memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第76章

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The　morning　sun　of　February　18th　rose　bright　and　clear　over　a　ruined　city。　　About　half　of　it　was　in　ashes　and　in　smouldering　heaps。　　Many　of　the　people　were　houseless；　and　gathered　in　groups　in　the　suburbs；　or　in　the　open　parks　and　spaces；　around　their　scanty　piles　of　furniture。　　General　Howard；　in　concert　with　the　mayor；　did　all　that　was　possible　to　provide　other　houses　for　them；　and　by　my　authority　he　turned　over　to　the　Sisters　of　Charity　the　Methodist　College；　and　to　the　mayor　five　hundred　beef…cattle；　to　help　feed　the　people；　I　also　gave　the　mayor　（Dr。　　Goodwin）　one　hundred　muskets；　with　which　to　arm　a　guard　to　maintain　order　after　we　should　leave　the　neighborhood。　　During　the　18th　and　19th　we　remained　in　Columbia；　General　Howard's　troops　engaged　in　tearing　up　and　destroying　the　railroad；　back　toward　the　Wateree；　while　a　strong　detail；　under　the　immediate　supervision　of　Colonel　O。　M。　Poe；　United　States　Engineers；　destroyed　the　State　Arsenal；　which　was　found　to　be　well　supplied　with　shot；　shell；　and　ammunition。　These　were　hauled　in　wagons　to　the　Saluda　River；　under　the　supervision　of　Colonel　Baylor；　chief　of　ordnance；　and　emptied　into　deep　water；　causing　a　very　serious　accident　by　the　bursting　of　a　percussion…shell；　as　it　struck　another　on　the　margin　of　the　water。　The　flame　followed　back　a　train　of　powder　which　had　sifted　out；　reached　the　wagons；　still　partially　loaded；　and　exploded　them；　killing　sixteen　men。　　and　destroying　several　wagons　and　teams　of　mules。　　We　also　destroyed　several　valuable　founderies　and　the　factory　of　Confederate　money。　　The　dies　had　been　carried　away；　but　about　sixty　handpresses　remained。　　There　was　also　found　an　immense　quantity　of　money；　in　various　stages　of　manufacture；　which　our　men　spent　and　gambled　with　in　the　most　lavish　manner。

Having　utterly　ruined　Columbia；　the　right　wing　began　its　march　northward；　toward　Winnsboro'；　on　the　20th；　which　we　reached　on　the　21st；　and　found　General　Slocum；　with　the　left　wing；　who　had　come　by　the　way　of　Alston。　　Thence　the　right　wing　was　turned　eastward；　toward　Cheraw；　and　Fayetteville；　North　Carolina；　to　cross　the　Catawba　River　at　Peay's　Ferry。　　The　cavalry　was　ordered　to　follow　the　railroad　north　as　far　as　Chester；　and　then　to　turn　east　to　Rocky　Mount；　the　point　indicated　for　the　passage　of　the　left　wing。　In　person　I　reached　Rocky　Mount　on　the　22d；　with　the　Twentieth　Corps；　which　laid　its　pontoon…bridge　and　crossed　over　during　the　23d。　　Kilpatrick　arrived　the　next　day；　in　the　midst　of　heavy　rain；　and　was　instructed　to　cross　the　Catawba　at　once；　by　night；　and　to　move　up　to　Lancaster；　to　make　believe　we　were　bound　for　Charlotte；　to　which　point　I　heard　that　Beauregard　had　directed　all　his　detachments；　including　a　corps　of　Hood's　old　army；　which　had　been　marching　parallel　with　us；　but　had　failed　to　make　junction　with；　the　forces　immediately　opposing　us。　　Of　course；　I　had　no　purpose　of　going　to　Charlotte；　for　the　right　wing　was　already　moving　rapidly　toward　Fayetteville；　North　Carolina。　　The　rain　was　so　heavy　and　persistent　that　the　Catawba；　River　rose　fast；　and　soon　after　I　had　crossed　the　pontoon　bridge　at　Rocky　Mount　it　was　carried　away；　leaving　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