906 Series I Volume XLVII-I Serial 98 - Columbia Part I
Page 906 | Chapter LIX. OPERATIONS IN N. C., S. C., S. GA., AND E. FLA. |
Accompanying this are the reports of my regimental commanders, which I beg you to accept as a part of my report. I have the honor to remain, Major, respectfully, your obedient servant,
WM. B. WAY,
Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding Brigade.
Major L. G. ESTES,
Assistant Adjutant-General, Third Cavalry Division.
Numbers 229. Report of Lieutenant Elbert W. Fowler, Tenth Wisconsin Battery, of operations January 27-March 24.
HDQRS. FIRST Brigadier, SEC. TENTH WISCONSIN BATTERY,
In the Field, Mount Olive, N. C., March 27, 1865.CAPTAIN: Agreeable to orders I respectfully submit the following report of the operations of my command during the campaign commencing at Savannah, Ca., January 27, and ending at Mount Olive, N. C., March 24, 1865: By easy marches, with the brigade, I reached Sister's Ferry, Ga., February 1, and rested till the p.m. of the 3rd instant; then crossed the Savannah River, wading swamps and fording mud holes six miles to Robertsville, S. C., my first bivouac, and the commencement of operations in the Carolinas. From Robertsville, via Lawtonville, Allendale, Barnwell Court-House, Blackville, Williston, Windsor, to Johnson's Turnout, on the South Carolina Railroad, twenty-two miles from Augusta, was without special incident to the battery. March 11 [February], in position on the pike at Johnson's Turnout, facing toward Aiken; open level ground to my left, front, and right, bounded by pine woods about 1,000 yards distant. By order of General Kilpatrick I opened fire upon the enemy's charging line of cavalry as they emerged from the woods in front with both guns, while Second Brigade was forming in the barricades on the right, and fired slowly till the enemy opened fire on my left, when I, by order of Captain Beebe, chief of Artillery, cavalry division, moved quickly to the left to the rail barricade, 600 yards distant, and had time to fire but two rounds of canister before the enemy, already whipped by the Eighth Indiana Cavalry (my support on the left), got out of range. Fired this day from the two guns fifty-nine rounds, of which two were canister, the rest fuse-shells. What execution my fire did I was unable to learn, as I had no opportunity to visit the field after the fight.
From the time I left Johnson's Turnout, February 13, to the time the command reached the North Carolina line north of Chesterfield, March 4, was hard marching for Artillery, and told severely on my horses. Near Hornsborough Post-Office, S. C., March 4, there was considerable skirmishing with the enemy's cavalry, which had followed us closely for some time. In the evening, by order of Colonel Jordan, commanding brigade, one gun was run by hand to the crest of a hill about 100 yards to the right of my park, and fired one shell at the enemy's cavalry picket-post, distant about 1,000 yards, which had the effect of dispersing the force. About one hour later the brigade was moved rapidly about two miles southeast, and the battery, by order of General Kilpatrick, put in position enfilading the road to the
Page 906 | Chapter LIX. OPERATIONS IN N. C., S. C., S. GA., AND E. FLA. |