It was dark before the main body got over the creek, and then Col. Carmichael was ordered out to meet the 32d colored regiment advancing by another road and came up with them about three miles out. The night was dark and rain began to pour and after going a few miles the regiment camped in a half-flooded cornfield. Co. G had then become reconciled to cornfields.
The 157th led the advance on the 19th. Soon after leaving camp the enemy was found but the 25th Ohio on one flank and the 157th on the other pressed them back. Reaching a large plantation a section of rebel artillery was met. The union guns were brought up but did little execution. The line was again advanced, the enemy continuing their fire as they steadily retreated for about a mile where they again posted themselves in a swamp which bordered a stream called Big Rafting Creek. The stream was too deep for fording. The 157th fell back for ammunition. Meanwhile the 102d colored regiment were sent to flank the johnnies, and succeeded in crossing. Artillery was brought to bear also and the enemy fell back upon their artillery posted nearby, and as the skirmishers appeared, opened fiercely, but they were pushed steadily for a while and then hastily retreated toward Statesburg. Col. Carmichael halted his men beyond Statesburg and with the cavalry charged the retreating rebels and captured twenty-five of them. At night the tired men camped at Singletons, the 157th having had an extra tramp by mistaking the road in the darkness and went to Middleton, only to return. They reached camp at midnight having marched twenty miles.
April 20th the 25th Ohio and the 157th went to Middleton, where they found the object of all the marching and counter-marching. Seventeen locomotives and one hundred cars were discovered, including passenger coaches and freight cars, many of them loaded with quarter-master's and ordnance stores. The guards, engineers and all hands, had abandoned the trains. Shoes were taken for such of the men as were in need, and then the cars and locomotives were set on fire. There was a lively popping when the shells began to explode.
That night Co. G slept at Medways Plantation in rear of Singletons.
At noon the column had reached Fulton Post-office without serious trouble from the rebels. But now they were to hear good news. A flag of truce came from the rebels stating that a truce of forty-eight hours had been entered into between Gen. Sherman and Gen. Johnston and Gen. Beauregard had transmitted the same to his department.
Cheer on cheer went up from the troops. The news seemed too good to be true. All foraging was prohibited; the guns were discharged and with a white flag at the head of the column the return march was begun, and at night the men halted near a large mill, having made eighteen miles. Co. G was through fighting and the dark cloud of war was rolling away.
Gen. Potter started at once for the Santee where steamers with supplies were in waiting. Col. Brown, who thus far had led the colored brigade, was placed in command of the entire force and Col. Carmichael led the first brigade, Capt. Van Slyke the regiment.
On the 22d the home march continued. No public or private property was molested and the men were forbidden to fire unless attacked. As they approached Wrights Bluff, twenty-one sick and partially disabled men were left to make their way to the steamers, as easily they might.
At night the boys camped in the woods having made eighteen miles,—it might have been that distance was an average day's walk in Carolina. An order was issued that night to turn over the surplus horses and mules to the quartermaster. Some thirty sore-footed and bare-footed men who had been mounted, were by that order again to limp along for liberty's sake and the honor of two counties. But Co. G could well afford to do a little of the grinning-and-bearing of it, under the circumstances. Old Lenox was very near to them, and the road seemed shorter and the stars brighter than ever. And they slept sounder.
Col. Brown led his men forward with alacrity on the 23rd toward Murrays Ferry. The fore-noon's marching was over a swampy region. Rations were nearly exhausted, foraging was prohibited and the route was continued to Leunds Ferry on the Santee, where boats with rations were supposed to be lying. During the day the men heard through rebel sources that President Lincoln was dead. After a rapid march of twenty-five miles they went into camp in thick woods.