and the Right Wing had loaded its wagons and was ready to start. I therefore directed General Howard to move one corps, the Seventeenth, along the Salkehatchie, as high up as Rivers' Bridge, and the other, the Fifteenth by Hickory Hill, Loper's Cross-Roads, Angley's Post-Office, and Buford's Bridge. Hatch's division was ordered to remain at Pocotaligo, feigning at the Salkehatchie railroad bridge and ferry, until our movement turned the enemy's position and forced him to fall behind the Edisto.

The Seventeenth and Fifteenth Corps drew out of camp on the 31st of January, but the real march began on the 1st of February. All the roads northward had for weeks been held by Wheeler's cavalry, who had, by details of negro laborers, felled trees, burned bridges, and made obstructions to impede our march. but so well organized were our pioneer battalions, and so strong and intelligent our men, that obstructions seemed only to quicken their progress. Felled trees were removed and bridges rebuilt by the heads of columns before the rear could close up. On the 2nd of February the Fifteenth Corps reached Loper's Cross-Roads, and the Seventeenth was t Rivers' Bridge. From Loper's Cross-Roads I communicated with General Slocum, still struggling with the floods of the Savannah River at Sister's Ferry. He had two divisions of the Twentieth Corps, General Williams, on the east bank, and was enabled to cross over on his pontoons the cavalry of Kilpatrick. General Williams was ordered to Buford's Bridge by way of Lawtonville and Allendale; Kilpatrick to Blackville via Barnwell, and general Slocum to hurry the crossing at Sister's Ferry as much as possible, and overtake the Right Wing on the South Carolina Railroad. General Howard, with the Right wing, was directed to cross the Salkehatchie and push rapidly of the South Carolina Railroad at of near Midway. The enemy held the line of the Salkehatchie n force, having infantry and artillery intrenched at Rivers' and Buford's bridges. The Seventeenth Corps was ordered to carry Rivers' Bridge and the Fifteenth Corps Buford's Bridge. The former position was carried promptly and skillfully by Mower's and Giles A. Smith's divisions, of the Seventeenth Corps, on the 3rd of February, by crossing the swamp, nearly three miles wide, with water varying from knee to shoulder deep. The weather was bitter cold, and Generals Mower and smith led their divisions in person, on foot, waded the swamp, made a lodgment below the bridge, and turned on the rebel brigade which guarded it, driving it in confusion and disorder toward Branchville. Our casualties were 1 officer and 17 men killed, and 70 men wounded, who were sent to Pocotaligo. The line of the Salkehatchie being thus broken, the enemy retreated at once behind the Edisto at Branchville, and the whole army was pushed rapidly to the South Carolina Railroad at Midway, Bamberg (or Lowry's Station), and Graham's Station. The Seventeenth Corps, by threatening Branchville, forced the enemy to burn the railroad bridge and Walker's Bridge below, across the Edisto. All hands were at once set to work to destroy the railroad track. From the 7th to the 10th of February this work was thoroughly prosecuted by the s, from the Edisto up to Bamberg, and by the Fifteenth Corps from Bamberg up to Blackville. In the meantime General Kilpatrick had brought his cavalry rapidly by Barnwell to Blackville, and had turned toward Aiken, with orders to threaten Augusta, but not to be drawn needlessly into a serious battle. This he skillfully accomplished, skirmishing heavily with Wheeler's cavalry, first at Blackville and afterward at Williston and Aiken. General Williams, with two divisions