HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI,
In the Field, 21 Miles from Columbia, February 15, 1865.

General HOWARD,

Commanding Right Wing:

GENERAL: Yours of this date is received. * I would like to have Blair try and stampede the guard at the Congaree bridge bya semblance of attack, for which purpose one division to the rear of his trains would cover them all, leaving one to advance on the bridge, burning only the trestles, whilst the other confines its attention to twisting bars. Corse and Woods are now within five or six miles of Sandy Run. I think you can put all the Fifteenth across Sandy Run to-morrow, and Blair's train and division to Sandy Creek Post-Office, where the Orangeburg and State roads meet. One more march, viz, the day after to-morrow, will bring us easily up abreast of Columbia. Captain Audenried in riding ahead to-day captured a rebel lieutenant just out of Columbia, and, passing himself off as a rebel, extracted from him much information. The force now at Columbia is small and the people are not expecting us now, thinking that Augusta or Charleston are our objectives. I think Slocum will be abreast of Columbia to-morrow. I will keep with the leading division of this corps.

Yours,

W. T. SHERMAN

Major-General, Commanding.

P. S. - If you want more roads beyond Sandy Creek you can depend on any number to the left. The country is poor pine land and full of farm roads. To-day the road was perfect and there seemed any number running to every point of the compass.

S.

GENERAL
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT AND FIELD ORDERS,
ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE, Numbers 11.
Near Congaree Creek, S. C., February 15, 1865.

In consideration of the hardships and exposures cheerfully submitted to by officers of this command in general, in their strict compliance with orders, which is characteristic of all faithful and efficient soldiers, the general commanding deems it due them that Captain John W. Cornyn, commissary of subsistence, Second Division, Fifteenth Army Corps, be publicly reprimated for transporting and using for his own private comfort a number of wall-tents in direct violation of orders.

By order of Major General O. O. Howard:

A.m. VAN DYKE,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

SPECIAL
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT AND FIELD ORDERS,
ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE, Numbers 39.
Near Congaree Creek, S. C., February 15, 1865.

The movement to-morrow will be a continuation of to-day's operations. The Fifteenth Army Corps, Major General John A. Logan commanding, will hold the right and work forward toward Columbia. The

---------------

*See Part I, p. 197

---------------