CHAPTER
XCV
Friday, 17th. We marched to Zion’s church and went into
camp. The enemy were massing in our
front, and in order to be ready to repel any attack he might make upon us, our army was concentrated here
and orders were issued to the Corps Commanders to keep their commands well in
hand and to keep their columns in supporting distance of each other.
Saturday, 18th. We crossed the Saluda river at about 10
o’clock, a. m., and marched very rapidly.
We encamped early in the afternoon, having marched about ten miles.
Sunday, 19th. We broke camp about noon and marched five
miles in a very leisure manner when we went into bivouac for the night.
Monday, 20th. We crossed the Broad river near Alston about
six miles to the North of Columbia, the capital of the State. We heard some cannonading and could plainly
see the smoke of the burning city. We
marched in the direction of Winsboro’ traveling about 8 miles.
Tuesday, 21st. We marched about 12 miles, passing through
Winsboro’ and encamped for the night.
Wednesday, 22nd. We marched to Rocky Mount on the Catawba
River and pontooned it. We marched about
six miles.
Thursday, 23rd. We crossed the river and marched fourteen
miles in the midst of a drenching rain, making the roads almost impassable.
Friday, 24th. We marched about 5 miles in the direction of
Hanging Rock, traveling about 5 miles.
The rain continued to fall, making the marching very disagreeable.
Saturday, 25th. Owing to the heavy rain we remained in camp
during the day.
Sunday, 26th. We marched to Hanging Rock and went into camp
having marched about 7 miles.
Monday, 27th. Broke camp about noon and marched 3 miles and
encamped for the night.
Tuesday, 28th. We marched about 3 miles beyond Black Creek
near McDonald. We remained in camp
during the remainder of the day awaiting orders to march and when they did not
arrive the boys passed the time in hunting alligators in a swamp which was in
the vicinity. They succeeded in
capturing four large ones and according to one of the darkies of the place: “It
wawent a good day for aligatos nohow.”
On the march the men made it an especial point to
shoot all the bloodhounds they could find, and it was not an uncommon
occurrence to find from two to a half dozen, lying dead in the neighborhood of
every wealthy planter’s residence. These
ferocious brutes were used to recapture Union prisoners who frequently made
attempts to escape and make their way into the Union lines.
Wednesday, March 1.
We marched about 3 miles beyond Black Creek and went into camp.
Thursday, 2nd.
We broke camp at noon and marched in the direction of Chesterfield,
making about 6 miles.
Friday, March 3rd. We marched about 11 miles and encamped in the
vicinity of Chesterfield Court House.
Saturday, 4th. We marched about 1 mile beyond the North
Caroline line, near Sneedsboro’ on the Great Peedee River. Marched about 9 miles.
The country over which we had been traveling for the
past few days was of great interest to us, as it was the scene where during the
revolutionary war was enacted the greater part of General Francis Marion’s, the
Swamp Fox of the Revolution, bold and daring adventures, which had always
claimed our boyish admiration.
Sunday, 5th. We remained in camp all day.
Monday 6th.
We broke camp early in the morning and at about ten o’clock, a. m., we
reached the town of Cheraw. This was one
of the largest towns we passed through in the State. We remained in town four or five hours and
took advantage of the time we had to see the sights.
We visited the cemetery and stood before the grave of
General Francis Marion. In another part
of the same yard we found another grave which was marked with a stone which
contained one of the oddest inscriptions we ever beheld and which read
something like this:
“Reader, here rest the remains of
Who it matters not to you.
Pass on.”
We visited a printing office which we found knocked
into pi, the hand press broken and the type all scattered over the office, and
everything in the greatest confusion.
Our troops captured several hundred barrels of
turpentine, all of which was destroyed.
The barrels were rolled to the river and the heads busted in and the
contents of the barrels were allowed to run into the stream.
The town contained a large arsenal and which was
destroyed by blowing it up, greatly to the detriment of the windows of the
houses in the immediate neighborhood of it.
A large detail was made to destroy everything of any
public value in the place. The men
constructed a battering ram in the following manner. They took four heavy pieces of oak timber,
chained them together near the top, then rearing them in the air they spread
the lower ends of the timber out in the direction of the four points, and thus
they secured a stout and firm framework.
From the center of this framework, they fastened by means of heavy
chains, three long pieces of railroad iron which could be made to swing
backward and forward to the full length of the chain. By the aid of this machine a number of brick
houses used by the rebels for hospitals, were battered down. The ram was placed in the middle of the
street and then by means of a stout rope the men would draw the rails back and
leaving the rope fly at a given signal, the rails would swing across the street
and strike the building with a considerable force and by this means the
building would finally be knocked down.
A large number of sick and wounded prisoners were
captured here, all of which were paroled by the proper officers.
At about two o’clock we crossed the Great Peedee river
and marched five miles on the Fayetteville road and went into camp, having marched
a distance of at least 18 miles.
Tuesday, 7th. We marched about 15 miles on the same road,
crossing the state line and entering North Carolina a little before noon. We reached camp at dusk, halting for the
night in a large pine forest, and where we ran a big risk in having our eyes
smoked out. The fires were all made with
pine and our coffee, meat, as well as everything else we prepared for our
evening meal was very highly seasoned with pitch-pine.
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