The National tribune., 1898-01-20
LOST IN THE PINES.
An Episode of Gen. Sherman's March
Through the Carolinas.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE Sherman's
army, numbering about sixty thousand men,
broke camp at Vaudeville, S. c., the latter
Fart of January. 1864. and started on its
| famous march through the Carolinas. Orders
were issued from Headquarters at the start
that the army would have to derend entirely
upon the country through which they were to
pass for supplies, and that details of men would
he made for foraging. under command Of COM
missioned officer, who would be held respon-
sible for the acts Of those who comprised
the foraging party.
One evening during February, 1864. the
Third Division, Twentieth Corps, went into
camp on the bank of the North Edisto-in
| the northern part of South Carolina. l was
ordered by Capt. Ezra Sprague, Goth Conn,
| to get ready detail of Is men from Co. III,
| of which l was a member; he took the same
| number of men from his company In the
afternoon of the following day we started,
| and on arrival on the opposite bank of the
river were halted until Gen. Fitzpatrick, with
his cavalry, crossed by pontoon and moved in
advance.
| We had to pass over some distance of
| flooded read. and then build a fire in the
woods. We undressed and stood around shiv-
ering, waiting for our clothing to dry. We
could plainly hear rapid firing in our front,
which gradually grew fainter, and we knew
| that Kilpatrick's cavalry had encountered
| Wade HamptOn's men, who were being
| slowly driven back. in an hour we started
off to the right of the road ON which our
| army would pass, and i'll two hours arrived
| at the edge of a large swamp.
Noticing footprints evidently made that
morning, | received permission from Capt.
| Sprague to take detail of six men and find
| out who and what was in there, he saying
| that with the rest Of the men he would go on
| to n large observation-disclosures plainly to be seen
| in the distance, and wait.
short distance from where we entered a
raft was found, on, which were four or five
horses three mules ard several head of sat
tie evidently choice stock that had bee: j
and cared for early in the day. 1t Wa =; so
evident that the raft had been foated &c Is
place when the water was deep
Taking possession of our valuable fina, we
went to the plantation-house, where we had
a fine breakfast, being waited on by the
negroes, and whence detail took back the
stock found to the Quartermaster.
Shortly after the noon hour we started in
the direction our army had taken. Darkness
set in before we realized that we We're lost in
The pine woods of South Carolina, without
guide or compass and no knowledge of The
country The forest was intersected by roads
running in every direction, and, tired from
our long days march, we went into camp
with a full understanding that whichever
way we went we were liable to encounter
Wheelers cavalry in much greater force than
ours and would he shown little mercy.
The following three days and nights found
us in much the same predcament. The third
and last night We spent among the pines was
ore of great anxiety to all, and much time
was given by Capt. Sprague and myself to
discussing the situation and what course it
was best to pursue on the morrow, and how
TO extricate ourselves from the position of
danger were III.
We finally decided that the men should be
halted and go into camp, and that both OF Us
should 90 in different directions, each follow
ing one of the innumerable roads made by
those who gather material from the pines to
manufacture into tar, turpentinc and resin,
and try to find q main road on which we
could move with more certainty toward the
north and our army.
1t was also understood that If at the end of |
one hour no main road was found we should |
return TO camp and remain until the morn |
ing Ii the desired road were found, the one |
finding it was to return and wait one half |
hour for the other, and if, at the expiration
of that time, he did not put in an appearance |
the absent one would be considered killed or
captured, ard the men should be moved for
ward on to the main road and push on to- t
ward the objective point.
1t was a lonely and eXpectant walk through |
the silent and, to me, unknown woods at so
late an hour of the night, the solitude made
more impressive by the uncertainty of the
situation and the peril we were in.
After walking about two milaz oams to