Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-01-16
TCopyright. 1895, by C. T.. klrmer.1 rHE left wing of General Sher-
 mans army. commanded by
 General H. W. Slocum, march


 junction with Grants army on James river, reached point about three miles from the city of Columbia, s. C., on the 10th of February, 1S65 Slocum was confronted by the Saluda river, which was bridgeless at that point. Sherman's right wing. under General O. o. Howard, was also close to Co- lumbia, and portion of Towards troops marched through the town and encamped outside.
 The movement through the Carolinas, which. if carried out. would bring sherman ilp in the rear of the army of General Robert E. Lee, then defending Richmond and Petersburg against the Federal forces commanded by Grant. had begun the 1st of February. and after sixteen days marching, working and skirmishing the columns that had taken separate routes on leaving Sa- vannah were at last united
 The failure of the Confederates in Shermans divided forces and beat them in detail during this march was a subject of controversy at the time and has since attracted the attention of military men. Simultaneously with Sherman's departure from Savannah conference of Confederate officers was held near Augusta, Ga, to arrange the details of plans for Shermans defeat. General P. T. Beauregard, who had held command in South Carolina in 1868. came up from the west, to be fol, lowed by Confederate troops that had fought at Franklin and Nashville in the closing western campaign of 1864. General W. J. Hartlee. the comman- dant who cleverly slipped out of Savan- nah with all his army upon the ap- proach of Sherman from western Geor- gin and represented about 10000 avail able troops. was there. General D. H. Hill one of Robert F. Lees ablest off cers. was also present. and General Gustavus W. Smith. another capable leader, was there at the head of 1,5OO Georgia militia.
 General Hardee's troops available for immediate use against Sherman numbered 14,5O men. leaving garri- sons to bold Charleston and other i'm portant posts on the seacoast. General Beauregard promised that 11.OO0 troops from the former army defending At lanta against Sherman would soon be in the Carolinas. In fact half of them were already near Augusta. The caval- ry corps of General Joe Wheeler which had skirmishcd ahead of Sher- man through all the march to the sea, mustered about 6.OOO sabers and was already confronting Sherman's out posts.
 South Carolina had about 5,O00 mil tia, and General NJ. T. Buffers division of cavalry, which had been fighting under Lee in Virginia. was included in the force, making q total of about 3S,O0O troops which could be concen- trated. 1t was thought, upon Sherman's route of march by the middle of Feb ruary. The southern militia could not be expected to serve outside of their states, and the conscription had ex- hausted the fighting men of the region.
 Although the outlook was discourag- ing, General Beauregarl, sick in mind and body. assumed command as the ranking officer present and determined to make last effort to hold up Shcr- mans march. But when the scattered 1ato nh 1r- 1, enf< f.,,. the point of concentration the game had changed. Sherman was In motion and close to Columbia. General But ler's cavalry division managed to carry 1 through to Wheeler. who all the time skirmished along Sherman's front. couple of batteries of light artillery ! and some small detachments of infan- | try from Hardee's command at Charles ton.
 Wheeler and Butler together did what they could to burn bridges and hold against the Federals the long causeways through the innumerable swamps which sherman had to pass in going from rie Savannah to the Con- garee river. However. the leading d. vision of Sherman's column was al- | ways strong enough to outflank the Confederate troopers and drive them off with but little loss. and the laying of pontoons and corduroy went for ward. and Sherman's 2,500 wagons rolled on toward the goal.
 l Beauregard left General Smith with his militia to guard Augusta and per sonaIly led the sad remnant of the once proud Confederate Army of the Tennessee by long detour over coUs, try roads through South Carolina with out getting glimpse of Sherman nor | sherman of him. much 10 his delight. bringing up finally at Charlotte, N. C. ' General Hardee clung to Charleston. knowing that the day was near when he must abandon old Fort Sumter and the cradle of the southern uprising. f His route to the point for concentra- ton would be through Florence to Che raw by rsil and thence to the render rous in North Carolina.
 A Confederate leader who was not st the Augusta conference. but who was to play an important pert in the effort to head of sherman. General Wade Hampton. reached Columbia his native place. about the time that Sher- mans plans became surulised by the soutberners. Hampton was distfn- guishe,I cavalry leader with Ice fin Virginia. He was a man of personal
 force and. it was believed. could rally