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　of　men　I　ever　heard　of。
  Our　march；　was　substantially　what　I　designedstraight　on　Columbia；　feigning　on　Branchville　and　Augusta。　　We　destroyed；　in　passing；　the　railroad　from　the　Edisto　nearly　up　to　Aiken；　again；　from　Orangeburg　to　the　Congaree；　again；　from　Colombia　down　to　Kingsville　on　the　Wateree；　and　up　toward　Charlotte　as　far　as　the　Chester　line；　thence　we　turned　east　on　Cheraw　and　Fayetteville。　　At　Colombia　we　destroyed　immense　arsenals　and　railroad　establishments；　among　which　wore　forty…three　cannon。　　At　Cheraw　we　found　also　machinery　and　material　of　war　sent　from　Charleston；　among　which　were　twenty…five　guns　and　thirty…six　hundred　barrels　of　powder；　and　here　we　find　about　twenty　guns　and　a　magnificent　United　States'　arsenal。
  We　cannot　afford　to　leave　detachments；　and　I　shall　therefore　destroy　this　valuable　arsenal；　so　the　enemy　shall　not　have　its　use；　and　the　United；　States　should　never　again　confide　such　valuable　property　to　a　people　who　have　betrayed　a　trust。
  I　could　leave　here　to…morrow；　but　want　to　clear　my　columns　of　the　vast　crowd　of　refugees　and　negroes　that　encumber　us。　　Some　I　will　send　down　the　river　in　boats；　and　the　rest　to　Wilmington　by　land；　under　small　escort；　as　soon　as　we　are　across　Cape　Fear　River。
  I　hope　you　have　not　been　uneasy　about　us；　and　that　the　fruits　of　this　march　will　be　appreciated。　　It　had　to　be　made　not　only　to　destroy　the　valuable　depots　by　the　way；　but　for　its　incidents　in　the　necessary　fall　of　Charleston；　Georgetown；　and　Wilmington。　　If　I　can　now　add　Goldsboro'　without　too　much　cost；　I　will　be　in　a　position　to　aid　you　materially　in　the　spring　campaign。
  Jos。　Johnston　may　try　to　interpose　between　me　here　and　Schofield　about　Newbern；　but　I　think　he　will　not　try　that；　but　concentrate　his　scattered　armies　at　Raleigh；　and　I　will　go　straight　at　him　as　soon　as　I　get　our　men　reclothed　and　our　wagons　reloaded。
  Keep　everybody　busy；　and　let　Stoneman　push　toward　Greensboro'　or　Charlotte　from　Knoxville；　even　a　feint　in　that　quarter　will　be　most　important。
  The　railroad　from　Charlotte　to　Danville　is　all　that　is　left　to　the　enemy；　and　it　will　not　do　for　me　to　go　there；　on　account　of　the　red…clay　hills　which　are　impassable　to　wheels　in　wet　weather。
  I　expect　to　make　a　junction　with　General　Schofield　in　ten　days。
  Yours　truly；
  W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General。
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI；　IN　THE　FIELD；　FAYETTVILLE；　NORTH　CAROLINA；　Sunday；　March。　　12；　1885。
  Major…General　TERRY；　commanding　United　States　Forces；　Wilmington；　North　Carolina。
  GENERAL：　I　have　just　received　your　message　by　the　tug　which　left　Wilmington　at　2　p。m。　　yesterday；　which　arrived　here　without　trouble。　　The　scout　who　brought　me　your　cipher…message　started　back　last　night　with　my　answers；　which　are　superseded　by　the　fact　of　your　opening　the　river。
  General　Howard　just　reports　that　he　has　secured　one　of　the　enemy's　steamboats　below　the　city；　General　Slocum　will　try　to　secure　two　others　known　to　be　above；　and　we　will　load　them　with　refugees　（white　and　black）　who　have　clung　to　our　skirts；　impeded　our　movements；　and　consumed　our　food。
  We　have　swept　the；　country　well　from　Savannah　to　here；　and　the　men　and　animals　are　in　fine　condition。　　Had　it　not　been　for　the　foul　weather；　I　would　have　caught　Hardee　at　Cheraw　or　here；　but　at　Columbia；　Cheraw；　and　here；　we　have　captured　immense　stores；　and　destroyed　machinery；　guns；　ammunition；　and　property；　of　inestimable　value　to　our　enemy。　　At　all　points　he　has　fled　from　us；　〃standing　not　on　the　order　of　his　going。〃
  The　people　of　South　Carolina；　instead　of　feeding　Lee's　army；　will　now　call　on　Lee　to　feed　them。
  I　want　you　to　send　me　all　the　shoes；　stockings；　drawers；　suger；　coffee；　and　flour；　you　can　spare；　finish　the　loads　with　oats　or　corn：　Have　the　boats　escorted；　and　let　them　run　at　night　at　any　risk。　　We　must　not　give　time　for　Jos。　Johnston　to　concentrate　at　Goldsboro'。　　We　cannot　prevent　his　concentrating　at　Raleigh；　but　he　shall　have　no　rest。　I　want　General　Schofield　to　go　on　with　his　railroad　from　Newbern　as　far　as　he　can；　and　you　should　do　the　same　from　Wilmington。　　If　we　can　get　the　roads　to　and　secure　Goldsboro'　by　April　10th；　it　will　be　soon　enough；　but　every　day　now　is　worth　a　million　of　dollars。　　I　can　whip　Jos。　Johnston　provided　he　does　not　catch　one　of　my　corps　in　flank；　and　I　will　see　that　the　army　marches　hence　to　Goldsboro'　in　compact　form。
  I　must　rid　our　army　of　from　twenty　to　thirty　thousand　useless　mouths；　as　many　to　go　down　Cape　Fear　as　possible；　and　the　rest　to　go　in　vehicles　or　on　captured　horses　via　Clinton　to　Wilmington。
  I　thank　you　for　the　energetic　action　that　has　marked　your　course；　and　shall　be　most　happy　to　meet　you。　　I　am；　truly　your　friend；
  W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General。
  In　quick　succession　I　received　other　messages　from　General　Terry；　of　older　date；　and　therefore　superseded　by　that　brought　by　the　tug　Davidson；　viz。；　by　two　naval　officers；　who　had　come　up　partly　by　canoes　and　partly　by　land；　General　Terry　had　also　sent　the　Thirteenth　Pennsylvania　Cavalry　to　search　for　us；　under　Colonel　Kerwin；　who　had　dispatched　Major　Berks　with　fifty　men；　who　reached　us　at　Fayetteville；　so　that；　by　March　12th；　I　was　in　full　communication　with　General　Terry　and　the　outside　world。　　Still；　I　was　anxious　to　reach　Goldsboro'；　there　to　make　junction　with　General　Schofield；　so　as　to　be　ready　for　the　next　and　last　stage　of　the　war。　　I　then　knew　that　my　special　antagonist；　General　Jos。　E。　Johnston；　was　back；　with　part　of　his　old　army；　that　he　would　not　be　misled　by　feints　and　false　reports；　and　would　somehow　compel　me　to　exercise　more　caution　than　I　had　hitherto　done。　　I　then　over…estimated　his　force　at　thirty…seven　thousand　infantry；　supposed　to　be　made　up　of　S。　D。　　Lee's　corps；　four　thousand；　Cheatham's；　five　thousand；　Hoke's；　eight　thousand；　Hardee's；　ten　thousand；　and　other　detachments；　ten　thousand；　with　Hampton's；　Wheeler's；　and　Butler's　cavalry；　about　eight　thousand。　　Of　these；　only　Hardee　and　the　cavalry　were　immediately　in　our　front；　while　the　bulk　of　Johnston's　army　was　supposed　to　be　collecting　at　or　near　Raleigh。　　I　was　determined；　however；　to　give　him　as　little　time　for　organization　as　possible；　and　accordingly　crossed　Cape　Fear　River；　with　all　the　army；　during　the　13th　and　14th；　leaving　one　division　as　a　rearguard；　until　the　arsenal　could　be　completely　destroyed。　　This　was　deliberately　and　completely　leveled　on　the　14th；　when　fire　was　applied　to　the　wreck。　　Little　other　damage　was　done　at　Fayetteville。
  On　the　14th　the　tug　Davidson　again　arrived　from　Wilmington；　with　General　Dodge；　quartermaster；　on　board；　reporting　that　there　was　no　clothing　to　be　had　at　Wilmington；　but　he　brought　up　some　sugar　and　coffee；　which　were　most　welcome；　and　some　oats。　　He　was　followed　by　a　couple　of　gunboats；　under　command　of　Captain　Young；　United　States　Navy；　who　reached　Fayetteville　after　I　had　left；　and　undertook　to　patrol　the　river　as　long　as　the　stage　of　water　would　permit；　and　General　Dodge　also　promised　to　use　the　captured　steamboats　for　a　like　purpose。　　Meantime；　also；　I　had　sent　orders　to　General　Schofield；　at　Newbern；　and　to　General　Terry；　at　Wilmington；　to　move　with　their　effective　forces　straight　for　Goldsboro'；　where　I　expected　to　meet　them　by　the　20th　of　March。
  On　the　15th　of　March　the　whole　army　was　across　Cape　Fear　River；　and　at　once　began　its　march　for　Goldsboro'；　the　Seventeenth　Corps　still　on　the　right；　the　Fifteenth　next　in　order；　then　the　Fourteenth　and　Twentieth　on　the　extreme　left；　the　cavalry；　acting　in　close　concert　with　the　left　flank。　　With　almost　a　certainty　of　being　attacked　on　this　flank；　I　had　instructed　General　Slocum　to　send　his　corps…　trains　under　strong　escort　by　an　interior　road；　holding　four　divisions　ready　for　immediate　battle。　　General　Howard　was　in　like　manner　ordered　to　keep　his　trains　well　to　his　right；　and　to　have　four　divisions　unencumbered；　about　six　miles　ahead　of　General　Slocum；　within　easy　support。
  In　the　mean　time；　I　had　dispatched　by　land　to　Wilmington　a　train　of　refugees　who　had　followed　the　army　all　the　way　from　Columbia；　South　Carolina；　under　an　escort　of　two　hundred　men；　commanded　by　Major　John　A。　　Winson　（One　Hundred　and　Sixteenth　Illinois　Infantry）；　so　that　we　were　disencumbered；　and　prepared　for　instant　battle　on　our　left　and　exposed　flank。
  In　person　I　accompanied　General　Slocum；　and　during　the　night　of　March　15th　was　thirteen　miles　out　on　the　Raleigh　road。　　This　flank　followed　substantially　a　road　along　Cape　Fear　River　north；　encountered　pretty　stubborn　resistance　by　Hardee's　infantry；　artillery；　and　cavalry；　and　the　ground　favored　our　enemy；　for　the　deep　river；　Cape　Fear；　was　on　his　right；　and　North　River　on　his　left；　forcing　us　to　attack　him　square　in　front。　　I　proposed　to　drive　Hardee　well　beyond　Averysboro'；　and　then　to　turn　to　the　right　by　Bentonaville　for　Goldsboro'。　　During　the　day　it　rained　very　hard；　and　I　had　taken　refuge　in　an　old　cooper…shop；　where　a　prisoner　of　war　was　brought　to　me　（sent　back　from　the　skirmish…line　by　General　Kilpatrick）；　who　proved　to　be　Colonel　Albert　Rhett；　former　commander　of　Fort　Sumter