“General Sherman renewed the movement of his forces from Savannah, last week. The Fifteenth and Seventeenth Corps went in transports to Beaufort on Saturday, the 14th. The Seventeenth Corps, under Major-General Blair, crossed Port Royal Ferry, and, with a portion of General Foster’s command, moved on Pocotaligo. General Howard, commanding that wing of the army, reported on Sunday, 15th, that the enemy abandoned his strong works in our front during Saturday night. General Blair’s corps now occupies a strong position across the railroad, covering all approaches eastward to Pocotaligo. All the sick of General Sherman’s army are in good hospitals at Beaufort and Hilton Head, where the genial climate affords advantages for recovery superior to any other place. The peace and order prevailing at Savannah since its occupation by General Sherman, could not be surpassed. Few male inhabitants are to be seen on the streets.
“Edwin M. Stanton.”
Refer to a large map, and you will perceive at a glance the field of operations before General Sherman. About half way from Savannah to Charleston, is Pocotaligo, on the direct railroad—an important place, which was the object of an expedition soon after Beaufort came into our hands. Its capture secured General Sherman’s flank from attack in his progress toward Branchville, a great railway centre, in importance resembling Atlanta. His advance lay as it did when he approached Savannah, between two rivers, whose borders were guarded with swamps. Having carried Pocotaligo Bridge, on the 13th of January, whose strong garrison had always successfully repulsed us hitherto, the onward march from Beaufort commenced. General Hatch’s division was already occupying a “position not far from the bridge, with their guns turned on the railroad. The Seventeenth Corps crossed Port Royal Ferry on a pontoon bridge laid by the Engineer Corps, and marched swiftly, but cautiously, to the railroad. The enemy’s pickets were soon aroused, and attempted some skirmishing, but were pushed off without trouble. On the 15th, with the Seventeenth Corps on the left, and Hatch’s troops on the right, after slight resistance, the railroad was gained, a little south of the bridge. Our skirmishers dashed lightly ahead, encountered the enemy’s, who were supported with light artillery, swept them off, gained the bridge, and a brigade of the Seventeenth charged and carried it, together with the earthworks at the further end. Several heavy guns, which the enemy had spiked, fell into our hands; one of the earthworks carrying seven, and the other five. The great bridge, with the trestle-work in the swamp on either side, is fully a mile in length. The enemy, finding he must give up the work he had so long defended, tried to burn it. But our men were too quick for him and saved it. Our loss was only about fifty killed and wounded. Lieutenant Chandler, of General Blair’s staff, was killed while leading a gallant and victorious charge.
“The enemy’s force consisted of General McLaws’s detachment of Hardee’s forces; and were pushed out of Pocotaligo, the Seventeenth Corps occupying the railroad from the Coosawatchie to the Salkehatchie. So soon as this lodgment was effected, Sherman sent the First and Third divisions of Geary’s Twentieth Corps, of Slocum’s column, across the Savannah, so as to hold the railroad continuously from Savannah to the lines of the Seventeenth Corps. On the 16th, also, the Fifteenth Corps embarked at Thunderbolt for Beaufort.”
On the legions swept toward Branchville, more than half way to Columbia, the capital of South Carolina, and northwest of Charleston. The threatening front of our army against Charleston at the same moment, kept occupied and apart Generals Beauregard and Hardee. General Kilpatrick hung like a thunder-cloud around Augusta, keeping General D. H. Hill with his troops there, while General Howard’s right wing reached and cut the railroad below Branchville; General Blair’s Seventeenth Corps crossed the Salkehatchie, wading waist deep through the current, defeating the enemy in the very water, and seizing River’s Bridge; and General Slocum had gone above Branchville, cutting the railroad there. This was during the first week in February. Sunday night, the 11th, the enemy finding Branchville hopelessly encircled, cutting the paths of communication, fled from the town, and the next day our victorious troops, with flying banners, entered it.
Over streams, into which they plunged with a shout; through morasses, building corduroy roads in swamps, destroying railroads for nearly a hundred miles of a single line, the brave boys had got within reach of the “tempting prize,” as the Columbia Guardian called it, now seventy miles distant, and a hundred and forty-three from Augusta, Georgia.
That paper began to use quite different speech from that addressed a few weeks before to the “gentle warrior.” He thus discoursed to the people: “South Carolinians are not to be intimidated by the fulminations of a brutal foe, and we are mistaken if South Carolinians have forgotten how to treat the insolence of the hireling.” The same paper said that Columbia would not even be approached, because Sherman was bent on Charleston. “To believe it is contrary to common sense, contrary to a knowledge of Sherman’s character and confessed determination, and contrary to all military strategy. Possibly a raid may be made here for the purpose of creating a diversion. It will not find us unprepared. Long before Columbia falls, we look for a battle and a victory.” Sherman, however, having left Branchville, was marching over the fine, high, fertile region northward, where supplies were abundant, and the country roads excellent. Already he was aiming at Kingsville, where he would, if successful in his object, at one fell swoop destroy the Columbia and Charleston Railroad, and the Wilmington and Manchester Railroad. “That he will succeed in doing this, we have doubts—very grave doubts; for we know something of the dangerous operations of an army in the hands of Beauregard.” In order to dissipate the doubts of some skeptical as to which side the operations of Beauregard would be dangerous, the same journal announced with pleasure the arrival of that chieftain and his staff at Nickerson’s Hotel in Columbia.
General Sherman, in a brief time, cleared away the painful doubts from the mind of this editor. Taking Kingsville, he commenced a skirmishing march on Columbia. While the quiet of a pleasant evening was settling down upon Columbia, a sudden shriek in the air startled the inhabitants. The signal shells of approach were fired from “Yankee” guns.
The army then under cover of darkness moved up the river, and in the morning forded the Saluda and Broad Rivers. While the waters were surging around the cheerful host, the enemy decided that “prudence was the better part of valor,” and hastened out of the capital. The female employés of the treasury department were hurried off to Charlotte, a panic-smitten company of maidens, young and old; lithographic presses for the currency were left behind; and a large amount of medical stores was seized by our troops. General Sherman pressed forward toward Charlotte after Beauregard, who was completely in the fog respecting the goal of his antagonist—whether it was Charlotte, North Carolina, a hundred miles from Columbia, or Florence, South Carolina, ninety miles away, likewise a railroad centre. The map again will shed light on the field of this great game of war. The only road remaining for escape from Charleston was the threatened track to Florence. Meanwhile General Gilmore’s time to move near the doomed city had come.
February 10th, General Schemmelfinnig threw his command of about 3,000 strong across a bridge laid over the creek separating Folly and Cole Islands from James Island, and fastened with firm foothold upon the latter, only three miles from Charleston. The Fifty-fourth New York, acting as skirmishers, encountered the enemy a mile farther, at Grimball’s, on Stono River, up which the iron-clads Augusta and Savannah, and the mortar schooner Commodore McDonough, made their way to protect our forces on the flank, shelling the rebels. Toward night General Hartwell advanced with his brigade, the columns double in front dashing upon the rifle-pits with a shout that assured him of victory. The bloody struggle was brief. The foe returned to his main works, leaving less than a hundred of our troops killed and wounded, and their own, with twenty prisoners, in our hands. This was the first time these works had been taken by our troops.