USA > Indiana > History of the Seventy-fifth regiment of Indiana infantry voluteers. its organization, campaigns, and battles (1862-65.) > Part 29
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On the afternoon of the 25th, Major McCole inspected our Regiment, and on the next day Colonel Gleason reviewed the Brigade. On the 27th, our entire Corps marched through the streets of Savannah in review before General Sherman.
At the time of our occupancy, Savannah was the largest
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city in the State of Georgia. It was one of the oldest, most beautiful and aristocratic towns in all the South. Founded by General Oglethorpe, in 1733, it had a population in 1864 of 25,000. It was built upon a sandy plain, forty feet above the sea level, on the west bank of the river by the same name, about eighteen miles from its mouth. It was laid out into wide streets, which crossed each other at right angles, and at their intersections elegant parks were formed. The streets were shaded and decorated with three to four rows of ornamental trees, between which were carriage ways and parks. The houses were set back from the streets with large yards in front, ornamented with flowers and evergreens of exquisite beauty. The many noticeable public buildings were the court house, arsenal, barracks, artillery armory, and churches. Two handsome monuments adorned the city -one erected in a square to the memory of General Nathaniel Greene of Revolutionary fame, and the other to the memory of Count Pulaski, on the spot where he was mortally wounded, October 11th, 1779, while leading an assault against the British, who occupied the city at the time. The corner-stone of this monument was laid by General Lafayette, in 1825, while on a visit to the United States. The Thun- derbolt road to Bonaventura, made of oyster shells, was the finest the writer ever saw, and the majestic live-oak trees, whose long branches were covered with gray moss, hanging in graceful festoons, formed a most gorgeous picture.
The Second Minnesota Regiment, during our encampment here, was detached from the Brigade, and sent to the city to guard the yard and shops of the Central Railroad. Our Reg- iment, with the balance of the Brigade, did regular guard and picket duty until January 19th, 1865.
One of the diversions by which the soldiers broke the monotony of the camp with its dull routine of duties, was the trial of speed every afternoon of some of the thoroughbreds belonging to the army on the race-track below the city. Thousands of soldiers every day witnessed these races until
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some fist-fights occurred, when they were discontinued by order of the commanding general.
The campaign to Savannah, the object of which was to ascertain the strength or weakness of the Southern Confed- eracy, and to diminish its resources by the destruction of railroads and other property useful in war, was a holiday of fun and frolic in comparison with that to Atlanta. There was hardly a sign of a battle, except in the assault on Fort McAllister, which to veteran soldiers, as we were, was a inere recreation. We scarcely fired a round of cartridges to the man, except at the enemy's chickens and pigs. We saw but little devastation of war, except the conflagrations of store- houses and destruction of railroads. We marched on an average of ten miles per day over a country as level as our Western prairies, in a sort of go-as-you-please fashion, with our guns slung across our shoulders at ease, and lived on the fat of the land. In this manner we traveled 300 miles, 60, 000 strong, through the heart of the Confederacy, and lost in killed, wounded and missing only 1,338 men. The brilliant march, however, is regarded all over the world as the most extraordinary and anomalous feat in the history of war. It will live to "the last syllable of recorded time," and be made an attractive theme for song and story.
"Except the failure to capture General Hardee's army at Savannah and release the prisoners at Millen, the marclı from Atlanta to that city was a triumphant success-tlie full reali- zation of all anticipated possibilities. It illustrated with fearful emphasis the weakness of the rebellion, for no force able to resist one of General Sherman's thirteen Divisions was met on the way. It left a track of desolation forty miles wide; broke up the railroad system of Georgia and of the South by the destruction of three hundred miles of track, all workshops, station-houses, tanks and warehouses; crippled the industries of the empire State of the South by burning all the mills and factories on the broad belt of ruin, and made otherwise a heavy draft upon the resources of the people, in
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consuming and transporting supplies in immense quantities, and by the destruction of twenty thousand bales of cotton. The general significance of these results spread gloom and despair over the South. Coupled with the victory at Nash- ville, the 'March to the Sea' brought near the collapse of the rebellion. The death-throes of treason, organized in magni- tude most grand, were subsequently in harmony with its pro- portions and persistence; but all doubt of its quick destruction was now removed." (Van Horne's Hist. Vol. 2, p. 288).
GENERAL ORDERS, WAR DEPT., ADJT. GENERAL'S OFFICE, No. 3, Washington, January 14, 1865,
The following resolution of the Senate and House of Representatives is published to the Army:
Public Resolution No. 4 .- Joint resolution tendering the thanks of the people and of Congress to Maj. Gen. William T. Sherinan and the officers and soldiers of his command for their gallant conduct in their late brilliant movement through Georgia.
Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the thanks of the people and of the Congress of the United States are due, and are hereby tendered, to Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman and, through him, to the officers and men under his command, for their gallantry and good conduct in their late cam- paign from Chattanooga to Atlanta, and the triumphal march thence through. Georgia to Savannah, terminating in the capture and occupation of that. city; and that the President cause a copy of this joint [resolution to be en- grossed and forwarded to Major-General Sherman.
Approved, January 10, 1865.
By order of the Secretary of War:
W. A. NICHOLS, Assistant Adjutant-General.
It is a pleasing coincidence, that while the writer is pen- ning the closing lines on this chapter (June 11th, 1892), the morning papers of the same date announce the nomination at the National Republican Convention, in Minneapolis, Minn- esota, for the second term, of President Benjamin Harrison, who, as a Brigadier-General, commanded a Brigade in Sher- man's army; and in the thrilling speech which set the Presi- dent's name before the Convention, as a candidate, Chauncey M. Depew, New York's silver-tongued orator, used these words: "The march of Sherman from Atlanta to the sea is. the supreme triumph of gallantry and strategy."
CHAPTER XV.
CAMPAIGN THROUGH THE CAROLINAS FROM SAVANNAH, GA., TO GOLDSBORO AND RALEIGH, N. C .- BATTLES OF FAYETTE- VILLE, BENTONVILLE, SMITHFIELD, ETC.
(FROM JANUARY 20TH TO APRIL 27TH, 1865.)
BEFORE the occupation of Savannah by General Sherman, Grant proposed that, after the capture of the city, Sherman should transport his army by sea to Virginia, and join it to the Army of the Potomac, for the purpose of crushing Lee's forces, and thus end the war. However, shortly after the capitulation of Savannah, this movement was abandoned, and in its stead, the overland route, by marching through the Carolinas, which Sherman preferred, was adopted. Accord- ingly, on December 27th, 1864, General Grant sent an officer from his headquarters at City Point, Va., with letters to Gen- eral Sherman, in which he said: "Without waiting further directions, then, you may make your preparations to start on your northern expedition without delay. Break up the rail- roads in South and North Carolina, and join the armies operating against Richmond as soon as you can. I will leave out all suggestions about the route you should take, knowing that your information, gained daily in the course of events, will be better than any that can be obtained now."
Sherman's army in the campaign northward from Savan- nah was substantially the same that had marched from At- lanta to Savannah, and the march through the Carolinas was properly the continuation of that through Georgia. The two wings-right and left-were commanded respectively by Generals Howard and Slocum. Howard's was composed of the Fifteenth and Seventeenth Corps, under Generals Logan
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and Blair, and Slocum's embraced the Fourteenth and Twen- tieth Corps, commanded by Generals Davis and Williams. The Cavalry Division was in command of General Kilpatrick.
The strength of the entire army at this time was estimated at 60,079 men, and 68 cannon. We had 2500 wagons, each of which was drawn by a team of six mules, and 600 ambu- lances, to each of which were attached two horses. The wag- ons were loaded with an ample supply of ammunition for a great battle; forage for seven days; and provisions, consisting of crackers, sugar, coffee, and salt, for twenty days. For our meats, we were to depend largely upon beeves driven on the hoof, and cattle, hogs and poultry gathered along our line of march.
On the receipt of Grant's letter, above referred to, which did not reach him until January 2d, 1865, authorizing him to inove his entire army north by land, Sherman began at once to make preparations for the campaign. To this end, he de- termined to rendezvous the two wings at Pocotaligo and Hardeeville in Beaufort District, South Carolina, along the Charleston and Savannah Railroad, as starting points in the movement. The right wing (Howard's) was to occupy Poco- taligo, and the left (Slocum's) Hardeeville. By the Ioth of January, Howard, with the Seventeenth Corps leading, began the march of twenty-five iniles for Pocotaligo, crossing Beau- fort Island on pontoons by the 14th, and during the next day (Sunday) took possession of the abandoned fort at Pocotaligo with the loss of two officers and eight men. This movement was also to be a feint on Charleston, so that the enemy would be deceived as to our army's real objective.
Our wing (Slocum's) was to cross the river at Savannah, pontoons having been thrown across, and the Union Cause- way repaired for the purpose; but the incessant rains filled the river to overflowing, washing away our pontoon bridge and submerging the Causeway, so that we could not effect a crossing without moving farther up the river. Two Divis- ions of the Twentieth Corps, (Ward's and Jackson's) were
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ferried accross at Purysburg on the 19th, and communicated with the right wing at Pocotaligo. Our Corps (Four- teenth) and the other Division (Geary's) of the Twentieth Corps, moved forty miles farther up the river to Sister's Ferry, where, during the first week of February, we suc- ceeded in finding a crossing. The troops that were left in Savannah for garrison duty consisted of Grover's Division of the Nineteenth Corps.
On Friday morning, January 20th, 1865, at 6 o'clock, our Division broke canıp near Savannahı and moved northward along the Savannah and Augusta wagon road for Sister's Ferry .* On the first day's march for the Ferry, we reached Cherokee Hill, eight miles distant from Savannah, and en- camped for four days. The rains continued to fall, filling the low lands of the rice fields with water. The Seventy- fifth Indiana Regiment moved down to the river at this point, and took up quarters in the negro shanties of a large rice plantation, owned by a man whose name was Potter. Here the members of the Regiment had a jolly time, "trip- ping the light fantastic" in a stag-dance by night, and boat- ing on the river by day. On the 24th, we moved out of the shanties, where we were so comfortably quartered, and join- ing our Brigade on the 25th, took up the line of march. The Confederates blocked up the roads by felling trees, which made our progress slow. We encamped at a large lumber yard, where great piles of sawed lumber were burned, and, on the 26th, after clearing the road of debris, we marched to Springfield, a beautiful little country town of Effingham county, and encamped. On the afternoon of the 27th, we passed through the streets of Springfield, encamping two miles beyond, and, on the 28th, crossed the Ebenezer Creek, and marched to the river, encamping near Sister's Ferry. We remained here until February 5th, awaiting the construction
* Just nine years afterwards, the writer revisited the city of Savannah, on the occasion of the sudden death (January 14th, 1874, ) of his uncle, the Rev. Daniel H. Bittle, D. D., at the time pastor of the Lutheran Church there.
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of a pontoon bridge across the river, and of a corduroy road in South Carolina, opposite the Ferry. A detail of inen from our Regiment, under Captain Isaac N. McMillen of A Com- pany, was sent over the river in canvas boats, on the 30th, to assist in the construction of the road. While encamped near the Ferry, Colonel Gleason occupied a commodious house with a high porch in front. The headquarter-guards, in charge of the writer, encamped in the side yard, and the Brigade had nice, clean camps in the surrounding fields. The writer has long since forgotten the name of the man who owned this fine property, but his memory, during all these years, retains the name and appearance of the man's niece- Miss Rahn-from Savannah, who was there at the time on a visit. The Thirty-ninth Indiana Regiment (Eighth Cavalry) under Kilpatrick, with many of whose members we were ac- quainted, was encamped near us.
On Sunday, February 5th, about noon, we left our encamp- ment at Sister's Ferry, and moved across the Savannah River on a pontoon bridge into Beaufort District, South Carolina, and marched about three miles from the bridge, where we encamped during the next day, while the bridge was being taken up and the road opened for the army to advance.
The campaign, upon which Sherman's army was now ready to enter, involved a combination of strategic move- ments of the widest range. Fragments of Confederate armies, under Bragg, Beauregard and Hardee, with Hampton's and Wheeler's Cavalry, were concentrating to oppose us. The swollen rivers and bottom lands, resembling lakes of slimy mud by the continuous rains, encouraged the enemy to hope that our invasion of the Carolinas would be defeated. "But though the obstacles were almost insurmountable, General Sherman's victorious troops did not hesitate to make cause- ways in the deep, cold waters for miles, nor to make roads through the swamps of South Carolina in midwinter, and make a march not inferior to the celebrated passage of the Alps, except in low lines of advance." (Hist. Army of Cumberland, Vol. 2, p. 308.)
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of Indiana Infantry Volunteers.
Our first objective was Columbia, S. C. The right wing (Howard's) was ordered to move from Pocotaligo, crossing the Big Salkehatchie River at Beaufort's and River's bridges, and threaten Charleston, and the left wing (Slocum's), with the Cavalry, was ordered to move upon Barnwell and threaten Augusta. Sherman accompanied the right wing. These movements threw the enemy into great confusion, and spread alarm far and near. The Southerners did not suspect Colum- bia as our objective, and they left it almost entirely uncov- ered. This clever stroke was the cause of the evacuation of Charleston. The right wing moved upon the Orangeburg road, crossing the South Edisto at Binnaker's and Holman's bridges, and on arriving at Orangeburg, marched directly north on the road to Columbia, which was reached in the course of ten days, without much resistance. Our wing, moving via Barnwell and Lexington Court Houses, destroyed many miles of railroad between Charleston and Augusta; and at the time the right wing entered Columbia, we arrived at the Saluda River, above the city.
Our Division advanced under great difficulties through the swamps of South Carolina. A detail of men from the Regi- ment was required almost every day for pioneer duty. On the 7th, we marched through the towns of Robertsville and Brighton, both of which had been burned by our troops on the previous day. We moved northward for a couple of days along the Augusta wagon road, in the course of which, for miles on either side of us, we could see the bright fires and black smoke of burning and smouldering buildings. On the Ioth, we left the Augusta road, and turning to the right, crossed the Big Salkehatchie River, and about 4 p. m., en- tered Barnwell C. H. Our Regiment and Brigade were in advance of the Corps, and the Second Minnesota was detailed to garrison the town and prevent its destruction. It was burned, however, by other troops that followed us. While at Barnwell, our Regiment encamped in the yard of the resi- dence of Ex-Congressman Aldrich. About noon of the 11th,
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we moved out the Williston road, and struck the Augusta and Charleston Railroad east of Augusta, twenty-four miles, at I p. m., on the next day, after having marched fifteen miles. In a few days, we tore up several miles of this road. At this. point our Division formed the rear-guard of the Corps, and took charge of the trains. When the South Edisto River was reached, we encamped at Davis' Mill, and compelled the miller to grind us a grist. On the 14th, we crossed this river on a bridge, which we afterwards burned, and marched a distance of sixteen miles to the North Edisto, where we were detained several hours, until our wagon trains, which we were guarding, had gotten across. At 10 a. m., on the 16th, we reached Lexington C. H., having marched fifteen miles and crossed the Congaree Creek at Clark's Mill. We were now encamped within seven miles of Columbia, and only a mile from the Saluda River. While our pontoniers were lay- ing a bridge across this broad, muddy and swift stream, we could hear reverberations of the Batteries of Howard's wing, in shelling the city of Columbia. On the 17th, we were de- tained nearly all day by our Corps trains in crossing the river. About noon of this day, the Fifteenth Corps of the right wing entered Columbia. Thus the first stage of the campaign was completed.
Our second objective was Fayetteville, North Carolina. Accordingly, the General-in-Chief ordered Slocum to resume the northward march of his wing (ours) via Alston to Winns- boro, threatening Charlotte, N. C. On this march, Slocum was to destroy the Spartansburg Railroad above and below Alston. Howard was ordered to move his wing of the army on the direct road to Winnsboro, and destroy the Charlotte Railroad between Columbia and Winnsboro. Sherman
thereby created the impression upon the enemy, that he in- tended to strike Charlotte, when he was actually heading his army for Fayetteville. Hence, the two wings of the army converged upon Winnsboro. Slocum moved out on the 17th, and Howard, accompanied by Sherman, left Columbia on the 20th.
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of Indiana Infantry Volunteers.
Our old antagonist, General Joseph E. Johnston, was now placed in command of all available Confederate forces in re- sisting our progress. His army, however, was composed of fragmentary troops only, whose morale harmonized with the feeble cause that they represented. There was no possibility of success to the Confederate arms, unless Johnston could fall upou an isolated Corps, which was done, but without ac- complishing the end in view.
On the 17th at sundown, we marched across the swaying pontoon bridge, spanning the Saluda, and continued our ad- vance until midnight. The wind was blowing a terrible gale during the night, and every combustible material seemed to be on fire. Woods, trees, fences, buildings and stacks of straw were in a blaze. As many as eighty squares in the city of Columbia were consumed by a conflagration, concern- ing whose origin there is a controversy to this day. The Rev. Dr. John Bachman, a learned Lutheran divine, of Charleston, removed his valuable library to Columbia for safety-thinking, as every other Southerner thought, that we were going to Charleston-and it was consumed in this fire.
We resumed our march for Winnsboro on the 18th, which was very slow and tedious. For several miles we were obliged to corduroy the roads and assist our wagon trains out of the mud. At night we bivouacked on the banks of the Broad River, and there awaited the completion of our pon- toons being thrown across this wide and swift stream. On Sunday, the 19th, about 10 a. m., we moved over the river on our pontoons, and marched to Alston, at the junction of two railroads. Here we destroyed several miles of the track and burned a train of cars and the depot. The country was fine and very productive, having abundance of forage. The large country mansions were all burned. On the 20th we marched several miles to the northeast, reaching Monticello at noon, which was destroyed. On the 21st, moving east- ward and crossing a tributary of the Broad River, at Kin- caid's bridge, we arrived at| Winnsboro, encamping north of
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the town, on the Chester road. The foragers of our Regi- inent made "a raid" upon the plantation of a Confederate officer at this place, and secured abundance of provisions.
From this place, the two wings of the army moved again upon divergent lines. The left moved north as far as Black- stocks, then, turning east, crossed the Wateree (Catawba) River, and proceeded to Sneedsboro. The Cavalry made a demonstration still farther north in the direction of Charlotte, when it turned to the right for Sneedsboro. The right wing at the same time advanced from Winnsboro in a north- easterly direction, as far as Cheraw, arriving in the town on March 2d. Crossing the Great Pedee River at Sneedsboro and Cheraw, both wings now converged upon Fayetteville.
On the morning of the 22d our Brigade took the lead, and the Seventy-fifth Indiana Regiment led the Brigade north- ward along the Charlotte and Columbia Railroad to Yongues- ville, where we tackled the road, destroying it for several miles. The First Division of our Corps continued its de- struction beyond Blackstocks. On the next morning our Brigade was placed in the rear, and we took the road at 7 o'clock, advancing eastward fourteen miles to Rocky Mount, on the Wateree (Catawba) River. The country was hilly, and the soil red. For a few days we encamped here, a couple of miles from the river, in the rain and mud, while our pon- toniers were laying and repairing the bridge. By reason of the continuous rains, almost without a parallel, the river was full and its current swift and swirling. It was so very wide. that our bridge equipage was insufficient to span it, and the army wagon-beds were brought into requisition for pontoon boats. When the bridge was first completed the floating drift-wood broke it. The Twentieth Corps had succeeded in getting across before this happened. After the bridge was re-constructed, a crew of soldiers were placed in skiffs above, to intercept the drift-wood, as it floated down, and tow it to the banks. Our Brigade being in the rear of the Corps, and our Regiment in the rear of the Brigade, we were the last
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troops to cross. We were called out at 10 o'clock on the night of the 27th, in a relentless rain, and wading knee deep in mud and water, were all night in crossing, and assisting the wagon trains. Through the windows of some of the farm houses on the hill shone a bright, warm light, and a roar- ing log fire on the open hearth, which cracked and spluttered a thousand welcomes, but not for us. Colonel Judson W. Bishop, of the Second Minnesota, describes the passage of the river by his Regiment in this way: "We liglited our precarious way with pine torches, as we moved down the narrow, winding, bottomless road to the west bank, and gin- gerly walked over the slender, swaying chain of canvas boats, and then up the slippery hill on the eastern shore, where we halted and waited for daylight." (The Story of a Regiment, p. 174.) During the entire day of the 28th we helped to roll the wagons over the hills, advancing only two miles. After we had made the crossing, a few Confederates appeared along the bank of the side which we had just left, and our Regi- ment was deployed for a fight, but on exchanging a few shots with them, they disappeared.
During five consecutive days, from Wednesday, March Ist, to Sunday, the 5th, in a continuous rain, over almost im- passable roads, every mile of which had to be corduroyed with fence rails and saplings, with scarcely anything to eat, and Confederate Cavalry hanging on our flanks, we marched on an average of fifteen miles per day from the Wateree (Catawba) to the Great Pedee (Yadkin) River. In the course of this march, we bivouacked in the vicinity of the battle-ground, where, in 1780, General Sumter, of South Carolina, was routed with considerable loss by the British, under General Tarleton; passed through the towns of Hanging Rock and White Hickory, and over the two forks of Lynch's Creek into Anson county, N. C.
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