DANA'S, DAVIDSON'S AND GRIERSON'S RAIDS. 695 off his foraging parties; forcing back | Rebel force which it defeated, after, his cavalry on his infantry. Georgia an obstinate fight; destroying several was swiftly and cheaply traversed, simply by reason of the admirable dispositions which left the enemy in doubt as to his objective, and paralyzed, at Macon, Augusta, Savannah, &c., forces which should have been concentrated to oppose his advance. Sherman announced his crowning triumph to President Lincoln as follows: "I beg to present you, as a Christmas gift, the city of Savannah, with 150 heavy guns and plenty of ammunition, and also about 25,000 bales of cotton." The President responded as fol- "EXECUTIVE MANSION "Many, many thanks for your Christmas miles of the railroad, including the bridge, with locomotives, cars, cotton, and valuable stores. The other," under Gen. Davidson, moved simultaneously from Baton Rouge to Tangipahoa, where it broke up the same railroad, destroying bridges, &c.; pushing on to Franklinton and West Pascagoula; meeting little resistance, taking some prisoners, and causing alarm for the safety of Mobile. A third and more important mounted expedition was dispatched" by Gen. Dana from Memphis, 3,500 strong, led by Gen. Grierson, southeastward through north Alabama to Tupelo on the Mobile railroad, which to Okolona; Col. Karge, by the way, was thoroughly broken up southward surprising" a Rebel camp at Verona, dispersing the force holding it, capturing 32 cars, 8 warehouses filled with ordnance and supplies, which were being loaded for Hood's army on 200 wagons taken by Forrest from ing the work of Gen. Thomas into the ac- Sturgis at Guntown. All were decount, as it should be taken, it is indeed a great success. "When you were about to leave Atlanta fearful; but, feeling that you were the bet- "Not only does it afford the obvious and ing to the world that your army could be "Please make my grateful acknowledg- "Yours, very truly, A. LINCOLN.” stroyed. At Okolona, Grierson intercepted" dispatches from Dick Taylor, at Mobile, promising rëenforcements, which deserters said would arrive at 11 A. M. next day. He decided, therefore, to attack at daylight, and did so: the Rebels being intrenched at a little station known as Egypt, with 4 guns on platform cars, and some Two separate expeditions were sent 1,200 to 2,000 men. While the fight out from the Mississippi to distract was in progress, two trains came up the enemy's attention from Sherman, the road with rëenforcements for the and prevent a concentration against enemy; but Grierson interposed behim. One of them, under Gen. Dana, tween these and his stationary foes, was dispatched from Vicksburg; en-repelling the former, and routing the countering," on the Big Black, a latter; capturing and destroying a 25 Nov. 25. 20 Dec. 21. 27 Dec. 25. 28 Dec. 27. train, taking 500 prisoners, and dis- | intrenched on Honey hill, covering persing the force at Egypt. Among their killed was Gen. Gholson. Making feints in different directions, Grierson now moved southwestward; striking the Mississippi Central at Winona, and tearing it up for miles on either hand; while the 4th Iowa pushed south to Bankston, destroying there Confederate cloth and shoe factories. Grierson moved from Winona to Benton; where Col. Osband engaged and defeated Col. Wood's Rebel cavalry. The expedition made its way thence to Vicksburg with 500 prisoners, 800 beeves, and 1,000 negroes; having destroyed immense amounts of Rebel property, most of it of great military value, including 95 cars, 300 wagons, 30 full warehouses, &c., with a total loss of 27 killed, 93 wounded, 7 missing. Among its prisoners were 100 who had been recruited from among our men famishing in Rebel prison-camps, who had taken this course to save their lives. Gen. Foster, commanding on the Sea Islands, being directed by Gen. Halleck to make a demonstration inland in behalf of Gen. Sherman, who was expected near Pocotaligo at the end of November, was enabled to spare from his various garrisons but 5,000 men for this service. At the head of this force, he ascended Broad river on steamboats, landing" at Boyd's Neck; immediately pushing out Gen. J. P. Hatch to seize the Charleston and Savannah railroad near Grahamsville. Hatch, missing the way, failed to reach the railroad that day, and was confronted, next morning, by a strong Rebel force 29 Nov. 30. Grahamsville and the railroad. As saulting this, he was stoutly fought and worsted, recoiling at nightfall; having suffered a loss of 746 in killed, wounded, and missing. Foster now threw two brigades, under Gen. E. E. Potter, across the Coosawhatchie to Devaux Neck, between the two branches of Broad river, whence Potter advanced and seized" a position within cannon-shot of the railroad, which he fortified and held, while the rest of Foster's movable column was brought up to his support. Here, Foster received" his first news of Sherman's appearance before Savannah, and proceeded at once to the Ogeechee to meet him. By Sherman's direction, he held on to his position; and, after Hardee had fled past to Charleston, he occupied without resistance the Rebel works at Pocotaligo, and at the railroad crossings of the Coosawhatchie and Tullifinny. Gen. Foster was preparing to operate, under Sherman's orders, against Charleston, when he was relieved-because of his suffering from an unhealed wound-by Gen. Gillmore. 30 Dec. 6. "1 Dec. 12. SHERMAN ENTERS SOUTH CAROLINA. 697 threatening an advance on Augusta | army, with its trains, to traverse her -Gen. Sherman thus pursuing his favorite strategy of dividing the enemy's forces and distracting his attention from his real objective, so as to prevent a concentration to resist him in the difficult, inhospitable region through which his course lay. Incessant rains, which flooded most of the adjacent country, giving the Savannah at Sister's ferry a surface width of nearly three miles, submerging the causeway road, and breaking up Gen. Slocum's pontoon-bridge, compelled a delay of a fortnight; during which, Savannah was made over " to Gen. Foster: Gen. Grover's division of the 19th corps having been sent by Gen. Grant to form its garrison. Some feints were made from Pocotaligo of an advance on Charleston; Foster's position between the Coosawhatchie and Tullifinny abandoned as no longer of use; and at lengththe flood having somewhat abated Sherman's whole army moved" nearly northward; Slocum, with Kilpatrick, crossing the Savannah at Sister's ferry or Purysburg, and moving on Barnwell and Beaufort's bridge, threatening Augusta; while the right wing, keeping for some distance west of the Combahee and Salkehatchie, should cross at Rivers's and at Beaufort's bridges and push rapidly for the Edisto; thus flanking Charleston and compelling its precipitate evacuation by the enemy, after they should have been kept paralyzed so long as might be in apprehension of a siege. Southern South Carolina is so inveterately and generally a swamp, and was now so sodden and covered with water, that the belief was common among her people that for an whole extent, from south-west to north-east, in mid-winter, was a physical impossibility. Yet, to provide against the chance of Sherman's proving able to overcome the resistance of the elements, Gov. Magrath had, by proclamation, summoned" to the field as militia every White male in the State between the ages of 16 and 60, not already in the service; proclaiming that those who did not voluntarily come out should be forced out, and that all former exemptions would be disregarded. Ample time had been afforded for felling her abundant trees across her narrow roads-that being about the last conspicuous service which her slaves were constrained to render to their masters. Wheeler's troopers hovered around our advance, watching for chances; while a brigade of infantry lay behind the Salkehatchie at Rivers's bridge, prepared to dispute its passage. This, however, was brushed" aside by a turning movement from below-to make which, Mower's and G. A. Smith's divisions of Blair's corps waded through a swamp three miles wide, covered with water, one to four feet deepthe weather having become bitterly cold-the two Generals wading at the head of their men. Once over, the Rebels were quickly driven off in disorder, retreating behind the Edisto at Branchville: our loss here being 18 killed and 70 wounded. Our infantry pressed rapidly after them; the enemy burning the bridges over the Edisto while our broke up the South Carolina railroad for many miles; and Kilpatrick, skirmishing heavily with Wheeler, "Dec. 29, 1864. Feb. 3, 1865. 85 men CROSSING OF THE EDISTO AND CONGAREE. 699 moved by Barnwell and Blackville to guns of a substantial fort on the The left wing, under Slocum, had found the crossing of the swollen Savannah so difficult, that it was not entirely clear of that river till the 7th; but it had encountered thenceforth very little resistance; Wheeler's cavalry being the only force that infested its march, and this being kept quite busy by Kilpatrick alone. Augusta was full of Rebel stores; and, in painful apprehension of a visit from Sherman, was defended by such Georgians as could be mustered for militia; but Sherman had no notion of molesting or being molested by them. The shattered remnant of Hood's army-once more consigned to Jo. Johnston-was making its way, under Cheatham, from north Mississippi across Sherman's track through Georgia to his front in the Carolinas, but was not yet near enough to give us trouble: so Slocum, unvexed by any obstacle but the necessity of corduroying the interminable swamps he must traverse, crossed the South SC Feb. 15. The 15th corps was again resisted" at the crossing of the Congaree; where the bridge was swept by the |
