further operations until the morning. At daylight he found that the enemy had left his front. He therefore prepared the crossing of the South Fork of the Edisto at that place.

On the 11th the command marched as follows: Seventeenth Corps followed by a division of the Fifteenth, direct toward Orangeburg. The other three divisions of the Fifteenth Corps toward the same point along the Holman's Bridge road. General Force's division led the right column, and reached the Orangeburg bridge about 11 a.m. This bride is over the North fork of the Edisto. The stream is much of the same character as the others in this country, i. e., having several channels and bordered by wide swamps. The trees in these swamps, very many of them the cypress, are for the most part close together and afford the soldier some compensation for the mud and water that he has to wade through, since they are a good protection against musketry. On arriving insight of the bridge General Force developed, by his skirmishers, artillery commanding the main road, supported, as usual, by infantry in intrenchments. After careful reconnaissances General Bair discovered the extent of the enemy's skirmish line below, and found an open field, where the main stream ran near the west side of the swamp. The mounted infantry were sent down to make a demonstration at Rowe's Bridge, and General Blair made every preparation for forcing a crossing. General Logan moved to Poplar Springs during the day, and pushed forward some mounted men to Shilling's Bridge, six miles above Orangeburg.

The next day, the 12th, the Fifteenth Corps moved to Shilling's Bridge, where General Logan effected a crossing at two points, above and below the bridge, using the divisions of Major-General Hazen and Bvt. Major General John E. Smith. He found the enemy strongly posted behind works across the river and swamp. The enemy's position was completely turned and his retreat so nearly cut off that great numbers of his men threw away their arms and ran. He captured 80 prisoners and about 200 stand of arms. Three of the enemy were killed and quite a number wounded. General Logan's loss was 1 killed and 5 wounded. Meanwhile General Blair continued his operations, General Giles A. Smith operating with his division upon the direct front, skirmishing with the enemy, and replying to his artillery fire by a battery carefully intrenched, whilst General Force quietly laid his bridge two miles below, crossed over to the mainland, suddenly appearing upon the enemy's left flank and rear. The country was so open that the enemy was able to escape. General Blair took some 10 or 12 prisoners. General Giles A. Smith noticed the first yielding of the enemy, and followed so closely as to meet the head of General Force's column near the depot. The Seventeenth Corps immediately set to work destroying the railroad toward Branchville-destroying about six miles in that direction. Soon after entering the town of Orangeburg a fire broke out in the upper story of a store building. The incendiary work was reported to have been done by a Jew, who was angry because the rebel cavalry had burned his cotton. The wind was high and the fire spread rapidly, consuming the poorer part of the town before its progress could be arrested. Our soldiers finally got it under control and prevented is pervading farther. Some 200 bales of cotton that the rebels had spared were carefully burned by our troops.

The next day, the 13th, General Blair continued the destruction of the railroad, making complete work up to the State road, a distance of thirteen or fourteen miles from Orangeburg. His mounted men were sent forward beyond the State road and destroyed all the trestle-work