General Sherman's March through the Carolinas

HARPER'S WEEKLY.

[APRIL 1, 1865.

196

FOURTEENTH AND TWENTIETH CORPS CROSSING THE SAVANNAH AT SISTER'S FERRY.

THE TWENTIETH CORPS ENTERING BLACKVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA.

SHERMAN'S MARCH THROUGH
THE CAROLINAS.

OUR readers will remember that at New Years we filled our illustrated pages with sketches by Mr. THEODORE R. DAVIS, of General SHERMAN'S march through Georgia. Three months have scarcely passed since then, and we now fill our sheet with

General DAVIS ; Twentieth, General WILLIAMS : these were accompanied by KILPATRICK'S division of cavalry.

The right wing, consisting of BLAIR'S and LOGAN'S corps, left Savannah for Beaufort January 16. Four days afterward SLOCUM, with WILLIAMS'S and DAVIS'S corps, started up the Savannah. On the 4th of February HOWARD'S column

eral BLAIR'S command; and the following extract from a letter written by HOWARD to BLAIR the next day shows the importance of the movements referred to. He says :

Your First Division, under Major-General MOWER, with almost incredible celerity, cleared Whippy Swamp, seven burned bridges, and the road filled with felled trees made a successful reconnoissance to Braxton's Bridge, forcing the enemy to destroy it, and to defend the causeway;

behind works. Your Fourth Division, under Brevet Major-General Glens A. SMITH, also crossed this wide and troublesome swamp, walking in writer above the knee, skirmished successfully with the enemy, and cut off all reinforcements from below, which might have hindered General MOWER'S success."

The movements of the right wing were now very rapid ; two positions Bambury and Midway were gained on the Augusta and Charleston Railroad.

HANGING ROCK, SOUTH CAROLINA.

OLD GOLD MINE NEAR CLIBURNE'S STORE, SOUTH CAROLINA.

another series of sketches by the same artist, illustrating General SHERMAN'S march through the Carolinas.

The orders for the march remained the same as in the march from Atlanta. As before, HOWARD had the right ring and SLOCUM the left. The army consisted of four corps the Fifteenth, General LOGAN; Seventeenth, General BLAIR ; Fourteenth,

crossed the Savannah at Sister's Ferry. This column had been delayed by mud and rain and crossed the river with great difficulty. 'The corduroy roads next the river were almost afloat from the height of the water. In the mean time HOWARD had passed through M'Phersonville, which was burned, and was moving across the Salkehatchie in the face of the enemy. This was effected by troops of Gen-

then, aided by the Ninth Illinois mounted infantry, drove back the enemy, reached River's bridges so quickly as to arrest and effectually prevent their destruction. The same division, under the same indomitable leadership, in one day made two infantry roadways through the swamp, a mile and a half in extent, demonstrated strongly on the enemy's fortified front, completely turned his position, and planted itself firmly on the eastern shore of this indescribably ugly Salkehatchie. All this was done in the face of canister, shells, and a sharp, obstinate musketry fire front

The rebels had not properly improved their best line of defense, which was the Salkehatchie. The cavalry had already gained Blackville, on the railroad west of Branchville, and was soon followed by the Twentieth Corps. Thus, it will be seen, the left wing was rapidly coming up into position. Several miles of the road west of Branchville were destroyed. This completely isolated Augusta. (Next Page)

THE FOURTEENTH CORPS CROSSING THE CATAWBA AT ROCKY HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA.

THE TWENTIETH CORPS ENTERING CHESTERFIELD, MARCH 2, 1865.