Goldsboro, N.C. April 5^th 1865.

 

My Dear Mother:

                        I yesterday received Jerusha's letter of March 15^th and her letter of Feb 23^d also came to hand. Two letters have been received from you. Our mail is very irregular and frequently letters of a later date are received previously to those written earlier. The army is still around Goldsboro but there are indications of a movement before many days. I am still on Provost Guard and shall probably remain here in this place for some time yet. Everything is quiet here. Religious meetings are held nightly in the churches of the place, and there seems to be considerable interest. The churches are [faded] a number of soldiers have [faded] manifested [paper fold] is plenteous, but the laborers are few. Chaplains are [faded] not the rule. It was very pleasant to listen to a sermon again after having been deprived of that privilege for over six months. There are five or six churches here. The town is only about half the size of Marietta.

 

            Now for my journal again.

 

            Monday, Feb. 13^th we marched from Orangeburg toward Columbia a distance of 14 miles. Our route lay along the railroad, which thousands of busy Yankees were engaged in utterly destroying. We passed over a good farming country and found an abundance of forage of all kinds.

 

            Tuesday Feb 14^th we moved out nine miles. The 15^th Corps came in upon the same road just ahead of us so that we could not march far. Our prisoners were kept that night in a large cotton gin. This day my messmate, who was detailed on a forage brought in a mule and a negro, whom we appropriated, the negro to carry water and take our care of the mule, the mule to haul our knapsacks and provisions. This arrangement which lightened me of considerable load, we kept up during the whole trip, except that we whipped the negro a large, stout fellow, but as lazy [faded] as I ever saw. We afterward procured a small darkey about 16 years old. He proved to be very handy and he is still working for us. He had / previously been in the rebel army waiting on his master, who was a rebel Colonel.

 

            Wednesday Feb. 15^th we marched about 12 miles. The 15^th Corps was in our front upon the main Columbia road and they had found the enemy strongly posted on the opposite side of a creek. They engaged their attention in front, and our Corps took a by road to the left and marched until about 10 P.M. The roads were narrow and the night dark, so that marching was difficult, especially so since we had to keep close watch of our prisoners.

 

            Thursday, Feb. 16^th a march of 6 miles brought us opposite Columbia, and in plain view of the city, the Congaree River only separating us from it. We could look over into the town and see the rebels running about here and there. A battery was placed in position and a few shells sent over by way of compliment. There was a little skirmishing across the river. One could scarcely realize that there was an enemy in the city. They made no reply to our shelling. The boys were gathered thick everywhere looking at the town, and watching the occasional passers through the streets. The city was beautifully situated on a commanding eminence. At the city the river was too rocky to admit of pontooning, and so we must go farther up to cross. The army was now concentrated except the 14^th Corps which was still six or eight miles off, and which did not come nearer. Near Columbia the Saluda and Broad Rivers flow together and form the Congaree. We crossed the river former on

 

            Friday, Feb. 17^th. A large factory where clothes were manufactured for the Confederacy was destroyed on this stream. The army crossed and entered the city in the forenoon. There was some skirmishing yet it was light and very few if any were hurt. Yet, according to rebel papers that I afterward saw they (the rebs.) "fell back before overwhelming numbers after thrice repulsing the Yankees with great slaughter". You see how little you can depend upon rebel accounts. The wind blew a perfect hurricane this day, and clouds of dust filled the air. It took so long for the trains all to cross, that it was not until 

 

            Saturday morning, Feb. 18^th that Corps Hd. Qrs. crossed Broad River and entered the city. We found three fourths of the city only a smoking, smoldering mass of ruins. Even the ruins and what had escaped the conflagration showed that it had been a very beautiful city. I learned from others the particulars of the destruction. Considerable quantities of liquor were found in the city. Inflamed by this there was no controlling the fierce spirit of hatred that the army felt for South Carolina. Maddened men ran here and there firing everything. The fierce wind spread the flames with fearful rapidity. Women and children fled before the flames, saving scarcely nothing. The sick were some of them barely removed in time. Soldiers rushed through the streets, intent only on plunder and destruction. Hundreds of homeless citizens, many of them ladies of wealth and refinement, wandered about not knowing where to go. The lurid glare of the flames as they leaped high in air lit up the whole city. For hours that night there was nought but indiscriminate robbery and destruction. It was a night of terror not soon to be forgotten by the inhabitants. Hundreds sought shelter in the lunatic asylum, but even the next day I saw quite a number of young ladies from a Female Seminary that had been burned wandering about, with some kind of bundle under their arm, all they had saved, and not knowing where to go. I cared nothing for the destruction of property, but to thus see women and children suffering was a little too much, even for my hardened sensibilities, and I could not but condemn the act that made them houseless. There were very few however who did not rejoice in the scene. We marched our prisoners to the place where the rebels had kept our officers prisoners. It was a large yard, surrounded by a high brick wall. At a distance of 15 or 20 feet from the wall was a small ditch, which constituted the "dead line". To step but one foot over this was death. The accommodations as far as regarded water and shelter were pretty good. The rations however were as usual very scant, although they fared better than the privates. About 1400 officers were confined here. Of these about 100 managed to escape by concealing themselves until we came in. Some hid in a tunnel below ground. About twenty five or thirty in the upper room of a hospital / sprung down a board in the ceiling and then crammed in between the ceiling and the roof. For four days they remained in this pent up place and evaded the vigilant searches of the guard. They had almost concluded to give up when the sound of our cannon told them that deliverance was at hand.

 

            Sunday Feb. 19^th we remained in the city. The day was spent on the destruction of the cotton, and the arsenal and arms which still remained unharmed. Large quantities of ammunition were found and  all day long this was being exploded. Near our camp was a deserted house. The inhabitants had fled, leaving behind them everything. We helped ourselves to the costly furniture and mahogany chairs and stands adorned our camp. They had left also a fine library. There was in it a complete edition finely bound of Walter Scott's works, and also of Cooper's novels. There were also a large number of miscellaneous works. I would have given almost anything to have had the library at home. There were quite a number of military books among the rest.

 

            Monday Feb. 20^th we left the city and proceeded northward along the line of the railroad, which was most effectually destroyed. The iron was light, and the boys in their glee either turned it into a braid or wound it once or twice around some tree. Quite a number of white families from Columbia accompanied us and the number of black refugees was immense.

 

            Tuesday Feb 21^st we moved 10 miles farther up the railroad, to Simpson, still continuing the work of destruction. This day a number more of escaped prisoners came to us.

 

            Wednesday, Feb. 22^nd we celebrated Washington's Birthday by passing through Winnsboro. Other troops had been there in advance of us and the business portion of the town was in ruins. We now left the line of the railroad and struck eastward, marching that day 9 miles toward the Catawba River. The country we passed over this day was very hilly. After being so long in flat level country it was very refreshing to be amongst the hills, although it was tiresome toiling up them.   Please send me some paper and stamps; also some thread. I will write again in four or five days. Can't imagine who that young man was who called and enquired about me but didn't leave his name.

 

            I hope to hear from you soon. Direct as usual.

                                   

Your aff. Son,                                                

George.

SOURCES