was　ordered　to　break　up　this　railroad；　forward　to　the　point　where　it　crossed　the　Santee；　and　then　to　turn　for　Columbia。　　On　the　morning　of　the　13th　I　again　joined　the　Fifteenth　Corps；　which　crossed　the　North　Edisto　by　Snilling's　Bridge；　and　moved　straight　for　Columbia；　around　the　head　of　Caw…Caw　Swamp。　　Orders　were　sent　to　all　the　columns　to　turn　for　Columbia；　where　it　was　supposed　the　enemy　had　concentrated　all　the　men　they　could　from　Charleston；　Augusta；　and　even　from　Virginia。　　That　night　I　was　with　the　Fifteenth　Corps；　twenty…one　miles　from　Columbia；　where　my　aide；　Colonel　Audenried；　picked　up　a　rebel　officer　on　the　road；　who；　supposing　him　to　be　of　the　same　service　with　himself；　answered　all　his　questions　frankly；　and　revealed　the　truth　that　there　was　nothing　in　Columbia　except　Hampton's　cavalry。　　The　fact　was；　that　General　Hardee；　in　Charleston；　took　it　for　granted　that　we　were　after　Charleston；　the　rebel　troops　in　Augusta　supposed　they　were　〃our　objective；〃　so　they　abandoned　poor　Columbia　to　the　care　of　Hampton's　cavalry；　which　was　confused　by　the　rumors　that　poured　in　on　it；　so　that　both　Beauregard　and　Wade　Hampton；　who　were　in　Columbia；　seem　to　have　lost　their　heads。
  On　the　14th　the　head　of　the　Fifteenth　Corps；　Charles　R。　Woods's　division；　approached　the　Little　Congaree；　a　broad；　deep　stream；　tributary　to　the　Main　Congaree；　six　or　eight　miles　below　Columbia。　On　the　opposite　side　of　this　stream　was　a　newly…constructed　fort；　and　on　our　sidea　wide　extent　of　old　cottonfields；　which；　had　been　overflowed；　and　was　covered　with　a　deep　slime。　　General　Woods　had　deployed　his　leading　brigade；　which　was　skirmishing　forward；　but　he　reported　that　the　bridge　was　gone；　and　that　a　considerable　force　of　the　enemy　was　on　the　other　side。　　I　directed　General　Howard　or　Logan　to　send　a　brigade　by　a　circuit　to　the　left；　to　see　if　this　stream　could　not　be　crossed　higher　up；　but　at　the　same　time　knew　that　General　Slocum's　route　world　bring　him　to　Colombia　behind　this　stream；　and　that　his　approach　would　uncover　it。　　Therefore；　there　was　no　need　of　exposing　much　life。　　The　brigade；　however；　found　means　to　cross　the　Little　Congaree；　and　thus　uncovered　the　passage　by　the　main　road；　so　that　General　Woods's　skirmishers　at　once　passed　over；　and　a　party　was　set　to　work　to　repair　the　bridge；　which　occupied　less　than　an　hour；　when　I　passed　over　with　my　whole　staff。　　I　found　the　new　fort　unfinished　and　unoccupied；　but　from　its　parapet　could　see　over　some　old　fields　bounded　to　the　north　and　west　by　hills　skirted　with　timber。　　There　was　a　plantation　to　our　left；　about　half　a　mile；　and　on　the　edge　of　the　timber　was　drawn　up　a　force　of　rebel　cavalry　of　about　a　regiment；　which　advanced；　and　charged　upon　some；　of　our　foragers；　who　were　plundering　the　plantation；　my　aide；　Colonel　Audenried；　who　had　ridden　forward；　came　back　somewhat　hurt　and　bruised；　for；　observing　this　charge　of　cavalry；　he　had　turned　for　us；　and　his　horse　fell　with　him　in　attempting　to　leap　a　ditch。　　General　Woods's　skirmish…line　met　this　charge　of　cavalry；　and　drove　it　back　into　the　woods　and　beyond。　　We　remained　on　that　ground　during　the　night　of　the　15th；　and　I　camped　on　the　nearest　dry　ground　behind　the　Little　Congaree；　where　on　the　next　morning　were　made　the　written'　orders　for　the　government　of　the　troops　while　occupying　Columbia。　　These　are　dated　February　16；　1865；　in　these　words：
  General　Howard　will　cross　the　Saluda　and　Broad　Rivers　as　near　their　mouths　as　possible；　occupy　Columbia；　destroy　the　public　buildings；　railroad　property；　manufacturing　and　machine　shops；　but　will　spare　libraries；　asylums；　and　private　dwellings。　　He　will　then　move　to　Winnsboro'；　destroying　en　route　utterly　that　section　of　the　railroad。　　He　will　also　cause　all　bridges；　trestles；　water…tanks；　and　depots　on　the　railroad　back　to　the　Wateree　to　be　burned；　switches　broken；　and　such　other　destruction　as　he　can　find　time　to　accomplish　consistent　with　proper　celerity。
  These　instructions　were　embraced　in　General　Order　No。　26；　which　prescribed　the　routes　of　march　for　the　several　columns　as　far　as　Fayetteville；　North　Carolina；　and　is　conclusive　that　I　then　regarded　Columbia　as　simply　one　point　on　our　general　route　of　march；　and　not　as　an　important　conquest。
  During　the　16th　of　February　the　Fifteenth　Corps　reached　the　point　opposite　Columbia；　and　pushed　on　for　the　Saluda　Factory　three　miles　above；　crossed　that　stream；　and　the　head　of　column　reached　Broad　River　just　in　time　to　find　its　bridge　in　flames；　Butler's　cavalry　having　just　passed　over　into　Columbia。　　The　head　of　Slocum's　column　also　reached　the　point　opposite　Columbia　the　same　morning；　but　the　bulk　of　his　army　was　back　at　Lexington。　　I　reached　this　place　early　in　the　morning　of　the　16th；　met　General　Slocum　there；　and　explained　to　him　the　purport　of　General　Order　No。　26；　which　contemplated　the　passage　of　his　army　across　Broad　River　at　Alston；　fifteen　miles　above　Columbia。　　Riding　down　to　the　river…bank；　I　saw　the　wreck　of　the　large　bridge　which　had　been　burned　by　the　enemy；　with　its　many　stone　piers　still　standing；　but　the　superstructure　gone。　　Across　the　Congaree　River　lay　the　city　of　Columbia；　in　plain；　easy　view。　I　could　see　the　unfinished　State…House；　a　handsome　granite　structure；　and　the　ruins　of　the　railroad　depot；　which　were　still　smouldering。　　Occasionally　a　few　citizens　or　cavalry　could　be　seen　running　across　the　streets；　and　quite　a　number　of　negroes　were　seemingly　busy　in　carrying　off　bags　of　grain　or　meal；　which　were　piled　up　near　the　burned　depot。
  Captain　De　Gres　had　a　section　of　his　twenty…pound　Parrott　guns　unlimbered；　firing　into　the　town。　　I　asked　him　what　he　was　firing　for；　he　said　he　could　see　some　rebel　cavalry　occasionally　at　the　intersections　of　the　streets；　and　he　had　an　idea　that　there　was　a　large　force　of　infantry　concealed　on　the　opposite　bank；　lying　low；　in　case　we　should　attempt　to　cross　over　directly　into　the　town。　　I　instructed　him　not　to　fire　any　more　into　the　town；　but　consented　to　his　bursting　a　few　shells　near　the　depot；　to　scare　away　the　negroes　who　were　appropriating　the　bags　of　corn　and　meal　which　we　wanted；　also　to　fire　three　shots　at　the　unoccupied　State…House。　　I　stood　by　and　saw　these　fired；　and　then　all　firing　ceased。　　Although　this　matter　of　firing　into　Columbia　has　been　the　subject　of　much　abuse　and　investigation；　I　have　yet　to　hear　of　any　single　person　having　been　killed　in　Columbia　by　our　cannon。　　On　the　other　hand；　the　night　before；　when　Woods's　division　was　in　camp　in　the　open　fields　at　Little　Congaree；　it　was　shelled　all　night　by　a　rebel　battery　from　the　other　aide　of　the　river。　　This　provoked　me　much　at　the　time；　for　it　was　wanton　mischief；　as　Generals　Beauregard　and　Hampton　must　have　been　convinced　that　they　could　not　prevent　our　entrance　into　Columbia。　　I　have　always　contended　that　I　would　have　been　justified　in　retaliating　for　this　unnecessary　act　of　war；　but　did　not；　though　I　always　characterized　it　as　it　deserved。
  The　night　of　the　16th　I　camped　near　an　old　prison　bivouac　opposite　Columbia；　known　to　our　prisoners　of　war　as　〃Camp　Sorghum；〃　where　remained　the　mud…hovels　and　holes　in　the　ground　which　our　prisoners　had　made　to　shelter　themselves　from　the　winter's　cold　and　the　summer's　heat。　　The　Fifteenth　Corps　was　then　ahead；　reaching　to　Broad　River；　about　four　miles　above　Columbia；　the　Seventeenth　Corps　was　behind；　on　the　river…bank　opposite　Columbia；　and　the　left　wing　and　cavalry　had　turned　north　toward　Alston。
  The　next　morning；　viz。；　February　17th；　I　rode　to　the　head　of　General　Howard's　column；　and　found　that　during　the　night　he　had　ferried。　　Stone's　brigade　of　Woods's　division　of　the　Fifteenth　Corps　across　by　rafts　made　of　the　pontoons；　and　that　brigade　was　then　deployed　on　the　opposite　bank　to　cover　the　construction　of　a　pontoon…bridge　nearly　finished。
  I　sat　with　General　Howard　on　a　log；　watching　the　men　lay　this　bridge；　and　about　9　or　10　A。M。　　a　messenger　came　from　Colonel　Stone　on　the　other　aide；　saying　that　the　Mayor　of　Columbia　had　come　out　of　the　city　to　surrender　the　place；　and　asking　for　orders。　　I　simply　remarked　to　General　Howard　that　he　had　his　orders；　to　let
  Colonel　Stone　go　on　into　the　city；　and　that　we　would　follow　as　soon　as　the　bridge　was　ready。　　By　this　same　messenger　I　received　a　note　in　pencil　from　the　Lady　Superioress　of　a　convent　or　school　in　Columbia；　in　which　she　claimed　to　have　been　a　teacher　in　a　convent　in　Brown　County；　Ohio；　at　the　time　my　daughter　Minnie　was　a　pupil　there；　and　therefore　asking　special　protection。　　My　recollection　is；　that　I　gave　the　note　to　my　brother…in…law；　Colonel　Ewing；　then　inspector…general　on　my　staff；　with　instructions　to　see　this　lady；　and　assure　her　that　we　contemplated　no　destruction　of　any　private　property　in　Columbia　at　all。
  As　soon　as　the　bridge　was　done；　I　led　my　horse　over　it；　followed　by　my　whole　staff。　　General　Howard　accompanied　me　with　his；　and　General　Logan　was　next　in　order；　followed　by　General　C。　　R。　　Woods；　and　the　whole　of　the　Fifteenth　Corps。　　Ascending　the　hill；　we　soon　emerged　into　a　broad　road　leading　into　Columbia；　between　old　fields　of　corn　and　cotton；　and；　entering　the　city；　we　found　seemingly　all　its　population；　white　and　black；　in　the　streets。　　A　high　and　boisterous　wind　was　prevailing　from　the　north；　and　flakes　of　c