USA > Iowa > History of the Fifteenth Regiment, Iowa Veteran Volunteer Infantry, from October, 1861, to August, 1865, when disbanded at the end of the war > Part 38
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*Gen. U. S. Grant, in his Memoirs, writing of Sherman's March to the Sea, says: "Sher- man's army, after all the depletions, numbered about sixty thousand effective men. All weak men had been left to hold the rear. and those remaining were not only well men, but strong and hardy, so that he had sixty thousand as good soldiers as ever trod the earth: better than any European soldiers because they not only worked like a machine, but the machine thought." He gives the following description of destroying railroads :
"The troops, both of the right and left wings, made most of their advance along the line of railroads which they destroyed. The method adopted to perform this work was to burn and destroy all the bridges and culverts, and for a long distance, at places, to tear up the track and bend the rails. Soldiers to do this rapidly would form a line along one side of the road with crowbars and poles, place these under the rails and, hoisting all at ouce, turn over many rods of road at one time. The ties would then be placed in piles, and the rails, as they were loosened, would be carried and put across these log heaps. When a sufficient number of rails were placed npon a pile it would be set on fire. This would heat the rails very much more in the middle, that being over the main part of the fire, than at the ends, so that they would natur- ally bend of their own weight : but the soldiers, to increase the damage, would take tongs and, one or two men at each end of the rail, carry it with force against the nearest tree and twist it around, thus leaving rails forming bands to ornament the forest trees of Georgia. All this work was going on at the same time, there being a sufficient number of men detailed for that purpose. Some piled the logs and built the fire; some put the rails upon the fire ; while others would bend those already sufficiently heated, so that by the time the last bit of road was torn up, that it was designed to destroy at a certain place, the rails previously taken up were already destroyed."
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February 9th, the march was resumed, and with constant skirm- ishing Grahamville was reached in the evening. The regiment and brigade arrived on the 11th near the North Edisto river. There the enemy stopped, offering a stubborn resistance from a fort on a bluff commanding the bridge on that river, as well as the surrounding low country to the south. On Sunday the 12th, a heavy demonstration was made by the 4th Division from the timber in front of the bridge, while the 3d Division crossed the river, one and a half miles below; soon the 4th Division forced the bridge, part of division flanking the position of the fort a quarter of a mile above, which gave us Orangeburg, situated three fourths of a mile from the bridge, the enemy saving themselves by a precipitate flight northward towards Columbia. The night at Orangeburg was the coldest during the campaign ; a stormy north wind made the troops suffer throughout the whole night.
February 13th to 15th, while parts of the 17th Corps were alter- nately (by brigades) destroying the Columbia railroad, the rest moved along rapidly, making daily some fifteen miles, although most of the time skirmishing and driving the enemy in its front, until February 16th, when after a quick march of several hours, the brigade arrived upon the south bank of the Congaree, from the heights of which the command had a full view of Columbia, the proud capital of the fugitve rebel chivalry, lying on the opposite magnificent heights, across the wide basin of the river. The lines were promptly formed on the southern bank connecting with part of the 15th Corps forming on the right, while skirmishing and artillery fire was kept up vigorously most of the day and late into the night, when a heavy fog descended upon the doomed city, com- pletely hiding it from our view. During the advance of the 15th into position 2 men were wounded, both mortally, by rebel sharp- shooters on the rebel side of the river, they continued an annoying and constant firing until in the afternoon, the 1st Minnesota Battery took occasion to display some of its usual fine shots with its 3.
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inch rifled pieces . A mill on the opposite side of the river, whose revolving wheels showed that people therein were at work grind- ing, was at the same time observed to be the place whence most of the well aimed bullets were started against the brigade. Captain Clayton, of the battery, sent one of his 3-inch elongated balls into the mill, at once stopping and completely destroying the wheel. Then two shells were fired at the house, both of which exploded within the same, scattering desolation to all inside. The next shell cleared the "shebang," the men taking to rapid flight towards the shade of a thick timber in rear of same. Several shots were fired from the 20 pd Parrott guns at the new State House, the distance being two and a half miles, and left their mark on its damaged walls.
Yankee City, as the rebels called the place where the Union offi- cers were kept as prisoners, was in the immediate rear of the position of the 4th Division. It contained over six hundred log houses of every description, small and large, with more or less com - fort to their inmates, according to the ability of the squad of prisoners who erected the same for their protection from the in- clemency of the weather.
Several officers from Iowa regiments of the 3d Brigade who were captured near Atlanta, July 22d, were known to have been there; all of these were hurridly taken further north by the rebel commander just before Sherman's army arrived at Columbia. There, near by, can also be seen the resting place of those whose fate was never again to see the Sun of the Loyal North. The cemetery contained the graves of eleven officers apparently but lately interred.
The 15th Corps, meanwhile extending on the left of the 17th, met the enemy in heavy force two miles above on the opposite bank of the Saluda river. (This and the Broad river forms the Congaree. ) After a heavy artillery fire, however, from the south
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bank of the Saluda, the enemy left towards the bridge on Broad river.
Soon after, the 15th Corps crossed the Saluda on pontoons laid in the evening. During the night, the enemy having withdrawn from the island entirley, and while the pontoons were being laid across the Broad river.
February 17th, soon after the rising fog developed the city, a party of about forty men (of the 13th Iowa) in charge of Lieuten- ant-Colonel Kennedy, and Lieutenants Wm. H. Goodrell and H. C. McArthur of the 15th Iowa, both the latter being on the staff of General Belknap, commanding the 3d Brigade, crossed the Congaree river in flat boats proceeded through the city and raised the regimental colors of the 13th Iowa on the new and old State houses respectively, amidst loud acclamations and manifestations of joy on the part of the gathering population of Columbia.
FIRST IN COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA. "AND DON'T YOU FORGET IT."
Lieutenant Henry C. McArthur of H. Co., (then, Aide de Camp to General Belknap, commanding the Iowa Brigade, ) is entitled to as much, if not more credit than any other man in repairing the boats (he working all night upon them) that carried the gallant and famous party, of which he was one of the foremost, across the swift current of the Congaree river, on the morning of Feb. 17, 1865, when on the other shore, they chased the Johnnies out of their holes and on up through the city, on their way the detach- ment captured a horse and buggy, Lieutenant W . H. Goodrell, F. Co., our regiment, (then also on General Belknap's staff) and color bearer with flags, got into the buggy and drove; Colonel Kennedy and Lieutenant McArthur set upon the rear crossbar, the "Mounted Infantry" then dashed for the State House, when within two blocks of it, a squad of rebel cavalry saw them coming up Main street, halted on a side street, and as our party went past
H. C. MCARTHUR IST LIEUT CO. H 15TH IOWA VOLS. BREVET MAJOR VOLS.
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fired at them. Goodrell halted the horse, McArthur jumped off, jerked a gun from the buggy and taking aim at the retreating cavalry as they galloped off fired, and unhorsed one of them and they were not troubled again. It is believed this was the only gun fired after any United States troops entered the city; reaching the State House, Mac. was one of the three planting. the flag on the old Capitol, while Lieutenant Goodrell planted the banner on the un- finished new Capitol building and captured a large South Carolina flag.
At this time the skirmishers of Colonel Stone's Brigade, of 15th Corps, were on the outskirts of the city, and it was three quarters of an hour after the above flags had been planted, before any of Stone's Brigade entered either State House. The statements, called for by the Secretary of War, August 22, 1873, from Major McArthur, Colonel Kennedy and Major Goodrell, to place before the British Claims Commission, concerning the burning of Colum- bia, S. C., show it to be recognized by all parties that these men entered the city, and placed their colors upon both the old and new Capitol buildings three quarters of an hour before any other troops were there. General W. T. Sherman, in his statement to the Washington Chronicle, Sept. 12, 1873, says: "I knew of a small detachment of the 17th Corps, having entered the city prior to the regular entry of Colonel Stone's Brigade, of 15th Corps, and treat- ed it as irregular at the time, but these men who were in the city, THREE QUARTERS OF AN HOUR PRIOR to the advance of Colonel Stone's Brigade, and planted their colors on the Capitol buildings, now come forward as the most important and conclusive witnesses of the Government, as to who burned the city of Columbia, and it must settle the question as to whom belongs the honor of planting the first United States flag on the State House at Columbia."
Headquarters 4th Division, 17th A. C. Near Columbia, S. C., Feb. 17th 1865. Brigade-General W. W. Belknap, commanding 3d Brigade:
SIR: Allow me to congratulate you, and through you, Lieuten- ant-Colonel J. C. Kennedy, 13th Iowa Vet. Vols., and the men
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under his command for first entering the city of Columbia, on the morning of Friday, February 17th, and being the first to plant his colors on the Capitol of South Carolina.
While the army was laying pontoon bridges across the Saluda and Broad rivers, three miles above the city, Lieutenant-Colonel Kennedy, under your direction, fitted up an old worn-out flat boat, capable of carrying about twenty men and accompanied by Lieutenants H. C. McArthur and Wm. H. Goodrell, of your staff, crossed the river in front of the city and boldly advanced through its streets, sending back the boat, with another procured on the opposite shore for more troops, and on their arrival, with seventy-five men in all, drove a portion of Wheelers cavalry from the town, and at eleven and a half o'clock A. M., planted his two strands of colors, one upon the old and the other upon the new Capitol.
The swift current of the Congaree river and its rocky channel, rendered his crossing both difficult and dangerous, and the presence of the enemy, but in what force unknown, rendered the undertak- ing still more hazardous. Lieutenant-Colonel Kennedy and his regiment are entitled to great credit for its successful accom- plishment.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, GILES A. SMITH, Brevet Major-General. Official O. D. KINSMAN, A. A. Gen.
Headquarters 4th Division, 17th A. C. Columbia, S. C., February 17, 1865 . 5 Major-General F. P. Blair, Commanding 17th A. C .:
The colors of the 13th Iowa were suspended over the capital at 11 o'clock this forenoon. National salute is now being fired by Captain Clayton, Ist Minnesota Battery, to commemorate this event.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
GILES A. SMITH, Brevet Major-General.
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INCIDENTS CONNECTED WITH THE CAPTURE OF COLUMBIA.
Among the many daring adventures of the war, the crossing of the Congaree river, in front of Columbia, South Carolina, on Feb- ruary 17, 1865, by a squad of twenty-one officers and men of the 3d Brigade, 4th Division, 17th Corps, in an old, worn-out flat-boat, and in presence of the enemy, was one of the boldest. The party was under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel J. C. Kennedy, of the 13th Iowa Infantry ; and the 15th Iowa takes pleasure in know- ing that two of her officers, Lieutenant W. H. Goodrell, Company F, and Lieutenant H. C. McArthur, Company H, both at the time on the staff of General Belknap, who ordered the movement, were among the foremost in pushing that gallant exploit, to a successful conclusion. McArthur had worked most of the previous night repairing the old boat and making oars for the same. At about 9 o'clock A. M. on the 17th of February, 1865, as venturesome a party of soldiers as wore the blue, cut the ropes, and the old boat swung out into the rushing waters of the Congaree. They pulled hard for the Columbia shore, which was reached in safety, and the little band started for the State House. They had gone but a short distance when a horse and buggy were captured and pressed into the service, and with Lieutenant Goodrell at the lines, the color- bearer of the 13th Iowa, with flag and banner by his side, Colonel Kennedy, of the 13th Iowa, and Lieutenant McArthur sitting on a cross-bar over the back spring, they dashed away for the State House, leaving orders for the rest of the command to follow at double-quick, and these four daring spirits were soon a half mile away from all Union soldiers; hastening down Main street in Co- lumbia, surrounded by many rebel soldiers, citizens and negroes. When this quartette was within two squares of the Capitol Build- ing, and the horse under Goodrell's guidance going at a furious rate, a squad of rebel cavalrymen, drawn up at the crossing, opened fire on these impertinent Yanks. Lieutenant Goodrell almost
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pulled the horse back into the buggy. Lieutenant McArthur sprang from his seat, grasping the color-bearer's gun, and fired, unhorsing one of the fleeing rebel cavalrymen. This shot of Mc- Arthur's was the last shot fired in the city that morning and that shot killed a rebel. On the arrival of the rest of the squad all proceeded to the State Houses. The party was joined by Captain John J. Safely, of the 13th Iowa, with additional men who had crossed, and he, with the others, behaved most gallantly.
There were two State House buildings: one, the old one, which had been occupied for years, and a new one in course of construc- tion, opposite, with walls completed, and joists in. The object was to plant the old flag on the State House in advance of all others.
At this time there were no other troops within a mile, at least, of the State House. Lieutenant Goodrell took the banner and planted it on the new Capitol Building; and Colonel Kennedy, Lieutenant McArthur and the color-bearer, of the 13th Iowa, took the flag across to the old State House, and while they were break- ing the door down the Janitor came up the steps with the keys and unlocked the door, and in five minutes the flag was waving over the State House of South Carolina, and Colonel Kennedy, Lieu- tenant McArthur and the color-bearer were perched on the roof of the old State House, and Lieutenant Goodrell was, with the blue banner on the new State House, while all of them were watch- ing Colonel Stone's brigade skirmishers of the 15th Corps, rally- ing at least a mile from the State House. In a moment more the roll of artillery from the 1st Minnesota battery, attached to our brigade of the 17th Corps, reached our ears, and Stone's brigade skirmishers deployed rapidly. Those on the State Houses were intensely anxious to know the cause of this firing of artillery. If the enemy had gone between the river and Colonel Stone's right, the end had come for that little band. But in a few moments the skirmishers were seen rallying, much to their joy and satisfaction, and the impression obtained, which proved true, that the battery
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was firing a salute, at the success of that little squad of daring sol- diers who took their lives in their hands to keep the 17th Corps, and more especially " Belknap's Iowa Brigade " to the front; and it should be impressed upon the minds of all, that while at this time the flags of the 13th Iowa were waving over the State Houses, the front of the advance of the 15th Corps was over one mile from the Capitol Buildings.
The book, "Iowa and the Rebellion," after giving General Smith's congratulatory order, and commenting on the event, says: " Lieutenant H. C. McArthur, I believe, of the 15th Iowa In- " fantry, but serving on General Belknap's staff, was the person " who planted the flag on the Capitol Building." The same writer says:
" There were two Capitol Buildings, which may account " for the controversy as to who first raised the flag in Columbia." But the fact is, both State Houses, the old one, then in use, and the new one, then building, were within one square of each other, and Colonel Kennedy and his command took the precaution to put one regimental flag on the new, the other on the old State House. Lieutenant F. Y. Hedley, Adjutant 32d Illinois Infantry, and a most gallant officer, in his book "Marching Through Georgia," after speaking of the 15th Corps passing to the left of the 17th to effect a crossing of Broad river, three miles above, says, concerning the capture of Columbia:
" While this movement was in progress General Belknap dis- " patched a party to make search for a boat, and Captain H. C. " McArthur, of his staff, was so fortunate as to find a leaky old " scow. He had been a carpenter, and assisted by several soldiers, " by dint of hard work all night, succeeded in so repairing the craft " as to make it tolerably seaworthy. About 9 o'clock, morning of " the 17th, the frail bark was successfully launched, and a party of " thirty men, belonging to the 13th Iowa Regiment, volunteered "to cross over. Lieutenant-Colonel Kennedy was in command, " and was accompanied by Captain McArthur and Lieutenant
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" Goodrell, of General Belknap's staff. A number of natives who " stood about in open-mouthed wonder, warned the men against " the dangers of the rocky channel and swift current, and some of " the soldiers declined to take the risk. Twenty-one, however, " and the officers named, embarked and essayed the passage of the "stream. It was a desperate undertaking. The current of the " Congaree was very swift, and the channel was broken by dan- " gerous rapids, which would have deterred less determined spirits. " But energy and courage were strong in these gallant men, and " after several narrow escapes from wreck on rocks, they landed " in safety on the Columbia side."
Further on he says:
" Kennedy went to the Capitol Buildings and displayed the Na- " tional flag from the old State House, and his regimental banner "from the new one. From the dome of the buildings could be " seen the skirmishers of the 15th Corps, nearly a mile away. " About three-quarters of an hour later Lieutenant-Colonel Ken- " nedy and Captain McArthur were standing in the rotunda of the " old State House, when an officer with a first-Lieutenant's strap " upon his shoulders, and a flag in his hands, rushed in, and with an " almost breathless voice, asked: Which is the way out to the " dome? What do you want? inquired McArthur. I want to put " this flag out."
" Well," said McArthur, " You're just too late by three-quarters of an hour, and we've had our flag on both buildings for that time!" " Who in H-1 are you!" "From General Belknap's Brigade of the 17th Corps!"
The officer gave vent to an expressive, but impolite ejaculation, and in response to a question addressed to him, said he " was from the 9th Iowa of Colonel Stone's Brigade, 15th Corps," and this Lieutenant added: " Well, it is all right so lowa gets the credit."
To place the matter of " the first entry into Columbia " beyond question, reference is made to a letter from General Sherman to
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the " mixed commission," dated Washington, D. C., Sept. 12, 1873, in which he says:
" In my official report of the burning of Columbia, I referred " incidentally to a fact of which I had knowledge, that a small de- " tachment of the 17th Corps had passed over the Congaree river, " had entered Columbia, and hoisted their flag on the State House, " in advance of the regular entry of the 15th Corps. * " I treated the performance of this detachment as somewhat irreg- " ular, but the men who composed it now become important wit- " nesses. These witnesses go back to a time three- " fourths of an hour BEFORE the entry of the head of Stone's " Brigade.
This can be found in the Washington Daily Chronicle, Septem- ber 15th, 1873. Thus, this honor so fairly and bravely won, must be acknowledged.
In this creditable and daring exploit of first planting the flag over the hot-bed of secession, none are entitled to more honor than those brave officers, Lieutenants Goodrell and McArthur, of the 15th Iowa, who bore so prominent a part in its grand and success- ful execution, and were breveted Majors for gallant and merito- rious conduct. They were ever appreciated by officers and men of the Regiment and army, and they have a right to feel proud of their record, and of their gallant conduct on that day.
On February 17th, the troops were constantly moving from morning till midnight to the left, there crossing the Saluda and Broad river, two miles above the town, the 3d Brigade, 4th Di- vision, arriving in its camp north of Columbia, at midnight.
February 18th, the regiment with brigade, division and corps, moved through Columbia, half of which appeared destroyed by fire, occasioned by bales of cotton having been set on fire by the retreating rebels during the day, and the terrible storm of wind defying all human efforts towards checking the rapid progress of
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the flames. An immense amount of rebel war material was also burned that night.
After a thorough destruction of the railroad communication north towards Winnsboro, (18th to 21st) the command turned its march towards the northeast, crossed the Wateree river on pon- toons, February 23d, and arrived on the 25th at the Little Lynch creek, which was waded through, waist deep, at McGrougan's crossing -- this creek having washed its banks and inundated large tracts of land. February 26th, the regiment with division arrived at the Big Lynch creek, which overflowed the timber for over a mile; here the 15th and 13th Iowa were ordered to cross the stream and effect a lodgment on the opposite eastern bank, the two regi- ments waded through the water, being in many places breast high and averaging waist high, over ground full of holes, the smaller and younger boys had often to be grasped by the taller men to pre- vent them from being carried away in the wide and swift current. The men of the regiment having had nothing to eat since the pre- vious night, because the regimental foragers had been stopped on the other side of the Little Lynch, and especially for the purpose of exploring the country in front, two heavy companies were sent ont, which explored the vicinity in front and flank, and at the same time brought in forage enough to feed the men by morning .
It speaks well of the men of a large regiment, (15th Iowa), two-thirds of which were new recruits received on the very eve of the Atlanta-Savannah campaign, that these and many other cross- ings, wading through small and wider streams, pools, marshes, swamps and rivers, never elicited a complaint or any sign of hesi- tancy on their part; but they went through, like veterans of any army in the world, whenever the order was to forward, march.
This is one evidence that goes to prove the officers are alive to their duties, and that they know how to manage, instruct, and lead their men; especially when the clothing of the men, by long cam- paigns, becomes worn out, ragged and unfit for a winter campaign,
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and when, sometimes, during rapid marches, it is absolutely impos- sible to wait till the men are furnished with subsistence for the next twenty-four hours ahead.
This is where General Hickenlooper says. " In one night you reconstructed four bridges and built through water from two to six feet in depth, a causeway nearly two miles in length, while your associate corps occupied three days in effecting a crossing of this most formidable obstacle yet encountered." And the corps came over without getting wet.
February 28th, the command arrived at and crossed the Black creek. Here the 17th Corps went into camp and fortified their posi- tions, as the whereabouts of the 15th Corps on the right and of the 14th and 20th Corps on the left, were not known, and Cheraw, where the enemy's whole force under General J. E. Johnstone, was reported to be, was only one day's march distant, (Johnstone took command of all the rebel forces in North Carolina, February 24th ) While in this temporary camp, the one of several hundred rebel prisoners, who drew the black lot, was shot in retaliation of the mur- der of a forager belonging to the 17th Corps, agreeably to General Sherman's order published and posted throughout the country a week before.
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