Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-03-30

ceueO lhat we nbu uOl sLTuCk very nue.
lead, The soil is treacherous, like the
people who own II. A thin crust of
earth and fine canes cover four or five
feet of Quicksand and woe to the I'M
lucky horseman or muleteer who leaves
the beaten path for short cut through
the fields or woods Heavy bodies were
only safe on the corduroy. More than
one thousand wagons of the twentieth
corps alone were brought over these
roads TO Blackyille, by Gen. Geary, in
four days. AS we entered Barnwell
district the country was richer. Fora
gers roamed at will twenty miles on ell
ther flank and in front of the column,
and brought in large amounts of new
bacon and corn. There was no longer
any anxiety for the stomaCh's sake.
Two hundred head of cattle were
brought in by Capt. Gillette, Geary's
Commissary. Thousands OF bushels Of
corn were left by the roadside for want
of transportation. Fitzpatrick having
been through the country before us with
fifteen hundred dismOunted men, eX-
planned the scarcity of horses and mules
along the route. Chickens, turkeys and
gia. During the first part of the march
houses were burned as they were found.
Whenever view could be had from the
ground black columns OF smoke were
seen rising here and there within q cir
cult of twenty or thirty miles. Solid
built chimneys were the only relic of
plantation houses after the fearful blast
had swept by. The destruction of hou-
ses, barns, mills, etc, was almost uni
versal. Families who remained at home
occasionally kept the roof over their
heads. Refugeeing, as our soldiers
termed fleeing from the wrath to come,
was taken as evidence that the refugees
were rebels, and the property they left
was destroyed. Think of this black
swath extending from Barnwell to the
coast, and figure up the value of South
eastern South Carolina at the present
day. Even the negroes were wary-al-
most afraid to trust themselves among
the men who made this fearful work on
the country. White table cloths were
suspended from windows with Have
mercy on mel for a legend, and the
fiery spirit of South Carolina was tanned
eftectually. Occasionally, in Georgia,
man could be found who had the cOur-
age to say that he voted for secession,
but these abject men were afraid TO own
that they lived in a seeded State"
NORTH OF COLUMBIA.
From Columbia our army marched TO-
ward Charlotte, destroying the railroad
as they went. On the Dist the twenti-
eth corps entered Winnsboro, forty-two
miles from Columbia. Many of the
largest buildings were burned, having
been fired by a woman. A large por-
ton Of the town was burned. The town
was filled with refugees from Charles
ton. At Catawba river, of revolution
airy fame, another severe rain storm oc-
Cured. The twentieth corps crossed
first, with great difficulty, followed by
Kilpatrick's cavalry and the fourteenth
corps The Army Of the Tennessee, the
fifteenth and seventeenth corps, crossed
about twenty miles below, meeting lit
tie or no opposition. When within one
days march of Hanging Rock, our
"bummers captured couple of banks
in tra,sSitw in four iron safes. All the
property found was at once taken to the
headquarters Of Gen. Williams, com
mandlng the twentieth army corps, the
money carefully counted and turned over
to the Government of the United States.
Chesterfield was the next town of i'm
portance captured. At the same time
the fifteenth and seventeenth corps en-
tered Cheraw. They had slight Skin
mishing, but no serious opposition.
Twenty-Five guns and large quantity
of fixed ammunition were captured. A
Blakely gun was quickly loaded and
turned on the retreating rebels. Here
Also number of Charleston refugees
were found, From Cheraw, the route
of the army was across the Pedee river
directly to Fayetteville, where we cap
tured the United States arsenal and a
large quantity of machinery, ammuni-
ton, stores etc. Most of the machinery
that was removed from Harper's Ferry
was found in this place.
r KILPATRICK' S NARROW ESCAPE.
The cavalry fight between the rebel
Wade Hampton's forces, and those Of
Fitzpatrick, the result of which was
claimed by Gen. Lee as q glorious vic
tory, is thus described by the Tribune
correspondent
ION 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-
toms 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 but little resistance. Near the por-
tion of the camp which it guarded were
Kilpatrick's headquarters, and Kilpat-
rick himself narrowly escaped capture.
He fed from the house in which he was
sleeping with his pantaloons and slip
pers on, two officers following his ex-
ample. One of his colonies, command
ing brigade, and the rest of his officers
were in the house, and having no time
to escape, secreted themselves. The
lady Of the house, on being asked, when
Hampton rode up, whether there were
any Yankees concealed inside, answered
that there were two wounded soldiers.
Beneath. these wounded men she had
hidden Kilpatrick's flag sword and coat,
and thus saved his personal effects.
Hampton at once put guard over the
house and thus rendered it impossible
for the soldiers who were inside to ps-