Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1865-04-14

XVII.
NEAR GoLDsBORO,
NORTH CAROLINA,
March 18th. 1865.

NEAR GoLDsBORO,
NORTH CAROLINA,
March 25th, 1865.
Sixty-seven days ago we of the 'Red
Stars" tramped across the long pontoons
which spanned the two arms of the Sa-
vannah River opposite Savannah Georgia
The January sun of the South shone
forth clear and mild, as if smiling ausplcl-
ously upon the new and marvellous ad-
venture we were just inauguratlng. A
deep vet cheerful silence reigned over the
smooth, brown rice-fields, whilom the
domains of cruel task-masters and the
scenes Of unrequited toll Twittering bev-
les of rice birds whirled in merry excur-
sion around the moving column, while
groups of ungainly waterfowl, scared
from their lurking places among the reeds
spread their crooked pinions and sailed
away over the long level marshes. The
bIackened chimneys of burned buildings
showed where the rough hand of War had
already given its gloomy touches to the
landscape, while, grouped around them
in strange contrast, beautiful magnOllas
spreading palmettOs, and scores OF other
varieties of rich Southern plants indicated
by their careful training and tasteful ar
rangement what the hand of culture, aid
ed by this genial cline had done to adorI
| the beauteous but unappreclated homes
of luxury, wealth and pride.
The column defIed rapidly along the
high level dykes thrown up to regulate
the flooding of the rice-marshes OF Hutch
| insons Island. Then another pontooI
bridge was passed and our 'vandaI' fee
/ for the first time pressed the rebelliou'
| soil of South Carolina. A feeling of man
ly exultation swelled every heart as We
realized that our bustling column was in
deed threading the hYe-oaks and pines O
/ that State which boasts of having inaugu
rated bloody war for slavery. Yes, We
were indeed at the threshold of the homes
of the Rhetts, the Keits, the Hammonds
| the Pickens and the Haynes, who fo
| twenty years or more have been plotting
/ that abominable treason which IN 1856
tore down the starry flag from the battle
ments of Sumter. My mind roamed bacl
to Big Bethel, Manassas, Chancellorsville
1 Chickamauga and a score of other blood.
| fields, and bethoug hit itself of the rivers up
on rivers of the bravest and best blood 0
the land which have been poured out b.
this unholy crusade against human rights
and then returned to fasten the deepes
and most damning of the guilt upon tn
menwhom these dark swamps have nurtuT
ed, the so-called chivalry of South Caro-
lima Now we'll repay them for thei
treason and avenge all this blood, wa
, |
most terribly has that purpose been exc
cuted.
1 have already, in previous papers
traced the march of the left wing as ia
as Robertsville, S. c. Here this porto
, of the army abandoned all its commun
cations and moved directly into the int
rior of the rebel dominions The 2Ot
Corps marched from Robertsville on th
1 I'd of February. The 14th Corps NJ
having yet succeeded in crossing the S;
vannah did not follow until several day
later The column shaped its course t.
ward Barnwell Court House as If aboJ
: to move on Augusta. The right wing W;
in the meantime coming up from PocOtal
: ga and moving toward the same point
Thus the enemy was led to believe thi
General Sherman designed to concentra
his forces near Branchville, and cons
\ uuently sent most of his available trool
| to that important railroad center. Bl
our skiIlfll leader saw that he could tax
Branchville without attacking their fort
. fcations and at the same time accOmplls
other important ends. Accordingly
gave Branchville the gO-by, leaving Ha
dee and his chivalry to patiently gual
their carefully built breastworks far
our rear. The 10th Corps crossed Il
Big Salkahatchee River on the 9th al
were Joined to the right wing of the arm
The enemy now seemed to suppose tn
our entire army would move upon Augu
y ia, and prepared himself to surrender
place which it did not seem likely
could defend against such odds. A pc
ton of Hoods army had reached the ci
but what could they avail against She
, mans we'll appointed legions? While t
rebel leaders still meditated upon Il
troublesome question General Sherm
wheeled his splendid army to the right al
S moved directly toward the South Carroll
R. r. The 20th Corps struck the 70
near Grahams Station February 7th.
Our old occupation of ripping up raj
piling up ties and bending iron, was INN
}, diately resumed In few hours almt
the entire army including the cavalry "
strung along the track and vast volum
of dense black smoke rolling upwa
q along a line of ID miles or more indicat
Sg the total ruin of the railroad which for
long a time had furnished immense ST
plies to the armies of the rebellion.
portion of the track was badly worn, /
most of it was laid with new English IL
of excellent quality Care was taken
make thorough work by heating and twi
, ing the rails BY the 18th all destructil
railroad property from the Edisto brio
to Willfston. a distance of thirty-f
miles, was either utterly destroyed,
rendered unserviceable. Thus the