The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-10-15

There were a few rebel cavalry
on our flanks, but they cut no
figure, we remained in the woods,
took slow marches almost every |
day until we had cleaned up the
4O-mile strip of all signs of living |
hay, corn, rice, sweet potatoes, |
railroads torn up, public utilities
destroyed. We were a lot of
traders, foragers, and hog kill
ing was fun; burning rails and
capturing good horses and mules
was a joy forever. To see the
women cry and lament on seeing
their property go up in smoke,
reminded me of what Gen. Sher-
man said, War is hell" On
December II, 1864, we came to
the confederate lines in front of
Savannah. The siege continued
until December 81. That morn
ing your writer was on picket
and all firing had ceased, which
caused me to look up and out;
soon Col. Hobart, commanding
the brigade, rode up (he was a.
lone) and said he thought the en-
emy had gone. I told him I had
heard no firing for several hours
so we started to the line of works,
but not a Johnny was in sight.
Several pieces of artillery were
standing in position, which were
credited to the 18th A. C. We
lay at Savannah until February,
1865, then marched up the Saw
annah river 40 miles, pontooned,
crossed over into South Carolina
and built seventeen miles of cor
duroy road to get the army on
dry land. On February 2 we
were in water waist deep bridg-
ing the swamps. The water was
cold and indeed it is no wonder
many old veterans are stiff with
rheumatism. Then the army
started up the river from Sisters
Ferry and when opposite Aug
usta and in sight of the grove CT
ty of the south, we turned to-
ward Columbia, S. C. Some cav
airy was with us and on our
flank, commanded by Gen. Kill
patrick. We passed within two
miles of Columbia, but the rebs.
had burned it to keep it from
falling into our hands. On March
16, 1866, we had a little settoo'
at Aversboro. Three days after
that we struck it a plenty at Ben
tonville, on the 10Th. It was
early in the morning, and while
the birds were singing the as
sembly call was sounded, when
the 94th o. V. I. took up arms
and marched from camp at the
head of the column. Soon we
:. came to a barricade, Company A
and F charged, we routed the
\ Johnnys, but one was left dead,
while Company F had a French
; man shot in the mouth by a care
less Johnny. In a two-mile march
we came to another barricade
The brigade made a genera
charge and drove the skirmish
ers of the enemy into their mair
line of works. Only the LIST Di
vision of our corps was on tina
road. The enemy fanked us OF
y our right by wading a swamp
We fell back about one mile, raj
lied behind twentyone pieces O.
artillery that Jeff. C. Davis ord
: cred up, then grape and caniste
y shot moved down seven lines O.
y the enemy. They came up owe
an open field and in splendid or
" der, within six hundred yards
= = then the twentyone pieces spok
! the death of many of those brav
= =, men. They found it too hot an
= fell back to their main line o
: = works. We followed up, an
- such slaughter was terrible
- Some of the lines were traced b
" ~ the dead and in many places dea
- comrades touched comrades
! Some blue was mixed with tn
!, gray, for we lost seven hundre
:, from the 1st Divisionof our corps
: This, Mr.. Editor, is getting to
- lengthy, so we willcontinue frol
- Bentonville in our next and te
: Of the closing scenes of the gres
5, Civil war that came under Ou