USA > Iowa > A history of the Sixth Iowa infantry > Part 29
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scene close until the material was exhausted, it was im- possible to arrest the flames. About half of the beautiful capital city, including the main business portion, was completely destroyed and lay a smouldering ruin.
Many of the commanding generals and other officers of the army, including Sherman, Howard, Logan, Charles R. Woods, William B. Woods, Colonel George A. Stone and Colonel Robert F. Catterson, were present in the city using their personal exertions to quell the disorderly rioting and stay the conflagration. It was due to their personal efforts that a portion of the city was preserved from the devouring flames and order finally restored.
Late in the night, Colonel John M. Oliver's Third Bri- gade of General William B. Hazen's Second Division was called out and added to General Woods' forces on duty in the city. It was they who succeeded in staying the flames and restoring order.
The 17th Army Corps had followed the 15th Corps across the Saluda and Broad rivers on the pontoons, had marched around north of Columbia and had camped sev- eral miles out northeast of the city. All of the 15th Corps passed through the city and camped east and south- east of the city limits. The left wing of the army, com- posed of the 14th and 20th corps with General Slocum commanding, crossed the Saluda River at Mount Zion Church, nine miles above Columbia and passed west of the city en route to Winnsborough. General Kilpatrick's cavalry division had covered the left wing of the army since leaving the Savannah River. A successful battle was fought with the enemy's forces at Aiken, South Car- olina, near the city of Augusta, Georgia, and then the cavalry followed in the wake of the two corps, crossing the Saluda at Mount Zion Church. The concentration of
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the army in and about Columbia terminated the second stage of the campaign, with all the army then engaged at destroying the railroads in Central South Carolina. On February 18th, at sundown, the Sixth Iowa was relieved from picket guard and returned to its position in the brigade line of trenches.
Investigation showed that the great conflagration and. carnival of rioting and pillage in the city of Columbia by the army was due entirely to the finding of large quan- tities of liquor stored in the cellars of the business build- ings and blocks, which had been seized upon by the troops, and, in the general excitement and rejoicing of the move- ment, had been thoughtlessly and inconsiderately con- sumed by many of the men until they were crazy drunk. In that delirious condition they were beyond the control of their commanding officers, of high or low rank.
That humane and valorous manhood that had been de- veloped in the soldier, was, for the time being, dethroned by the evil effects of the liquor. The splendid discipline so rigidly maintained throughout the rank and file of the army, which had preserved the city and protected the people of Savannah and had made it possible to overcome other seemingly insurmountable obstacles during their long and toilsome campaigns, was viciously and reck- lessly destroyed at Columbia.
It is well to know that not all of the men in the com- mands, that entered the city, were engaged in the shame- ful and disgraceful scenes that occurred on that fatal night. Probably not more than one out of ten of the men who passed through the city, drank to excess of the liquor or had aught to do with the general hilarity occasioned. The participants were made up of stragglers from all the commands in and close about the city. Not a member
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of the Sixth Iowa was injured or arrested for disorderly conduct during the stay of the command at Columbia.
The whole surrounding country was lighted up by the awful conflagration and the destruction of property was immense. Business blocks, churches, dwellings, old co- lonial mansions, and the old capitol building were all swept away by the mighty and devouring element. Old men were appalled, women shrieked in their agony of despair, children were terrified and with piteous wailings clung to their helpless mothers. All congregated in the blackened and desolate streets, houseless and homeless. It was truly a sad sight and touched the generous sym- pathy of many kind-hearted soldiers, who rendered time- ly assistance to those in greatest distress and protected timid women from the rough and heedless jeers and gibes, by soldiers and citizens.
The once proud and beautiful Columbia in ashes --- "how the mighty is fallen!" While joining in the early and consuming frenzy for war, the inhabitants of the city had imagined that their homes were secure from inva- sion, and in their fancied security they had been boastful of their superior prowess, high-sounding in their patriot- ism. But none are given to correctly predict or foretell the fortunes of war, and so it was that a proud and chival- ric people were now conquered and subjugated, and, in their awful distress, it seemed to them that it would be best to lie down and die - if it were possible.
On Sunday, February 19th, the ceremony of general in- spection was had in all the regiments of the brigade, dur- ing the early morning and after that the rest of the day was given over to viewing the ruins about the city and watching the further destruction, under orders, of the public arsenals, machine shops, armory, powder mills,
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railroad depot, and large storehouses, containing cap- tured ammunition and government machinery.
A fatal accident occurred during the day, while the men of the Third Division were engaged at removing the captured ammunition from the arsenal to the river, there to be destroyed by throwing it in the water. A large percussion shell was carelessly thrown down the steep bank of the river and falling among others caused an explosion, killing one Captain and four men, and serious- ly injuring 21 others. One wagon and six mules were also burned up.
Soldiers from the near camps voluntarily guarded and protected many of the suburban homes and their occu- pants, so that no damage was done to them in person or property. In the midst of the gloom and despair that had overtaken the most of the inhabitants there were held in some of the uninjured homes, informal gatherings, where pleasant - if not strictly friendly - acquaint- ances were made and a feast of song and music, social merriment and good dinners, presided over by staid mat- rons and their charming daughters, were indulged in and heartily enjoyed by the jolly young men, thus attracted from the ranks of the army. All barriers are easily swept away, when vigorous young manhood is subjected to the charming influence of young womanhood, and love quickly takes the citadel. In the ranks of the Sixth Iowa it was known that the bright spark had been kin- dled in two hearts; but later, in the crash of battle, a cruel bullet stilled the heart of one and the lady in the case probably never learned his fate.
On Monday, February 20th, the last of the troops post- ed in and about the city commenced moving out on the roads leading north, and at noon the Second Brigade
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took up the line of march and was among the last of the troops to leave the city.
As the column passed out beyond the city limits, many stopped to view the smouldering ruins of the beautiful home and property of General Wade Hampton, that had been burned during the occupancy of the place. All officers and men who had a keen sense of appreciation for the charming loveliness and tropical splendor of the yards and grounds, forests of ornamental trees inter- woven with bowers of twining vines and flowering shrub- bery and beautiful gardens were filled with a genuine sense of sadness and deep-felt regret at the wanton de- struction of such rare and beautiful property. The tall and specter-like columns alone were left standing, to mark the site of the most beautiful and wealthy home in the State of South Carolina.
The command marched 18 miles and camped at one o'clock in the night, near Muddy Springs. February 21st, the division marched 22 miles and camped for the night in a beautiful pine grove at Longtown. The char- acter of the country passed over after leaving Columbia was hilly and almost barren, and but little forage for men or animals could be procured. The four divisions of the 15th Corps were again all camped within easy sup- porting distance.
February 22nd, the First Division moved out on the road and struck the Wateree River at Nichols' Ferry and then continued the march up the river to Peay's Ferry. Demonstrations were made at both places by the advance guards, but no enemy was discovered at either place, and the pontoons were laid at the latter place for crossing, without interruption. General Hazen's Second Division was the first to cross over the river, where it took
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position covering the crossing. The rest of the corps went into camp ready to cross the next morning. The distance marched during the day was 10 miles.
On February 23rd, the First Division crossed the river at an early hour and passed out through the little village of Liberty Hill. The Wateree River is a beautiful stream with bluffs on either side, straight and smooth running. The division marched 12 miles and camped at Flat Rock Church. It rained all night.
February 24th, the First and Third divisions, forming the left column of the 15th Corps, marched 10 miles through rain and mud and camped late in the evening at West's Cross-Roads, where they built light breast- works.
Generals Joseph E. Johnston, Beauregard, Hampton, Hardee, Wheeler, and many other distinguished officers of the Confederate army were active in concentrating all their available forces to oppose the advance of Sherman's army. Consequently, the daily movements of the four Union army corps and the cavalry, after leaving Colum- bia, were timed and directed so that all the marching columns would be in easy supporting distance at night, in case of serious attack on any part of the army.
February 25th, the rain continued incessantly through out the night, so that a halt was made for the day. The Sixth Iowa was detailed to guard the division supply and ordnance trains, in the camp where they were parked for the night, while the division staff officers searched the wagons. Five tons of tobacco, quantities of cutlery and silverware, goods and clothing, and a general as- sortment of utensils and merchandise were found. All of it was piled in one grand heap and then a bonfire was made of it. No doubt most of it had been secured at
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Columbia. The rain continued to pour down through- out the day and at night, without ceasing.
Before leaving Columbia a refugee train was organ- ized, composed of people living in Columbia and vicin- ity, who preferred to go north with the army, rather than to remain at their homes and risk starving. Each divis- ion of the corps was assigned an equal portion of the dis- tressed people. Accessions were made daily from the country, until they became burdensome and caused much delay and great fatigue in keeping their trains up with the marching columns and supplying them with sub- sistence.
February 26th, the troops and trains moved out de- spite the mud and marched 12 miles to Tiller's bridge on Lynch's Creek, which was so overflowed from the recent rains that it seemed like an almost insurmountable ob- stacle to the advance of the army. The men of the Fourth Division effected a crossing by wading to their armpits through the overflowed bottoms, holding their guns and cartridge boxes above their heads. The enemy's cavalry was driven away from the opposite shore and the position quickly covered with breastworks to protect the crossing of the rest of the troops and the trains.
On February 27th, most of the troops remained in camp waiting to cross the flooded stream, with heavy de- tails for corduroying and constructing temporary bridg- ing at the crossing. The enemy's cavalry in heavy force hovered on the flanks of the column, where they succeeded in killing, wounding, and capturing quite a number of the foragers, but fortunately, none of the Sixth Iowa was injured. The rain continued through the night again, making the situation just about as cheerless and uncom- fortable as it could possibly be.
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February 28th, the troops throughout the army were mustered for pay during the day. In the midst of the rain and mud the Sixth Iowa went on picket guard at night. It continued to rain a steady downpour all day and far into the night, the high water in the streams washing the new bridges out as fast as they were built. The matter of forage for animals and subsistence for the troops, on account of the delay and the exhausted condition of the country, became a very serious matter, the foragers having to go twenty-five miles to find sup- plies and then only in small quantity and of inferior quality.
March 1, 1865, the regiment was relieved from guard duty early in the morning. The First Division crossed Lynch's Creek during the afternoon, just below the junc- tion of the two forks, on the bridges and corduroy built by the pioneers and the large fatigue parties detailed from the commands. Camp was made two miles beyond the crossing; the distance marched during the day being only 4 miles.
An almost ceaseless rainfall for more than a week, day and night, had filled all the creeks and streams to overflowing and flooded the whole country, so that men and animals were all about drowned out. The extreme poverty of the surrounding country caused a scarcity of provisions and forage that threatened the army with pinching hunger. The men had marched many miles, building bridges and corduroy road over nearly every foot of the distance, in water and mud, drenched to the skin and chilled to the bone. When halted for the night camp, many were too much exhausted to prepare food had there been plenty, and had it been possible to build fires in the pouring rain.
March 2nd, the division crossed Big Black Creek on
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the pontoons, marched 10 miles, and camped about the hamlet of New Market. On March 3rd, the division covered a distance of 22 miles and camped within six miles of Cheraw. The whole army had been concentrat- ed near Cheraw with scarcely any opposition by the enemy. This completed the third stage of the campaign.
At an early hour the next morning, all four of the 15th Army Corps divisions marched to Cheraw, passed through the town during the day and camped across the plank-road one mile north - the 17th Army Corps hav- ing occupied the town the evening before. Sunday, March 5th, the troops of the 15th Corps remained idle in camp all day, with the weather bright and pleasant.
Great interest was taken in the old town by large num- bers of men who recognized its historic importance, it being one of the oldest settled communities in the State, situated on the south bank of the Great Pee Dee River, 150 miles inland from the city of Charleston. The wide and regular streets, all shaded with great spreading tropical trees, added much beauty and charm to the pa- triotic reverence had for the old and odd appearing buildings, many of them dating back to Revolutionary times. The old stone church, that had been used as a hospital during the war for independence and was now appropriated for the same purpose, excited the curios- ity of all and was viewed by a large number from the camps, during the day.
Although General Hardee deemed it best to give up the place without a fight, it was found to be well fortified and the citizens remaining in town reported that he had had an army there of 20,000 troops and many guns, all post- ed in the strong works guarding the approaches to the town.
In his hasty flight, the enemy had destroyed the splen-
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did wagon bridge spanning the river. On March 4th, the engineers and pioneers of the right wing of the army laid the pontoons in the Great Pee Dee River directly opposite the town, after which General J. A. Mower's division of the 17th Army Corps crossed to the north side and threw up works, making a strong bridgehead covering the pontoons. The enemy fired a few shots at the pon- toon bridge from a small armed vessel still plying up and down the river below the city, but it was soon driven away by sharpshooters posted along the shore.
A detachment of thirty mounted foragers from each division of the 15th Corps, commanded by Major Samuel Mahon of the 7th Iowa Infantry, joined the 7th and 9th Illinois and the 29th Missouri Mounted Infantry in an expedition to Florence, South Carolina, for the purpose of destroying the railroad en route and releasing the Union prisoners confined there, but General M. C. But- ler's Confederate cavalry succeeded in holding the place.
March 6th, the First Division broke camp and crossed the river on the pontoons, camping about Quick's Church, after a march of 5 miles. While the First Brigade and a large portion of the division train were halted on the south bank waiting to cross the river, a large quantity of captured powder and shells stored in a magazine was accidently exploded, causing a loss of one officer and three men killed and a large number of men wounded, many quite seriously. The mule teams were badly stampeded and much damage was done to the division transporta- tion. The report of the explosion was very loud and the ground shook for miles around, greatly alarming the citi- zens left in the town.
The 15th, 17th, and 20th army corps all crossed the river on the pontoons at Cheraw, while the 14th Corps
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and the cavalry crossed on another bridge, farther up the river, laid at the North and South Carolina State line. All the grist-mills in the country, left standing by the enemy, were put to grinding and a supply of meal was issued to the army. All the columns were now directed on Fayetteville, North Carolina, on the Cape Fear River, as the next objective point in the course of the campaign.
March 7th, the division and the rest of the 15th Corps, marched ten miles and camped at Goodwin's Mill, the weather being very warm. The next morning the march was continued toward Laurel Hill, a distance of 18 miles. The First and Fourth divisions passed through the vil- lage of Springfield while the Second and Third divisions traveled on roads to the left of that place. At about the hour of noon a severe rainstorm set in and continued with- out intermission during the rest of the day and all night. The roads soon became a sea of mud and water, and al- most impassable for troops and trains. The delayed trains and the rear guard, after an all night struggle in the mud and rain, succeeded in reaching camp at daylight the next morning. The headquarters of General Sher- man, General Howard, and General Logan, were all es- tablished for the night with the 15th Corps column at Laurel Hill. On March 9th, the First Division struggled all day to make six miles through a dismal swamp, in an incessant downpour of rain.
Large working parties, made up of heavy details from all the regiments in the column, were engaged, day and night, in making corduroy roads through the swamps. Huge trees were felled in the woods, chopped into logs twelve to fifteen feet in length, carried by the men, and placed in position on the muddy road, where they were firmly held in place by long skids stretched along either
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side of the track, making a roadbed of solid timber, which bore up the artillery and the immense wagon trains for the whole distance traveled over in a day.
The fatiguing marches for the last two days had been more distressing than the experience had at Lynch Creek, if that could be possible. The 15th Corps crossed the Lumber River, March 10th, on pontoons laid in the river where Gilchrist's bridge had been destroyed by the enemy, marched 8 miles and halted for camp at 12 o'clock in the night. The whole surrounding country was one great quagmire of mud and water.
On March 11th, the day broke bright and clear. The corps made 10 miles and camped on Rockfish Creek, near the big factory. The roads were still impassable until nearly every foot of the distance had been cordu- royed, causing great fatigue and much discomfort throughout the whole command.
March 12th, the weather continued pleasant and the 15th Corps crossed Rockfish Creek on the pontoon, laid at the factory, marched 14 miles and camped in the vi- cinity of Fayetteville, which had been captured and oc- cupied the day before by the 14th Corps, without serious opposition from the enemy. The marches had been so timed and directed that each corps was accorded the privilege of first occupying some one or more of the cities and towns surrendered en route.
XXVI FAYETTEVILLE TO GOLDSBOROUGH
The troops and trains of the 15th Corps remained in their camps, on the 13th of March, in the same order and positions they had occupied for the night. The site was a range of low bluffs bordering along the south bank of the Cape Fear River, a few miles below and in plain view of Fayetteville. It was a picturesque place and in- teresting, as being the end of the fourth stage of the cam- paign, so successfully accomplished. A little steam craft, engaged in the United States naval service along the Atlantic coast, appeared in the river bringing the news of the capture of Fort Fisher and the city of Wil- mington, by the Union army and navy, at the mouth of the Cape Fear River, and also the first news from the north since leaving Beaufort.
The Captain of the boat proposed taking back to the coast any mail matter that the troops might entrust to him, there to be sent north to their homes. When he saw the pile of letters on the deck of his vessel at even- ing, he was overwhelmed at the task he had assumed, but, jolly tar that he was, he said: "Sherman's army has the right-of-way on land and the sailors join heartily in doing them a service on the sea". The letters all reached their destination, carrying glad news into many north - ern homes.
The arsenal, and all public buildings and machinery connected with it, that could be of any future use to the enemy, were systematically destroyed under the direc-
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tion of the chief engineer of the army. Fayetteville, at the time, was an old style southern town, most of the buildings were of wood and were dilapidated and ugly. The court house was the only respectable appearing pub- lic or business building in the place. The 14th Corps occupied the town and furnished the provost guard; all property, and citizens remaining in the city were safely protected by the troops.
During the stay of the army, other steamers followed the little naval cutter up the river, laden with sugar and coffee, and a very limited supply of army shoes, the one article of apparel most needed in the army. The contin- uous marching for two months through mud and water had destroyed the shoes throughout the army, so that some were barefoot and all were in a dilapidated condi- tion.
All refugees, who had started with the army from Columbia and those accumulated along the route, were halted at the Cape Fear River. Those with the right wing numbered 4000 people. No language is adequate to describe the heart-rending scenes on that long march or the suffering endured by these poor people, white and black, who traveled with Sherman's army through the swamps of the Carolinas, without shelter and almost without subsistence, except as furnished by the foragers from the scant supply found in the country. They were all sent to Wilmington on the coast, some down the river on returning steamers and others overland in wagons, escorted by troops going out of the service by reason of expiration of their term of enlistment.
The pontoon bridges for crossing the river were the places chosen for making a thorough inspection of the army transportation and to get rid of all poor and use-
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less animals. Thousands were seized, condemned, and shot. In one small field, among several along the banks of the river, there were lying one thousand dead mules and horses, which had been slaughtered by soldiers de- tailed for the purpose.
The huge army wagons and heavy artillery carriages were crossed over the river by hand, fifty to sixty men being assigned to each wagon. These men let them down to the pontoons, crossed them over and pulled them up the steep and muddy bank on the opposite side by means of long ropes, thus demonstrating how the army accom- plished so many of the seemingly impossible problems of the campaign. The last of the army had crossed over the river, in the evening of March 15th, when the pon- toons were taken up and hurried to the front to be laid again in the next stream.
The advance from the river was made by the left wing, the troops stripped for a fight, with the four divisions of the 15th Corps following next to the right, in the same order, with the 17th Corps, on the extreme right flank, guarding all the supply trains of the army. The enemy was found in strong force at all points disputing the advance with cavalry, infantry, and artillery. General Joseph E. Johnston was in supreme command, with Beauregard, Hampton, Wheeler, and many others of the eminent and capable officers of the Confederate army in command of the remnants of his old army from Georgia and Tennessee, intelligently and gallantly sup- porting him in their last heroic struggle.
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