message　there；　I　called　for　my　man；　Corporal　Pike；　whom　I　had　rescued　as　before　described；　at　Columbia；　who　was　then　traveling　with　our　escort；　and　instructed　him　in　disguise　to　work　his　way　to　the　Cape　Fear　River；　secure　a　boat；　and　float　down　to　Wilmington　to　convey　a　letter；　and　to　report　our　approach。　　I　also　called　on　General　Howard　for　another　volunteer；　and　he　brought　me　a　very　clever　young　sergeant；　who　is　now　a　commissioned　officer　in　the　regular　army。　　Each　of　these　got　off　during　the　night　by　separate　routes；　bearing　the　following　message；　reduced　to　the　same　cipher　we　used　in　telegraphic　messages：
  HEADQURTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD；　LAUREL　HILL；　Wednesday；　March　8；　1865。
  Commanding　Officer；　Wilmington；　North　Carolina：
  We　are　marching　for　Fayetteville；　will　be　there　Saturday；　Sunday；　and　Monday；　and　will　then　march　for　Goldsboro'。
  If　possible；　send　a　boat　up　Cape　Fear　River；　and　have　word　conveyed　to　General　Schofield　that　I　expect　to　meet　him　about　Goldsboro'。　We　are　all　well　and　have　done　finely。　　The　rains　make　our　roads　difficult；　and　may　delay　us　about　Fayetteville；　in　which　case　I　would　like　to　have　some　bread；　sugar；　and　coffee。　　We　have　abundance　of　all　else。　　I　expect　to　reach　Goldsboro'　by　the　20th　instant。
  W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General。
  On　the　9th　I　was　with　the　Fifteenth　Corps；　and　toward　evening　reached　a　little　church　called　Bethel；　in　the　woods；　in　which　we　took　refuge　in　a　terrible　storm　of　rain；　which　poured　all　night；　making　the　roads　awful。　　All　the　men　were　at　work　corduroying　the　roads；　using　fence…rails　and　split　saplings；　and　every　foot　of　the　way　had　thus　to　be　corduroyed　to　enable　the　artillery　and　wagons　to　pass。　　On　the　10th　we　made　some　little　progress；　on　the　11th　I　reached　Fayetteville；　and　found　that　General　Hardee；　followed　by　Wade　Hampton's　cavalry；　had　barely　escaped　across　Cape　Fear　River；　burning　the　bridge　which　I　had　hoped　to　save。　　On　reaching　Fayetteville　I　found　General　Slocum　already　in　possession　with　the　Fourteenth　Corps；　and　all　the　rest　of　the　army　was　near　at　hand。　　A　day　or　two　before；　General　Kilpatrick；　to　our　left　rear；　had　divided　his　force　into　two　parts；　occupying　roads　behind　the　Twentieth　Corps；　interposing　between　our　infantry　columns　and　Wade　Hampton's　cavalry。　　The　latter；　doubtless　to　make　junction　with　General　Hardee；　in　Fayetteville；　broke　across　this　line；　captured　the　house　in　which　General　Kilpatrick　and　the　brigade…commander；　General　Spencer；　were；　and　for　a　time　held　possession　of　the　camp　and　artillery　of　the　brigade。　　However；　General　Kilpatrick　and　most　of　his　men　escaped　into　a　swamp　with　their　arms；　reorganized　and　returned；　catching　Hampton's　menin　turn；　scattered　and　drove　them　away；　recovering　most　of　his　camp　and　artillery；　but　Hampton　got　off　with　Kilpatrick's　private　horses　and　a　couple　hundred　prisoners；　of　which　he　boasted　much　in　passing　through　Fayetteville。
  It　was　also　reported　that；　in　the　morning　after　Hardee's　army　was　all　across　the　bridge　at　Cape　Fear　River；　Hampton；　with　a　small　bodyguard；　had　remained　in　town；　ready　to　retreat　and　burn　the　bridge　as　soon　as　our　forces　made　their　appearance。　　He　was　getting　breakfast　at　the　hotel　when　the　alarm　was　given；　when　he　and　his　escort　took　saddle；　but　soon　realized　that　the　alarm　came　from　a　set　of　our　foragers；　who；　as　usual；　were　extremely　bold　and　rash。　On　these　he　turned；　scattered　them；　killing　some　and　making　others　prisoners；　among　them　General　Howard's　favorite　scout；　Captain　Duncan。　　Hampton　then　crossed　the　bridge　and　burned　it。
  I　took　up　my　quarters　at　the　old　United　States　Arsenal；　which　was　in　fine　order；　and　had　been　much　enlarged　by　the　Confederate　authorities；　who　never　dreamed　that　an　invading　army　would　reach　it　from　the　west；　and　I　also　found　in　Fayetteville　the　widow　and　daughter　of　my　first　captain　（General　Childs）；　of　the　Third　Artillery；　learned　that　her　son　Fred　had　been　the　ordnance…officer　in　charge　of　the　arsenal；　and　had　of　course　fled　with　Hardee's　army。
  During　the　11th。　the　whole　army　closed　down　upon　Fayetteville；　and　immediate　preparations　were　made　to　lay　two　pontoon　bridges；　one　near　the　burned　bridge；　and　another　about　four　miles　lower　down。
  Sunday；　March　12th；　was　a　day　of　Sabbath　stillness　in　Fayetteville。　The　people　generally　attended　their　churches；　for　they　were　a　very　pious　people；　descended　in　a　large　measure　from　the　old　Scotch　Covenanters；　and　our　men　too　were　resting　from　the　toils　and　labors　of　six　weeks　of　as　hard　marching　as　ever　fell　to　the　lot　of　soldiers。　　Shortly　after　noon　was　heard　in　the　distance　the　shrill　whistle　of　a　steamboat；　which　came　nearer　and　nearer；　and　soon　a　shout；　long　and　continuous；　was　raised　down　by　the　river；　which　spread　farther　and　farther；　and　we　all　felt　that　it　meant　a　messenger　from　home。　　The　effect　was　electric；　and　no　one　can　realize　the　feeling　unless；　like　us；　he　has　been　for　months　cut　off　from　all　communication　with　friends；　and　compelled　to　listen　to　the　croakings　and　prognostications　of　open　enemies。　　But　in　a　very　few　minutes　came　up　through　the　town　to　the　arsenal　on　the　plateau　behind　a　group　of　officers；　among　whom　was　a　large；　florid　seafaring　man；　named　Ainsworth；　bearing　a　small　mail…bag　from　General　Terry；　at　Wilmington；　having　left　at　2　p。m。　　the　day　before。　　Our　couriers　had　got　through　safe　from　Laurel　Hill；　and　this　was　the　prompt　reply。
  As　in　the　case　of　our　former　march　from　Atlanta；　intense　anxiety　had　been　felt　for　our　safety；　and　General　Terry　had　been　prompt　to　open　communication。　　After　a　few　minutes'　conference　with　Captain　Ainsworth　about　the　capacity　of　his　boat；　and　the　state　of　facts　along　the　river；　I　instructed　him　to　be　ready　to　start　back　at　6　p。m。；　and　ordered　Captain　Byers　to　get　ready　to　carry　dispatches　to　Washington。　　I　also　authorized　General　Howard　to　send　back　by　this　opportunity　some　of　the　fugitives　who　had　traveled　with　his　army　all　the　way　from　Columbia；　among　whom　were　Mrs。　Feaster　and　her　two　beautiful　daughters。
  I　immediately　prepared　letters　for　Secretary　Stanton；　Generals　Halleck　and　Grant；　and　Generals　Schofield；　Foster；　Easton；　and　Beckwith；　all　of　which　have　been　published；　but　I　include　here　only　those　to　the　Secretary　of　War；　and　Generals　Grant　and　Terry；　as　samples　of　the　whole：
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI；　IN　THE　FIELD；　FAYETTVILLE；　NORTH　CAROLINA；　Sunday；　March。　　12；　1885。
  Hon。　E。　　M。　　STANTON；　Secretary　of　War。
  DEAR　SIR：　I　know　you　will　be　pleased　to　hear　that　my　army　has　reached　this　point；　and　has　opened　communication　with　Wilmington。　A　tug…boat　came　up　this　morning；　and　will　start　back　at　6　P。　M。
  I　have　written　a　letter　to　General　Grant；　the　substance　of　which　he　will　doubtless　communicate；　and　it　must　suffice　for　me　to　tell　you　what　I　know　will　give　you　pleasurethat　I　have　done　all　that　I　proposed；　and　the　fruits　seem　to　me　ample　for　the　time　employed。　Charleston；　Georgetown；　and　Wilmington；　are　incidents；　while　the　utter　demolition　of　the　railroad　system　of　South　Carolina；　and　the　utter　destruction　of　the　enemy's　arsenals　of　Columbia；　Cheraw；　and　Fayetteville；　are　the　principals　of　the　movement。　　These　points　were　regarded　as　inaccessible　to　us；　and　now　no　place　in　the　Confederacy　is　safe　against　the　army　of　the　West。　　Let　Lee　hold　on　to　Richmond；　and　we　will　destroy　his　country；　and　then　of　what　use　is　Richmond。　　He　must　come　out　and　fight　us　on　open　ground；　and　for　that　we　must　ever　be　ready。　　Let　him　stick　behind　his　parapets；　and　he　will　perish。
  I　remember　well　what　you　asked　me；　and　think　I　am　on　the　right　road；　though　a　long　one。　　My　army　is　as　united　and　cheerful　as　ever；　and　as　full　of　confidence　in　itself　and　its　leaders。　　It　is　utterly　impossible　for　me　to　enumerate　what　we　have　done；　but　I　inclose　a　slip　just　handed　me；　which　is　but　partial。　　At　Columbia　and　Cheraw　we　destroyed　nearly　all　the　gunpowder　and　cartridges　which　the　Confederacy　had　in　this　part　of　the　country。　　This　arsenal　is　in　fine　order；　and　has　been　much　enlarged。　　I　cannot　leave　a　detachment　to　hold　it；　therefore　shall　burn　it；　blow　it　up　with　gunpowder；　and　then　with　rams　knock　down　its　walls。　　I　take　it　for　granted　the　United　States　will　never　again　trust　North　Corolina　with　an　arsenal　to　appropriate　at　her　pleasure。
  Hoping　that　good　fortune　may　still　attend　my　army。　　I　remain　your　servant；
  W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General。
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI；　IN　THE　FIELD；　FAYETTVILLE；　NORTH　CAROLINA；　Sunday；　March。　　12；　1885。
  Lieutenant…General　U。　S。　GRANT；　commanding　United　；States　Army；　City　Point；　Virginia。
  DEAR　GENERAL：　We　reached　this　place　yesterday　at　noon；　Hardee；　as　usual；　retreating　across　the　Cape　Fear；　burning　his　bridges；　but　our　pontoons　will　be　up　to…day；　and；　with　as　little　delay　as　possible；　I　will　be　after　him　toward　Goldsboro'。
  A　tug　has　just　come　up　from　Wilmington；　and　before　I　get　off　from　here；　I　hope　to　get　from　Wilmington　some　shoes　and　stockings；　sugar；　coffee；　and　flour。　　We　are　abundantly　supplied　with　all　else；　having　in　a　measure　lived　off　the　country。
  The　army　is　in　splendid　health；　condition；　and　spirits；　though　we　have　had　foul　weather；　and　roads　that　world　have　stopped　travel　to　almost　any　other　body