memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第58部分

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as　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　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　gen