Monday, January 2. - March from Columbia to Mount Pleasant. We pass farms and country residences of several of the Polk family, as well as General Pillows'. The country is one of the finest for farming purposes I have ever seen. * * *

Tuesday, January 3. - Continue march from Mount Pleasant. We go five miles on the turnpike, then turn to the right by what is called the Gordon road, climb a high hill, after which we find the road following the ridge; we follow this for five miles to the Beaver Dam road, into which it runs; we keep this for five miles more, till we come to the Ashland road, turning to the left. We encamp at the forks of the roads, having made about fifteen miles to-day. The roads would be good in good weather, but as they are now covered with water, and as it rained all the morning, it proved to be hard traveling. Halted at 3 p.m., but the trains do not succeeded in getting up. During the p.m. the weather cleared, and has since been bright. Couch's division takes the pike, which, however, is reported to be worse than the road we have come. Ruger's division has not yet left Mount Pleasant. At the Tennessee River we except to get our supplies by water.* * *

Wednesday, January 4. - The trains were delayed so that they did not come up till near noon to-day. I then ordered rations to be issued, so as to lighten the wagons, and we start again, having a citizen for guide. Our headquarters last night were at the house of a man named Whiteside, now a captain in the rebel army. The place was deserted, not a living thing being about. We continue on the Perryville road, about seven miles, to the headquarters of Grinder's Creek, then take the Ashland and Waynesborough road leading directly down the creek, which we cross a number of times. After traveling about three miles on the creek, we turn to the right, over the ridge, and come down into the waters of Rock-house Creek, then down this creek, crossing it over a dozen times to Buffalo River, which we ford, getting into camp about 9 o'clock in the evening. After reaching Rock-house Creek it became evident that we could not stop to bridge the stream where we crossed it, and the men marched through the creek, which was about fifteen yards wide and knee-deep. Buffalo River was about seventy-five yards wide and deeper. This was very severe on the men, especially the new regiments, but all stood it admirably. The latter part of the time it was freezing and the water very cold; but on getting into camp we had large fires of rails built, and made the men dry their clothes. They did not suffer from the exposure as much as we had reason to expect. We camped on the farm of an old man named Churchill, who took the loss of his rails terribly to heart. The old woman, his wife, seemed to think that the end of the world was at hand. Nearly the whole distance from Mount Pleasant we have been on top of a high ridge called the "Barrens," or, as the people here pronounce it, the "Barns." We saw but one inhabited house for fifteen miles.

Thursday, January 5. - Start at 8 o'clock on the march again, passing through Ashland, thence up Creek 48, crossing it three times with the artillery and wagons, but the infantry avoid two of the crossings by following the ridge alongside of the stream. After traveling seven miles we ascend a hill again, and follow a ridge road to the Mount Pleasant and Waynesborough turnpike, which we strike about two miles from the latter place, thence into town, making about fourteen miles to-day. We came up to the Waynesborough pike at exactly the same time as General Couch's division reached the place, that division having followed the pike all the way. We took the lead into town and encamped just beyond it. The weather, which has been good till this