Today in History:

816 Series I Volume XLVII-I Serial 98 - Columbia Part I

Page 816 OPERATIONS IN N. C., S. C., S. GA., AND E. FLA. Chapter LIX.

dark; marched four miles and went into camp at 10 p. m. ; Lieutenant Jeter and ten men captured at Little River bridge while foraging. 14th, lay in camp all day. 15th, marched at 7; roads bad; halted at noon for dinner; began to ran; went into camp in woods on left of road at 1 p. m. 16th, moved at 6 o'clock; advanced three miles over very bad roads, when we were ordered into line of battle 9 a. m. Second Brigade on left of road; advanced in line of battle half a mile; 10 a. m. engagement became general, Second Brigade, Nineteenth on the right, Eighty-fifth, Twenty-second, and Thirty-third advanced, charging the enemy's works, taking two pieces of artillery, and some prisoners; Thirty-third, Major Niederauer and 3 men slightly and 1 man severely wounded; enemy fell back one mile and a half to more formidable works, where heavy shelling and skirmishing was kept up till after dark; encamped on the field. 17th, moved at 7, Third Division on left, to Averasborough, a distance of five miles; found wagons, ambulances, and dead and wounded rebels along the road; went into camp at noon; quite a number of wounded rebels at this place were paroled (the prisoners). 18th, moved at 7, for the main column on the right; reached the main road at 9 o'clock; rested till 1 p. m. ; drew two days' rations, then marched till 2 a. m. ; roads very bad. 19th, Sunday, moved at 8; deployed on train; weather fine; roads good; at noon was ordered forward on double-quick for seven miles. Fourteenth Corps were engaged with the enemy, and had been driven back one mile. Twentieth Corps arrived in time to save them from defeat; First Division. Twentieth Corps, in front, took position on left of main road, Third Division on left of First Division; battle raged with great fury till 7 p.m. ; Second Brigade was in position, strongly fortified, in forty minutes, but no enemy appeared in our immediate front. 20th, all quiet in front of Thirty-third; reconnaissance by General Baird with Third Division, Fourteenth Corps, found the enemy in full force and strongly fortified on our right. 21st, Colonel Burton, division officer of the day, Third Division picket-line, swung forward left and center; found the enemy in position along the front; some skirmishing in front of our right. 22nd, pickets relieved by cavalry; Major Niederauer, division officer of the day; regiment moved at 8 o'clock; marched seven miles south, thence seven miles east; roads very bad; passed over swamps, creeks, &c. ; went into camp at 10 o'clock on east bank of Falling Creek. 23rd, moved at 8 o'clock; roads good; winds high; marched seven miles; stopped for dinner in sand-field south side of Neuse River, having already passed Twenty-fifth Corps (colored); moved at 1 o'clock; crossed the river on pontoons at 2 p. m. ; marched five miles and went into camp at 5 o'clock, but the brigade pulled up and marched three miles and went into camp on right of road for the night in an open field. 24th, up at 2 a. m. ; pack-mules and train moved at 3 and troops at 7; Thirty-third Indiana in advance of corps; Companies H and C fell in from their advanced picket-post into the column as it passed; three miles to Little River, thence two to Goldsborough; marched past General Sherman's headquarters and encamped in open sand-field three miles north of town. 25th, moved at noon one mile back toward town and went into camp in woods. 26th, cleared off our camp and put up our quarters as best we could, since which time we have remained in same camp.

During the above-named campaign the regiment captured fifty horses and mules and foraged off the country at least forty days' rations for men and animals.

JAS. E. BURTON,

Lieutenant-colonel, Commanding Thirty-third Indiana Volunteers.


Page 816 OPERATIONS IN N. C., S. C., S. GA., AND E. FLA. Chapter LIX.