ng　General　Davis；　with　the　Fourteenth　Corps；　on　the　went　bank。　The　roads　were　infamous；　so　I　halted　the　Twentieth　Corps　at　Hanging　Rock　for　some　days；　to　allow　time　for　the　Fourteenth　to　get　over。
  General　Davis　had　infinite　difficulty　in　reconstructing　his　bridge；　and　was　compelled　to　use　the　fifth　chains　of　his　wagons　for　anchor…　chains；　so　that　we　were　delayed　nearly　a　week　in　that　neighborhood。　While　in　camp　at　Hanging　Rock　two　prisoners　were　brought　to　meone　a　chaplain；　the　other　a　boy；　son　of　Richard　Bacot；　of　Charleston；　whom　I　had　known　as　a　cadet　at　West　Point。　　They　were　just　from　Charleston；　and　had　been　sent　away　by　General　Hardee　in　advance；　because　he　was；　they　said；　evacuating　Charleston。　　Rumors　to　the　same　effect　had　reached　me　through　the　negroes；　and　it　was；　moreover；　reported　that　Wilmington；　North　Carolina；　was　in　possession　of　the　Yankee　troops；　so　that　I　had　every　reason　to　be　satisfied　that　our　march　was　fully　reaping　all　the　fruits　we　could　possibly　ask　for。　　Charleston　was；　in　fact；　evacuated　by　General　Hardee　on　the　18th　of　February；　and　was　taken　possession　of　by　a　brigade　of　General　Fosters　troops；　commanded　by　General　Schimmelpfennig；　the　same　day。　　Hardee　had　availed　himself　of　his　only　remaining　railroad；　by　Florence　to　Cheraw；　had　sent　there　much　of　his　ammunition　and　stores；　and　reached　it　with　the　effective　part　of　the　garrison　in　time　to　escape　across　the　Pedee　River　before　our　arrival。　　Wilmington　was　captured　by　General　Terry　on　the　22d　of　February；　but　of　this　important　event　we　only　knew　by　the　vague　rumors　which　reached　us　through　rebel　sources。
  General　Jeff。　C。　Davis　got　across　the　Catawba　during　the　27th；　and　the　general　march　was　resumed　on　Cheraw。　　Kilpatrick　remained　near　Lancaster；　skirmishing　with　Wheeler's　and　Hampton's　cavalry；　keeping　up　the　delusion　that　we　proposed　to　move　on　Charlotte　and　Salisbury；　but　with　orders　to　watch　the　progress　of　the　Fourteenth　Corps；　and　to　act　in　concert　with　it；　on　its　left　rear。　　On　the　1st　of　March　I　was　at　Finlay's　Bridge　across　Lynch's　Creek；　the　roads　so　bad　that　we　had　to　corduroy　nearly　every　foot　of　the　way；　but　I　was　in　communication　with　all　parts　of　the　army；　which　had　met　no　serious　opposition　from　the　enemy。　　On　the　2d　of　March　we　entered　the　village　of　Chesterfield；　skirmishing　with　Butler's　cavalry；　which　gave　ground　rapidly。　　There　I　received　a　message　from　General　Howard；　who；　reported　that　he　was　already　in　Cheraw　with　the　Seventeenth　Corps；　and　that　the　Fifteenth　was　near　at　hand。
  General　Hardee　had　retreated　eastward　across　the　Pedee；　burning　the　bridge。　　I　therefore　directed　the　left　wing　to　march　for　Sneedsboro'；　about　ten　miles　above　Cheraw；　to　cross　the　Pedee　there；　while　I　in　person　proposed　to　cross　over　and　join　the　right　wing　in　Cheraw。　　Early　in　the　morning　of　the　3d　of　March　I　rode　out　of　Chesterfield　along　with　the　Twentieth　Corps；　which　filled　the　road；　forded　Thompson's　Creek；　and；　at　the　top　of　the　hill　beyond；　found　a　road　branching　off　to　the　right；　which　corresponded　with　the　one；　on　my　map　leading　to　Cheraw。　　Seeing　a　negro　standing　by　the　roadside；　looking　at　the　troops　passing；　I　inquired　of　him　what　road　that　was。　　〃Him　lead　to　Cheraw；　master！〃　　〃Is　it　a　good　road；　and　how　far？〃　　〃A　very　good　road；　and　eight　or　ten　miles。〃　　〃Any　guerrillas？〃
  〃Oh！　no；　master；　dey　is　gone　two　days　ago；　you　could　have　played　cards　on　der　coat…tails；　dey　was　in　sich　a　hurry！〃　　I　was　on　my　Lexington　horse；　who　was　very　handsome　and　restive；　so　I　made　signal　to　my　staff　to　follow；　as　I　proposed　to　go　without　escort。　I　turned　my　horse　down　the　road；　and　the　rest　of　the　staff　followed。　　General　Barry　took　up　the　questions　about　the　road；　and　asked　the　same　negro　what　he　was　doing　there。　　He　answered；　〃Dey　say　Massa　Sherman　will　be　along　soon！〃　　〃Why；〃　said　General　Barry；　〃that　was　General　Sherman　you　were　talking　to。〃　　The　poor　negro；　almost　in　the　attitude　of　prayer；　exclaimed：　〃De　great　God！　just　look　at　his　horse！〃　　He　ran　up　and　trotted　by　my　side　for　a　mile　or　so；　and　gave　me　all　the　information　he　possessed；　but　he　seemed　tc　admire　the　horse　more　than　the　rider。
  We　reached　Cheraw　in　a　couple　of　hours　in　a　drizzling　rain；　and；　while　waiting　for　our　wagons　to　come　up；　I　staid　with　General　Blair　in　a　large　house；　the　property　of　a　blockade…runner；　whose　family　remained。　　General　Howard　occupied　another　house　farther　down…town。　He　had　already　ordered　his　pontoon…bridge　to　be　laid　across　the　Pedee；　there　a　large；　deep；　navigable　stream；　and　Mower's　division　was　already　across；　skirmishing　with　the　enemy　about　two　miles　out。　Cheraw　was　found　to　be　fall　of　stores　which　had　been　sent　up　from　Charleston　prior　to　its　evacuation；　and　which　could　not　be　removed。　I　was　satisfied；　from　inquiries；　that　General　Hardee　had　with　him　only　the　Charleston　garrison；　that　the　enemy　had　not　divined　our　movements；　and　that　consequently　they　were　still　scattered　from　Charlotte　around　to　Florence；　then　behind　us。　　Having　thus　secured　the　passage　of　the　Pedee；　I　felt　no　uneasiness　about　the　future；　because　there　remained　no　further　great　impediment　between　us　and　Cape　Fear　River；　which　I　felt　assured　was　by　that　time　in　possession　of　our　friends。　　The　day　was　so　wet　that　we　all　kept　in…doors；　and　about　noon　General　Blair　invited　us　to　take　lunch　with　him。　　We　passed　down　into　the　basement　dining…room；　where　the　regular　family　table　was　spread　with　an　excellent　meal；　and　during　its　progress　I　was　asked　to　take　some　wine；　which　stood　upon　the　table　in　venerable　bottles。　　It　was　so　very　good　that　I　inquired　where　it　came　from。　　General　Blair　simply　asked；　〃Do　you　like　it？〃　but　I　insisted　upon　knowing　where　he　had　got　it；　he　only　replied　by　asking　if　I　liked　it；　and　wanted　some。　　He　afterward　sent　to　my　bivouac　a　case　containing　a　dozen　bottles　of　the　finest　madeira　I　ever　tasted；　and　I　learned　that　he　had　captured；　in　Cheraw；　the　wine　of　some　of　the　old　aristocratic　families　of　Charleston；　who　had　sent　it　up　to　Cheraw　for　safety；　and　heard　afterward　that　Blair　had　found　about　eight　wagon…loads　of　this　wine；　which　he　distributed　to　the　army　generally；　in　very　fair　proportions。
  After　finishing　our　lunch；　as　we　passed　out　of　the　dining　room；　General　Blair　asked　me；　if　I　did　not　want　some　saddle…blankets；　or　a　rug　for　my　tent；　and；　leading　me　into　the　hall　to　a　space　under　the　stairway；　he　pointed　out　a　pile　of　carpets　which　had　also　been　sent　up　from　Charleston　for　safety。　　After　our　headquarter…wagons　got　up；　and　our　bivouac　was　established　in　a　field　near　by；　I　sent　my　orderly　（Walter）　over　to　General　Blair；　and　he　came　back　staggering　under　a　load　of　carpets；　out　of　which　the　officers　and　escort　made　excellent　tent…rugs；　saddle…cloths；　and　blankets。　There　was　an　immense　amount　of　stores　in　Cheraw；　which　were　used　or　destroyed；　among　them　twenty…four　guns；　two　thousand　muskets；　and　thirty…six　hundred　barrels　of　gunpowder。　　By　the　carelessness　of　a　soldier；　an　immense　pile　of　this　powder　was　exploded；　which　shook　the　town　badly；　and　killed　and　maimed　several　of　our　men。
  We　remained　in　or　near　Cheraw　till　the　6th　of　March；　by　which　time　the　army　was　mostly　across　the　Pedee　River；　and　was　prepared　to　resume　the　march　on　Fayetteville。　　In　a　house　where　General　Hardee　had　been；　I　found　a　late　New　York　Tribune；　of　fully　a　month　later　date　than　any　I　had　seen。　　It　contained　a　mass　of　news　of　great　interest　to　us；　and　one　short　paragraph　which　I　thought　extremely　mischievous。　　I　think　it　was　an　editorial；　to　the　effect　that　at　last　the　editor　had　the　satisfaction　to　inform　his　readers　that　General　Sherman　would　next　be　heard　from　about　Goldsboro'；　because　his　supply…vessels　from　Savannah　were　known　to　be　rendezvousing　at　Morehead　City：Now；　I　knew　that　General　Hardee　had　read　that　same　paper；　and　that　he　would　be　perfectly　able　to　draw　his　own　inferences。　　Up　to；　that　moment　I　had　endeavored　so　to　feign　to　our　left　that　we　had　completely；　misled　our　antagonists；　but　this　was　no　longer　possible；　and　I　concluded　that　we　must　be　ready；　for　the　concentration　in　our　front　of　all　the　force　subject　to　General　Jos。　Johnston's　orders；　for　I　was　there　also　informed　that　he　had　been　restored　to　the　full　command　of　the　Confederate　forces　in　South　and　North　Carolina。
  On　the　6th　of　March　I　crossed　the　Pedee；　and　all　the　army　marched　for　Fayetteville：　the　Seventeenth　Corps　kept　well　to　the　right；　to　make　room；　the　Fifteenth　Corps　marched　by　a　direct　road；　the　Fourteenth　Corps　also　followed　a　direct　road　from　Sneedsboro'；　where　it　had　crossed　the　Pedee；　and　the　Twentieth　Corps；　which　had　come　into。　　Cheraw　for　the　convenience　of　the　pontoon…bridge；　diverged　to　the　left；　so　as　to　enter　Fayetteville　next　after　the　Fourteenth　Corps；　which　was　appointed　to　lead　into　Fayetteville。　Kilpatrick　held　his　cavalry　still　farther　to　the　left　rear　on　the　roads　from　Lancaster；　by　way　of　Wadesboro'　and　New　Gilead；　so　as　to　cover　our　trains　from　Hampton's　and　Wheeler's　cavalry；　who　had　first　retreated　toward　the　north。　　I　traveled　with　the　Fifteenth　Corps；　and　on　the　8th　of　March　reached　Laurel　Hill；　North　Carolina。　Satisfied　that　our　troops　mast　be　at　Wilmington；　I　determined　to　send　a　message　there；　I　called　for　my　man；　Corporal　Pike；　whom　I　had　rescued　as　before　described；　at　Colum