The National tribune., 1898-01-13

with their rifles. -Four of the enemy
dead, were picked up, and seven unhuri
were captured in 1 le swamp. | sent 6
party under Col. Wiles, Of the Second
Brigade, upstream, and q party from
the First Brigade (Col. Fairchild)
downstream, to find place for crossing
Col. Wiles found place where, by
clambering over fallen trees, men could
scramble over singly. The other party
found place little more than a mile
below the bridge, which, on their report
/ went to examine, and found solid
ground on our side extended to the
river, while the farther side was stretch
Of swamp.
After supper / reported to Gen. Blair.
You and Gen. Howard were both pres
ent The instant l finished my verbal
report to Gen. Blair, you said to him :
"Yes, the lower place is the place to
cross; make your movement there
your feint at the bridge, your diversion
above"
nv division was withdrawn from the
bridge in the night, relieved by Giles
Smith, and a road constructed for the
pontoon train to the proposed crossing.
In the morning / marched 10 the cross
ing-place. The pontoon bridge was laid.
] crossed over Gen. Mowers Division
was brought down, TO be in readiness in
case of need, but did not cross.
Emerging from the swamp on the
farther side, / formed the division in
lines in a long, open field, which eX-
tended all the way to the town. The
enemy's battery was meanwhile playing
across the river, over the bridge, on to
Giles Smith. ] sent the Second Bri-
gade by by-road across the woods, to
the railroad below the town, and marched
with the other brigade on TO the enemy's
battery at the bridge-head. 1t then
turned It's fire on to me, and withdrew
as | approached.
Ny skirmishers, dashiDg on through
the town, fired on the train that left
with the last of the enemy's infantry. |
took possession of the town, and detailed
the 18th Wis, Col. Proudft, as provost
guard. When my skirmish-line was
passing through the town, and the First
Brigade was ascending the slope be-
tween the bridge and the town, an Off
Ger and three men from Giles Smiths
Division scrambled over the scantling of
the bridge (for the enemy in the night
had succeeded in burning some Of the
planking Of the bridge without injuring
the timbers) and joined me at the edge
of the town.
The bridge was repaired, and Giles
Smith and Mower laler in the afternoon
marched their divisions over it. Gen.
Mower stood ready to support me- just
as, on the night of the 9th, | stood
ready to support him at Binnaker's
Bridge, but my division alone made the
crossing at Orangeburg; and, more
over, l there saved the bridge, the only
instance in your campaign where con-
tested bridge was saved and used by the
army In crossing.
| happened to be in advance the day
We reached Orangeburg, and so made
the crossing there; just as Mower and
Giles Smith made the crossing of the
rivers when they happened to be in
advance.
You say that Gen. Blair, while lying
at Pocoialige, kept Gen. Mower busy
making demonstrations upon the river
TO amuse and deceive the enemy. The
fact is, one day Gen. Mower took his
division out to make a demonstration,
bat the country was so overfiowed by
water that he could not approach the
river. Another day / made demon
stration on the high ground near the
railroad bridge.
On the Both January, the day we
moved, / was sent to the river to make
another. Next day, the Army of the
Tennessee lying in camp, | was sent
back to where the enemy had work Oh
the farther side OF the river and silenced
Its FIRE. The work was reinforced, and
kept up such racket with artillery.
that Gen. Howard sent staff.oificer 10
inquire if there was a gunboat in the
river.
This was the only one of the four
demonstrations that amounted to any,
thing. OF the four, / made three, Gen.
Mower one, and you name Gen. Mower
as the only officer employed.