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FOURTEENTH AND
TWENTIETH CORPS CROSSING THE SAVANNAH AT SISTER'S FERRY.
THE TWENTIETH CORPS
ENTERING BLACKVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA.
SHERMAN'S MARCH THROUGH
THE CAROLINAS.
OUR readers will remember that at
New Years we filled our illustrated pages with sketches by Mr. THEODORE R.
DAVIS, of
General SHERMAN'S march through Georgia. Three
months have scarcely passed since then, and we now fill our sheet with
General DAVIS ; Twentieth,
General WILLIAMS : these were accompanied by KILPATRICK'S division of cavalry.
The right wing, consisting of
BLAIR'S and LOGAN'S corps, left Savannah for Beaufort January 16. Four days
afterward SLOCUM, with WILLIAMS'S and DAVIS'S corps, started up the Savannah. On
the 4th of February HOWARD'S column
eral BLAIR'S command; and the
following extract from a letter written by HOWARD to BLAIR the next day shows
the importance of the movements referred to. He says :
Your First Division, under
Major-General MOWER, with almost incredible celerity, cleared Whippy Swamp,
seven burned bridges, and the road filled with felled trees made a successful
reconnoissance to Braxton's Bridge, forcing the enemy to destroy it, and to
defend the causeway;
behind works. Your Fourth
Division, under Brevet Major-General Glens A. SMITH, also crossed this wide and
troublesome swamp, walking in writer above the knee, skirmished successfully
with the enemy, and cut off all reinforcements from below, which might have
hindered General MOWER'S success."
The movements of the right wing
were now very rapid ; two positions Bambury and Midway were gained on the
Augusta and Charleston Railroad.
HANGING ROCK,
SOUTH CAROLINA.
OLD GOLD MINE NEAR
CLIBURNE'S STORE, SOUTH CAROLINA.
another series of sketches by the
same artist, illustrating
General SHERMAN'S march through the Carolinas.
The orders for the march remained
the same as in the march from Atlanta. As before, HOWARD had the right ring and
SLOCUM the left. The army consisted of four corps the Fifteenth, General LOGAN;
Seventeenth, General BLAIR ; Fourteenth,
crossed the Savannah at Sister's
Ferry. This column had been delayed by mud and rain and crossed the river with
great difficulty. 'The corduroy roads next the river were almost afloat from the
height of the water. In the mean time HOWARD had passed through M'Phersonville,
which was burned, and was moving across the Salkehatchie in the face of the
enemy. This was effected by troops of Gen-
then, aided by the Ninth Illinois
mounted infantry, drove back the enemy, reached River's bridges so quickly as to
arrest and effectually prevent their destruction. The same division, under the
same indomitable leadership, in one day made two infantry roadways through the
swamp, a mile and a half in extent, demonstrated strongly on the enemy's
fortified front, completely turned his position, and planted itself firmly on
the eastern shore of this indescribably ugly Salkehatchie. All this was done in
the face of canister, shells, and a sharp, obstinate musketry fire front
The rebels had not properly
improved their best line of defense, which was the Salkehatchie. The cavalry had
already gained Blackville, on the railroad west of Branchville, and was soon
followed by the Twentieth Corps. Thus, it will be seen, the left wing was
rapidly coming up into position. Several miles of the road west of Branchville
were destroyed. This completely isolated Augusta. (Next
Page)
THE FOURTEENTH CORPS
CROSSING THE CATAWBA AT ROCKY HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA.
THE TWENTIETH CORPS
ENTERING CHESTERFIELD, MARCH 2, 1865.
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