The clergymen, especially, clung to the fortunes of the falling Confederacy; and notwithstanding a large portion of their audience on Sunday consisted of Union officers and soldiers, not a word of sympathy was expressed for the government, nor a word of reprobation for the cruelties of Andersonville, which were casting a blot on the fair fame of Georgia never to be forgotten while one victim of that prison-pen survives.
On Sunday the 19th, news was received of the evacuation of Charleston, and the guns of Fort Pulaski announced the fact to the unwilling ears of the citizens. The birthday of Washington was celebrated by the firing of salutes, ringing of bells, and a cessation from all unnecessary labor. Good news now began to pour in fast. The fall of Charleston was soon followed by that of Wilmington; and the men began to lay plans, which they had never done before, of what they would do “when the war was over.” But the journeyings of the Thirty Eighth were not yet at an end. By the time the “shebangs” were made comfortable, and the camp-ground in good condition, marching orders were received, and the brigade was notified to pack up preparatory to taking transports.
On the 4th of March, the Twenty Fourth Iowa and the One Hundred and Seventy Sixth New York broke camp; and the next day, the Thirty Eighth, the One Hundred and Twenty Eighth, and the One Hundred and Fifty Sixth, accompanied by the band of the latter regiment, marched through the city, treating the citizens who were returning from church to a taste of Union music, and embarked on the steamer Ashland. Not one of the six regiments composing the brigade having a colonel present, the command was conferred upon Col. Day, of the One Hundred and Thirty First New York.
CHAPTER XIX.
Hilton Head—Cape Fear River—Paroled Prisoners—Wilmington—Morehead City—Newbern—Back to Morehead—Fatigue Duty and Oysters—An Alarm—Battle of Petersburg—All aboard for Goldsborough—Sherman’s Army—Surrender of Lee—Assassination of the President—Surrender of Johnson—Morehead again—Transport—Rubber Coffee—Savannah.
AT daylight, the steamer left the city arriving at Hilton Head about noon, where, after transferring the brigade head-quarters and a portion of the One Hundred and Fifty Sixth to another ship, she anchored for the night. Leaving Hilton Head the morning of the 7th, the mouth of Cape Fear River was reached about noon the next day. A flag was hoisted for a pilot; but none responding, the captain of the ship determined to follow the lead of another steamer, and go up to Wilmington. The Ashland was about a hundred yards astern of the other ship, when the latter suddenly grounded, and a collision seemed certain. Fortunately, there was time to change the direction, and the Ashland rubbed by, smashing a quarter-boat in the contact. Had the distance between the two vessels been a few yards less, the effect upon both might have been disastrous.
Coming to an anchor off Fort Caswell, the troops had an opportunity to see the effects of heavy shot on an iron-clad,—one of the monitors that had taken part in the assault on Fort Fisher lying near. Soon a despatch-boat came alongside, with orders for the vessel to run up as far as Smithville, and there await further instructions.
While anchored off Smithville, a boat came down the river loaded with paroled prisoners, among them a number of the Thirty Eighth, who had been captured at Cedar Creek, had been sent to Salisbury prison, and were paroled upon the approach of Sherman’s cavalry. They all told the same old story of hunger and exposure.