Garden's Corners, holding the cross-roads and watching the crossings of the Combahee. I omitted to state in connection with the foregoing operations that the enemy destroyed three bridges fifty or sixty fee in length, and partially destroyed a fourth in our front, between Garden's Corners and Pocotaligo. They were stage in the operations assigned to me was now accomplished, but from the difficulty of getting supplies through the obstructions at Savannah, and from the tremendous freshet that followed several days of heavy rain, considerable delay was occasioned in other parts of the proposed plan. Major-General Logan continued to transport the troops of his command by water until the 17th of January, when he was directed to march what might be left at Savannah by the Union Causeway. A portion of one division, General John E. Smith's, succeeded in getting through by that route. The water soon flooded the road and it became perfectly impassable; therefore the general continued to embark his command for Beaufort, S. C., till he had ferried over everything except his Fourth Division, under General Corse. Major-General Foster had replaced my bridge at Port Royal Ferry. General Blair had established a depot on the Pocotaligo, about seven mile from the railroad station, which light-draught vessels were able to reach at high water.

By the 28th of January the Fifteenth Corps, three divisions being near Garden's Corners and Port Royal Ferry, with the Seventeenth Corps and the bridge train, was prepared to move forward in accordance with Special Field Orders, Numbers 19, from your headquarters, excepting that General Corse had been instructed to follow the Left Wing, to form a junction with us as soon as an opportunity should offer.

In compliance with a letter of instructions from your headquarters my Special Field Orders, Numbers 25, dated January 28, were issued, and the movements of the 29th and 30th followed. General Logan encamped near McPhersonville, General Blair abreast of him, on the river road, reconnoitering to Tenant's Branch. A division of General Foster's, under General Hatch, occupied the position near Pocotaligo and reconnoitered toward the Salkehatchie bridge. The command remained substantially in the same position during the 31st of January, excepting that one division of the Seventeenth Corps, under Brigadier-General Force, made a demonstration of crossing the Salkehatchie in the direction of our right rear. He effected this by cutting wood, building fires, displaying a large skirmish line, the beating of drums, &c. The enemy opposed a considerable force of infantry and artillery.

The general-in-chief having become satisfied that the Left Wing was crossing the Savannah, permitted us to resume the march February 1. I moved General Blair to Whippy Swamp and General Logan to the vicinity of Hickory Hill Post-Office. The former encountered the enemy's cavalry soon after leaving camp and skirmished all day. Whippy Swamp Creek was reached about 1 p.m. General Blair found the road obstructed with felled trees and five small bridges destroyed. The obstructions were quickly cleared away, bridges built, the causeway conduroyed in part, and one division (Mower's) moved across to the other side. Lieutenant William N. Taylor, assistant to my chief of artillery, was severely wounded in the skirmish at the creek. The enemy's force was estimated at 600 cavalry, that took the direction of Whippy Swamp Post-Office, and some forty or fifty move who defended the crossing in General Blair's front.

General Logan also met the enemy's cavalry and cleared away considerable obstruction. At points his road was fille with trees continu-

13 R R-VOL XLVII, PT I