Raleigh, N.C. April 29^th 1865.

 

My Dear Sister:

                        Your letter of the 12^th has just come to hand, and I improve a few leisure moments to answer it. This morning part of the Army started on its march northward, and to-morrow we will follow.

 

            In the absence of anything of special interest now occurring I will give you another installment of my unfinished journal.

 

            Tuesday Feb 28^th we marched 16 miles. Our route still lay through a pine barren. For miles you meet nothing but the same dreary, monotonous pine. At long distance you come upon some little clearing where you find a hovel inhabited by the most wretched, degraded, ignorant set of people that it is possible to conceive of as living in a land of civilization. Wretched beyond belief are the poor whites of South Carolina.—The weather still continued rainy. We camped for the night on opposite sides of a ravine, and exceedingly beautiful were the myriads of camp fires / gleaming with a dull, red glow through the thick smoke of the resinous pine.

 

            Wednesday, March 1^st we remained in camp all day. We were now near Cheraw S.C. and the rebels were reported to be in force there. Our Corps had advanced farther than the others, and we must wait for them. Quite a number of families of the "poor white trash" here joined us. Scarcely one of these people know how to read, and their morals are somewhat like those of the Mormons. They have just about as pious notions of the sanctity of marriage obligations as that notorious sect, "The Free Lovers". Ignorant, degraded, sallow looking, tobacco chewing, snuff dipping specimens of humanity! Fit tools were they for the slaveholding aristocrats; ready at all times to do their bidding. I have seen old men amongst them absolutely unable to count. Such is the effect of slavery upon the white man.

 

            Thursday, 2^nd we still remained in the same locality. On this day occurred a scene of tragic interest. One of our foragers had been found brutally murdered, and retaliation / was decided upon. From the South Carolina prisoners in our hands, about 100 in number the selection was made. The prisoners were drawn up in line not knowing what was intended. One by one they step up draw forth a slip, hand it to an officer who examines it and then tells them to pass on. Well they surmise now what it means. Silently and with troubled countenances they walk forth, knowing that it is a chance in a lottery for life. How relieved they look how much quicker they step when the slip is found to be blank which they hold. About seventy have passed. Now comes a mild looking, middle aged man. Nervously he fingers the box, draws forth his hand and draws forth two. He must try again. Again that nervous hand enters the box. This time he has but one. He hands it to the officer and starts to pass on. But the officer details him. That little piece of paper contains his death warrant. On it is written "You are the man". He is informed of the purpose of the drawing, is taken away, and within two hours after has been shot. He was said by / his fellow prisoners to have been a worthy man, a member minister of the M. E. Church. He left a wife and family of small children.—Such are sometimes the cruel necessities of war.

 

            Friday, 3^rd we marched into Cheraw 13 miles, driving the rebels before us in hot haste. They had evacuated a formidable line of breastworks in consequence of a flank movement, and had fired a bridge over a creek to prevent pursuit. But so closely were they followed, that the fire was extinguished before it had done much damage. They were followed on through town but they succeeded in crossing the Great Pedee River and firing the bridge ere we could come up with them. In their hot haste however they left a large amount of stores, ammunition and arms. Thirty pieces of artillery fell into our hands. One, a 32 pounder, a fine gun, bore the inscription: "Presented to the sovereign State of South Carolina in com by one of her citizens abroad in commemoration of Dec. 20^th 1860". An immense quantity of powder and ammunition was found and stores of various kinds, removed to this place on the evacuation of Charleston. There were several hospitals in the place also full of rebel sick and wounded.

 

            Saturday 4^th we remained quietly in town. The place is a neat little town, of perhaps 2000 inhabitants, scattered over a large area of ground. Gen. Blair's Hd. Qrs. were at McFarland's, a very wealthy rebel, who found it convenient to be absent at our approach. His family were at home. This McFarland has borne a very prominent part in the rebellion, especially in enforcement of conscription. Many a one of his poorer fellow citizens expressed the charitable wish that we might catch and hang him. I think I never heard a man's neighbors execrate him more. As he was wealthy of course Gen. Blair carefully guarded his premises, according to his custom small amount of damage was done him nevertheless, the boys all taking a malicious pleasure in destroying what they could. There was the most extensive / and finest conservatory connected with the place that I have ever seen. It was provided with heating furnaces, water, and everything necessary. The collection of plants was very large, embracing many beautiful plants of a tropical nature entirely unknown to me. For once I wished myself a naturalist and botanist.

 

            Sunday 5^th the troops moved over the river, but we still remained in town. A large fire occurred, which destroyed several buildings. Numerous heavy explosions took place, shaking the very earth. They were caused by the explosion of vast quantities of powder and ammunition. I never heard such terrific explosions.

 

            Monday 6^th we moved over the river, on the pontoon. The stream is about the width of the Muskingum and quite rapid. We marched to Bennetville, a small village southeast of Cheraw, 14 miles. We passed over a fine rolling country, very different from the pine barren on the other side of the river. At Bennetville we some of our boys went out prospecting as we call it. The mode of procedure is this: Take a ramrod and go into the garden or field near the house. Look / around and if you find any signs of the ground having been disturbed lately, run down your ramrod. If it goes in easily and then strikes upon something hard, then dig and ten chances to one you will find a box of hidden articles. Not a day passed in which there were not a number of boxes thus found. On this occasion the articles found were meat, silk dresses, a gold watch, a number of daguerreotypes, and a package of old letters. Sometimes gold and silver in considerable quantities were thus found. The negroes often told where things were concealed. One day one told us of a quantity of meat buried. We dug up 28 hams and shoulders and left a large quantity of side meat. We rarely took side meat because we preferred hams.

 

            But I must close. My love to all.

                                               

Your aff. Brother

SOURCES