march IL met with no serious oppo-
sition and the troops Jared as bounti-
fully in South Carolina as in Georgia,
and were In as fine condition and spirits
when they reached Fayetteville as when
they arrived at Savannah from Atlanta.
The movement Of the army was retarded
some time by very severe and prOtracted
rain storms deluging the whole cOun-
try about Savannah. The advance col
umn was actually caught n the rice
swamps. and surrounded by water, be-
ing unable either to advance or retire
The pontoons on the Savannah were
swept away and several men lost. The
Fourteenth and Twentieth corps moved
from Sisters Ferry, January Goth, and
the Seventeenth corps from near POGO
taligo on the Goth. The Fifteenth corps
on the 30th marched along the Beaufort
road in the direction of MCPhersonyille
On the extreme left Of the army, and
partly in advance was Kilpatrick's cav
airy. February list, the advance of the
Fifteenth corps reached Hickory Hill
As the army passed through MCPherson-
vile they set fire to the town and de-
stroyed it, The roads to Hickory Hill
xx,a,o hafr w frapu onH finn bnr of
the different swamp crossings, but the
rebels did not deem it prudent to re-
main at these points to annoy our army.
February Cd, the Fifteenth corps reached
Duck Greek corduroying the roads as
they advanced. Another rain storm set
in, somewhat delaying operations
Meantime, the Seventeenth corps was
forcing its way across the Salkehatchte
at Rivers Bridge. The position was
carried with loss of less than hun
dred killed and wounded. The Fifteenth
corps crossed at Beaufort's Bridge, and
marched TO hamburg, striking the Au-
gusta and Charleston Railroad; the
Seventeenth corps striking the same
road at Midway, eight miles nearer
Branchville.
THE RUNNERS" oF THE Army.
Accompanying the army was, and is
an irregular set of foragers, known by
the name Of Bummers," Smoke
House Rangers" and Do-Boys." The
Tribune's correspondent thus describes
the Bummers," and their highly sue
Cessful operations
"a hummer is an individual who
by favor Of wagon master becomes
possessed of a broken down mule, or
else starts, If need be, on foot, in either
case of course. armed with his musket.
He makes his way into the enemy's
country, finds horses in numbers by help
OF the negroes, bitches a team to.
wagon, loads on to it all the stores and
supplies he can find in the nearest house,
mounts his negroes on the rest Of his
b0rses, and returns with his spoils.
He never objects to gold watches or
silver plate if he can find them in a
swamp mile from any house These
men were stragglers, not in rear, but in
front, of the army, and they went be-
fore it like cloud being often twenty
or thirty miles in advance of the head
of the column. They would fight any
thing Three 'Bummers' together would
at any time attack company of rebel
cavalry, and in favorable circumstances,
would disperse them and capture their
booty, With the exception of Columbia
alone, every town in South Carolina
through which the army passed, was
first entered by the 'Bummers.' At
RhaotarRal1 +ha,y xua ra 4yuo "A a No anT n
half ahead Of the army, the whole corps
having congregated at this point
They rugged up two logs for cannon,
sent flag ahead to the town, which
was occupied by a detachment of But
ler's division of cavalry, demanded its
surrender, frightened off the rebel cav
airy and entered the town in grand pro-
cession of broken down mules, ragged
Bummers' and the Quaker guns The
coat tails of the rebels disappeared at
one end of the town as the DO Boys
entered at the other. When the army
was marching toward Midway, as above
described, a Smoke House Ranger W
seen rushing towards the front with an
old bit of carpet on his mule for O
blanket, and couple of ropes with
moses for stirrups, ia which his feet
rested. This hero came rushing up to
Gen. Howard and shouted out: Gen
eral, the tBummers' have taken the rail
road and are in line Of battle, fighting
to hold it, and if you'll only hurry up
/ think they'll hold it. The General
did hurry up, and found the railroad as
the Smoke House Ranger had said, in
possession Of about seven 'Bummers,'
who were busily engaged skirmfshing
at long range with a detachment Of
Wheeler's cavalry"
g a TIRE ADVANCE ON COLUMBIA.
Little or no opposition was encounter
ed along the route to Columbia. At Con
garee creek. the enemy was met in some
force, Wade Hampton's cavalry making
its appearance. He didn't remain long,
however, but disappeared rapidly, burn
ing the bridges after him on all the
roads. The pontoons were then brought
forward, The Saluda river was crossed
Ave miles above the city of Columbia.
The Saluda and Broad rivers join Just
above the city of Columbia, forming q
peninsula, TO which the fifteenth corps
crossed on the evening of the 10th of
February. The seventeenth corps also
crossed during the night, and. the next