The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1865-04-01
sHERMAN,s GRAND MARCH.
Iactsenis and "Details.

above Savannah, by the Georgia road
Williams travelled up the South Caroline
shore, the others up the Georgia bank
without incident, but laboriously. till Sat.
urday, January IS, when JET. G. Davis
reached the ferry. Steamboats, with sup
plies were sent up the river TO that point
so that after concentration the left wing
might. cut looee from civilization again
with plenty of provisions. There was
plenty of water in the river, and vast piles
Of stores were soon accumulated ut Sister.
Ferry.
Here week Of unremitting toil-wher
soldiers waded about in mud up. to theil
waists, chopping, lifting and tresding OF
torpedoes-passed before the road whict
the troops were to march was in good con
tlition. Gen. Williams, with his two divis
ions, had come up to Robertsville, mean
while, and was waiting to open commune
cation. Kilpatrick's command crossedstht
pontoon into South Carolina on the Sd o
February. and succeeded In reaching dry
South Carolina ground, and moved rapid
~ of into South Carolina space in the di
rection Of Aiken. General Sl0cum, who
had labored day and night to get his two
corps together, drew long breath OF relic
when Geary's division took the bridge, Sat
urday morning, Feb. 1.
BEAUFORT DISTRICT.
Gen. Williams moved from RObertsville
through LawtOnville, two days before Gea
ry's division of his corps had crossed, and
on the 4th Was thirty five miles in the heart
of Beaufort district, /. NJ. Keit's old stamp.
ing ground. Geary had the trains Of the
corps moved with considerable difficulty
over roads where the mud averaged twC
aud half feet in depth, where I saw in
several places animals standing upright il
the middle OF the road, literally embedded
to tho ears in mud. Many miles OF cOrdu.
hvVj1 nj h,,i1
CO0aa whatchie swamp and river, swollen
by the heavy rains, were successfully eros.
sed, although three-quarters of milo Ot
waist deep wading was required to do it.
The Saltketcher (Siltkatcher, in South Car.
DINA vernacular,) was crossed at Beaufort
bridge, and Williams corps finally con-
contrated ut Black vile. u little town on the
Charleston and Augusta Railroad, on the
9th of February.
FIRST IMPRESSION.
Our first impression in regard to the
country we bad invaded gave us no very
exalted opinion Of the State Of South Caro-
lima. Vast swsmps. or barrens, where
nothing but pine viii grow, houses few and
far between, 40 fence rails to burn, no liv-
ing thing in the fields to kill and eat,it was
pretty generally conceded that we had not
struck a very fine lead. The soil is treact-
er0us, like the people who own it. A thin
crust of earth and tne canes cover four or
ave feet Of quick.sand; and woe to the un
lucky hOrseman or muleteer who leaves
the beaten path for short cut through the
fields or woods. Heavy bodies were only
sand wagons Of the 10th corps alone were
brought over these roads to Blackville Dy
Gen. 0e0ry in four days.
TIE YIELD or SUPPLIES.
Aswe entered Barnwen district the c0un-
try was richer. Foragers roamed ut will
twenty miles on either flank and In front
Ct the column, and brought in large
was no longer anxiety for the stomach
sake. Two hundred head Of cattle were
brought in by Captain Gillette, Geary's
commissary. Thousands Of bushels Of corn
were left by the roadside for want of trans
portation. Fitzpatrick having been through
the country before US, with fifteen hundred
dismouuted men, explained tho scarcity OF
horses and mules along the route. Chick
ems, turkeys and sorghum were ae abund-
ant as in Georgia.
DEVASTATION AND DESTRUCTION.
During the first part Of the march, houses
were burned as they were found. When.
ever view could be had from high ground,
black columns of smoke were seeu rising
here and there within circuit Of twenty
or thirty miles. Solid built chimneya
were the only relics of plantation houses
after the fearful blast had swept by. The
destruction of houses, barns. mills, etc,
was almost universal. Families who re-
manned at home occasionally kept the
roof over their heads. "Refngesing," a.
our soldiers termed fleeing from the wrath
to come, was taken as evidence that the
they had left was destroyed. Think Of
this black swath extending from Barnwell
20 the coast, and figure upon the value Of
Southeastern South Carolina at the pres
ent day.
TERROR OF THE PEOPLE.
Even the negroes were wary-affaid in
some instances to trust themselvee among
the country. White table cloths were sus-
pended from windows with "Have mercy
on mel" for legend, and the fiery spirit
ofSouth Carolina was tanned elfectually.
Occasionally, In Georgia, Q man could be
souud who had the courage to say that he
voted for secession, but these abject men
were afraid to own that they lived in se-
Cedod State.
General Williams scattered q small force
OF rebel cavalry at Robertsville. and his
foragers, drove them on beyond Black
vile. At Robertsville one man was killed
and nine wounded. Other than this no
1sgani;zsdh BODY oe Of rebels bothered the
BLAcKvI1LE.
The little village Of Blackville had been
visited by Kilpatrick's cavalry before the
infantry column came up. The real estate
had not suffered much personal property
suffered. Gen. Slocum ordered the des.
truction of the railroad buildings, and net
Wards division, Of Willamsp CORPS. at
work upon tho railroad. Eight OF ten
miles oftrack were destroyed, till Ward
joined the 14th corps, which had como up
on the left OF the Doth. Thus the rebels It
Augusta were cut OF from Charleston.
No private dwellings were burned ct
Blaokyille.
HEAD WATERS OF THE EDlsTo.
Saturday, Feb. II, the 10th corps march
ed to the Edisto River. Nine distinct
streams, flowing sluggishly through .
swamp half mile in width where the road
crosses, were the obstacles to be surm0unt-
ed hero. Two hundred rebel cavalrymen
disputed the crossing for while; but .
strong skirmish line, plunging through
the swamp, dispersed them or drove them
away "a body, and the corps crossed
Gen. Williams corps was now between the
~ 90