Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-01

doubt and terror 1t served also as
preliminary training for the arduous cam
paign to come. Our work was incom-
plete, while the Carolinas, except at a
few points on the seacoast. had not felt
the rough contact Of war. But their
SwampS and rivers swollen and spread
into lakes by winter foods, presented OBJ
structions almost impracticable to in
Vading army. if opposed by even very
inferior force
The task before us was indeed forni-
dable. 1t involved exposure and indefat-
igable eXertion To succeed. our forward
movement had to be continuous, for even
the most productive regions would soon
be exhausted by our 60,000 men and more,
and $1,000 animals.
Although we were fully prepared, with
our great trains of ammunition, to fight
pitched battle our mission was not to
fight, but to consume and destroy. our
inability to care properly for the wound
ed, who must necessarily be carried along
painfully in jolting ambulances to die on
the way from exhaustion and exposure
was an additional and very serious rea-
son for avoiding collision with the enemy
But where he could not be evaded his
very presence across our path increased
the velocity of our flying column. We re-
PEELED him by a decisive blow and with
out losing our momentum.
The beginning in February of our
march in South Carolina was pleasant,
the weather favorable and the country
productive. Sometimes at the midday
halt a stray pig that had cunningly
evaded the foragers would venture forth
in the belief of having escaped the cruel
war and would find its error, alas! too
late, by encountering our column. IN
stantly an armed mob would set upon
1t, and it's piercing shrieks would melt
away in the scramble for fresh pork.
But the midday sport of the main coll
umn and the happy life of the forager
were sadly interrupted. The sun grew
DIM and the rain came and continued.
4 few of our excellent foragers were re-
ported captured by Wheeler's cavalry,
while we sank deeper and deeper in the
mud as we approached the Salkehatchie
swamp. which lay between US and the
Charleston and Augusta railroad.
AS the heads of column came up, each
command knew what il had to do. Gems.
Mower and G.. A. Smith got their di-
visions across by swimming, Wading and
fioating, and effected Judgments in spite
of the enemy's fire. An overw neluing
mass of drenched and muddy veterans
swept away the enemy, while the rest
OF our force got the trains and artillery
over by corduroying, forthcoming and
bridging 1t seemed d grand days work
tc, have accomplished, as We sank down
that night in our miry bivouac.
X =
We destroyed about forty miles of the
Charleston and Augusta railroad. and.
by threatening points beyond the route
we intended to take we deluded the en-
eIny into concentrating at Augusta and
other places, while we marched rapidly
away, leaving him well behind and
nothing but Wade Hamptons cavalry
and the more formidable obstacle of the
saluda river and it's swamps between
us and Columbia the state capital. our
next objective. AS the route of our col
umn lay west OF Columbia, saw moth
ing of the oft-descrihed and much-iis-
q ,sed burning of that city (Which cc-
CURED during the night Of February II,
leaving many helpless women and chill
7ren and invalds houseIess and home
ess in a few hours).
During the hasty removal of the Union
prisoners from Columbia by the Confed-
crates two Massachusetts officers man
aged to make their escape. Exhausted
and almost naked, they found their way
70 my command. Ny mess begged for
the privilege of caring for one of them.
We gave him a mule 10 ride with a COM
Portable saddle, and scraped together an
outfit for him, although our clothes were
in the last stages. Our guest found the
mess luxurious as he sat down with us
at the edge of rubber blanket spread
upon the ground for a tabIecloth and
set with tin cups and platters. Stewed
fighting cock and bits of fried turkey
were followed by fried cornneal and
sorghum. Then came our coffee and
pipes, and we lay down by roaring fire
of pine knots TO hear our guests story
of life in rebel prison.
Before daybreak the tramp of horses
reminded us that our foragers We're sal
lying forth The red light from the
countless campfires melted away as the
dawn stole over the horiZon,s casting its
wonderful gradations of light and color
over the masses of sleeping soldiers,
while the smoke from burning pinesnots
befogged the chilly morning. air Then
the bugles broke the impressive stiffness.
sides Soon the scene was alive with
cooking and running for water to the
nearest spring or stream. The surgeons
looked to the sick and footsore, and