Bay；　Georgetown；　and　the　mouth　of　Cape　Fear　River。　　Still；　it　was　extremely　desirable　in　one　march　to　reach　Goldsboro'　in　the　State　of　North　Carolina　（distant　four　hundred　and　twenty…five　miles）；　a　point　of　great　convenience　for　ulterior　operations；　by　reason　of　the　two　railroads　which　meet　there；　coming　from　the　seacoast　at　Wilmington　and　Newbern。　　Before　leaving　Savannah　I　had　sent　to　Newbern　Colonel　W。　W。　Wright；　of　the　Engineers；　with　orders　to　look　to　these　railroads；　to　collect　rolling…stock；　and　to　have　the　roads　repaired　out　as　far　as　possible　in　six　weeksthe　time　estimated　as　necessary　for　us　to　march　that　distance。
  The　question　of　supplies　remained　still　the　one　of　vital　importance；　and　I　reasoned　that　we　might　safely　rely　on　the　country　for　a　considerable　quantity　of　forage　and　provisions；　and　that；　if　the　worst　came　to　the　worst；　we　could　live　several　months　on　the　mules　and　horses　of　our　trains。　　Nevertheless；　time　was　equally　material；　and　the　moment　I　heard　that　General　Slocum　had　finished　his　pontoon…bridge　at　Sister's　Ferry；　and　that　Kilpatrick's　cavalry　was　over　the　river；　I　gave　the　general　orders　to　march；　and　instructed　all　the　columns　to　aim　for　the　South　Carolina　Railroad　to　the　west　of　Branchville；　about　Blackville　and　Midway。
  The　right　wing　moved　up　the　Salkiehatchie；　the　Seventeenth　Corps　on　the　right；　with　orders　on　reaching　Rivers's　Bridge　to　cross　over；　and　the　Fifteenth　Corps　by　Hickory　Hill　to　Beaufort's　Bridge。　Kilpatrick　was　instructed　to　march　by　way　of　Barnwell；　Corse's　division　and　the　Twentieth　Corps　to　take　such　roads　as　would　bring　them　into　communication　with　the　Fifteenth　Corps　about　Beaufort's　Bridge。　　All　these　columns　started　promptly　on　the　1st　of　February。　We　encountered　Wheeler's　cavalry；　which　had　obstructed　the　road　by　felling　trees；　but　our　men　picked　these　up　and　threw　them　aside；　so　that　this　obstruction　hardly　delayed　us　an　hour。　　In　person　I　accompanied　the　Fifteenth　Corps　（General　Logan）　by　McPhersonville　and　Hickory　Hill；　and　kept　couriers　going　to　and　fro　to　General　Slocum　with　instructions　to　hurry　as　much　as　possible；　so　as　to　make　a　junction　of　the　whole　army　on　the　South　Carolina　Railroad　about　Blackville。
  I　spent　the　night　of　February　1st　at　Hickory　Hill　Post…Office；　and　that　of　the　2d　at　Duck　Branch　Post…Office；　thirty…one　miles　out　from　Pocotaligo。　　On　the　3d　the　Seventeenth　Corps　was　opposite　Rivers's　Bridge；　and　the　Fifteenth　approached　Beaufort's　Bridge。　The　Salkiehatchie　was　still　over　its　banks；　and　presented　a　most　formidable　obstacle。　　The　enemy　appeared　in　some　force　on　the　opposite　bank；　had　cut　away　all　the　bridges　which　spanned　the　many　deep　channels　of　the　swollen　river；　and　the　only　available　passage　seemed　to　be　along　the　narrow　causeways　which　constituted　the　common　roads。　　At　Rivers's　Bridge　Generals　Mower　and　Giles　A。　Smith　led；　their　heads　of　column　through　this　swamp；　the　water　up　to　their　shoulders；　crossed　over　to　the　pine…land；　turned　upon　the　rebel　brigade　which　defended　the　passage；　and　routed　it　in　utter　disorder。　　It　was　in　this　attack　that　General　Wager　Swayne　lost　his　leg；　and　he　had　to　be　conveyed　back　to　Pocotaligo。　　Still；　the　loss　of　life　was　very　small；　in　proportion　to　the　advantages　gained；　for　the　enemy　at　once　abandoned　the　whole　line　of　the　Salkiehatchie；　and　the　Fifteenth　Corps　passed　over　at　Beaufort's　Bridge；　without　opposition。
  On　the　5th　of　February　I　was　at　Beaufort's　Bridge；　by　which　time　General　A。　S。　Williams　had　got　up　with　five　brigades'　of　the　Twentieth　Corps；　I　also　heard　of　General　Kilpatrick's　being　abreast　of　us；　at　Barnwell；　and　then　gave　orders　for　the　march　straight　for　the　railroad　at　Midway。　　I　still　remained　with　the　Fifteenth　Corps；　which；　on　the　6th　of　February；　was　five　miles　from　Bamberg。　　As　a　matter　of　course；　I　expected　severe　resistance　at　this　railroad；　for　its　loss　would　sever　all　the　communications　of　the　enemy　in　Charleston　with　those　in　Augusta。
  Early　on　the　7th；　in　the　midst　of　a　rain…storm；　we　reached　the　railroad；　almost　unopposed；　striking　it　at　several　points。　　General　Howard　told　me　a　good　story　concerning　this；　which　will　bear　repeating：　He　was　with　the　Seventeenth　Corps；　marching　straight　for　Midway；　and　when　about　five　miles　distant　he　began　to　deploy　the　leading　division；　so　as　to　be　ready　for　battle。　　Sitting　on　his　horse　by　the　road…side；　while　the　deployment　was　making；　he　saw　a　man　coming　down　the　road；　riding　as　hard　as　he　could；　and　as　he　approached　he　recognized　him　as　one　of　his　own　〃foragers；〃　mounted　on　a　white　horse；　with　a　rope　bridle　and　a　blanket　for　saddle。　　As　he　came　near　he　called　out；　〃Hurry　up；　general；　we　have　got　the　railroad！〃　　So；　while　we；　the　generals；　were　proceeding　deliberately　to　prepare　for　a　serious　battle；　a　parcel　of　our　foragers；　in　search　of　plunder；　had　got　ahead　and　actually　captured　the　South　Carolina　Railroad；　a　line　of　vital　importance　to　the　rebel　Government。
  As　soon　as　we　struck　the　railroad；　details　of　men　were　set　to　work　to　tear　up　the　rails；　to　burn　the　ties　and　twist　the　bars。　　This　was　a　most　important　railroad；　and　I　proposed　to　destroy　it　completely　for　fifty　miles；　partly　to　prevent　a　possibility　of　its　restoration　and　partly　to　utilize　the　time　necessary　for　General　Slocum　to　get　up。
  The　country　thereabouts　was　very　poor；　but　the　inhabitants　mostly　remained　at　home。　　Indeed；　they　knew　not　where　to　go。　　The　enemy's　cavalry　had　retreated　before　us；　but　his　infantry　was　reported　in　some　strength　at　Branchville；　on　the　farther　side　of　the　Edisto；　yet　on　the　appearance　of　a　mere　squad　of　our　men　they　burned　their　own　bridges　the　very　thing　I　wanted；　for　we　had　no　use　for　them；　and　they　had。
  We　all　remained　strung　along　this　railroad　till　the　9th　of　Februarythe　Seventeenth　Corps　on　the　right；　then　the　Fifteenth；　Twentieth；　and　cavalry；　at　Blackville。　　General　Slocum　reached　Blackville　that　day；　with　Geary's　division　of　the　Twentieth　Corps；　and　reported　the　Fourteenth　Corps　（General　Jeff。　C。　Davis's）　to　be　following　by　way　of　Barnwell。　　On　the　10th　I　rode　up　to　Blackville；　where　I　conferred　with　Generals　Slocum　and　Kilpatrick；　became　satisfied　that　the　whole　army　would　be　ready　within　a　day；　and　accordingly　made　orders　for　the　next　movement　north　to　Columbia；　the　right　wing　to　strike　Orangeburg　en　route。　　Kilpatrick　was　ordered　to　demonstrate　strongly　toward　Aiken；　to　keep　up　the　delusion　that　we　might　turn　to　Augusta；　but　he　was　notified　that　Columbia　was　the　next　objective；　and　that　he　should　cover　the　left　flank　against　Wheeler；　who　hung　around　it。　　I　wanted　to　reach　Columbia　before　any　part　of　Hood's　army　could　possibly　get　there。　Some　of　them　were　reported　as　having　reached　Augusta；　under　the　command　of　General　Dick　Taylor。
  Having　sufficiently　damaged　the　railroad；　and　effected　the　junction　of　the　entire　army；　the　general　march　was　resumed　on　the　11th；　each　corps　crossing　the　South　Edisto　by　separate　bridges；　with　orders　to　pause　on　the　road　leading　from　Orangeberg　to　Augusta；　till　it　was　certain　that　the　Seventeenth　Corps　had　got　possession　of　Orangeburg。　　This　place　was　simply　important　as　its　occupation　would　sever　the　communications　between　Charleston　and　Columbia。　All　the　heads　of　column　reached　this　road；　known　as　the　Edgefield　road；　during　the　12th；　and　the　Seventeenth　Corps　turned　to　the　right；　against　Orangeburg。　　When　I　reached　the　head　of　column　opposite　Orangeburg；　I　found　Giles　A。　Smith's　division　halted；　with　a　battery　unlimbered；　exchanging　shots　with　a　party　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　Edisto。　　He　reported　that　the　bridge　was　gone；　and　that　the　river　was　deep　and　impassable。　　I　then　directed　General　Blair　to　send　a　strong　division　below　the　town；　some　four　or　five　miles；　to　effect　a　crossing　there。　　He　laid　his　pontoon…bridge；　but　the　bottom　on　the　other　side　was　overflowed；　and　the　men　had　to　wade　through　it；　in　places　as　deep　as　their　waists。　　I　was　with　this　division　at　the　time；　on　foot；　trying　to　pick　my　way　across　the　overflowed　bottom；　but；　as　soon　as　the　head　of　column　reached　the　sand…hills；　I　knew　that　the　enemy　would　not　long　remain　in　Orangeburg；　and　accordingly　returned　to　my　horse；　on　the　west　bank；　and　rode　rapidly　up　to　where　I　had　left　Giles　A。　Smith。　　I　found　him　in　possession　of　the　broken　bridge；　abreast　of　the　town；　which　he　was　repairing；　and　I　was　among　the　first　to　cross　over　and　enter　the　town。　　By　and　before　the　time　either　Force's　or　Giles　A。　Smith's　skirmishers　entered　the　place；　several　stores　were　on　fire；　and　I　am　sure　that　some　of　the　towns…people　told　me　that　a　Jew　merchant　had　set　fire　to　his　own　cotton　and　store；　and　from　this　the　fire　had　spread。　　This；　however；　was　soon　put　out；　and　the　Seventeenth　Corps　（General　Blair）　occupied　the　place　during　that　night。　　I　remember　to　have　visited　a　large　hospital；　on　the　hill　near　the　railroad　depot；　which　was　occupied　by　the　orphan　children　who　had　been　removed　from　the　asylum　in　Charleston。　　We　gave　them　protection；　and；　I　think；　some　provisions。　　The　railroad　and　depot　were　destroyed　by　order；　and　no　doubt　a　good　deal　of　cotton　was　burned；　for　we　all　regarded　cotton　as　hostile　property；　a　thing　to　be　destroyed。　　General　Blair　was　ordered　to　break　up　this　railroad；　forward　to　the　point　where　it　crossed　the　Santee；　and　then　t