Part 11

So ended the fighting for Co. G, in the Broad River expedition which was designed to cut railroad communication between Charleston and Savannah and thus assist Gen. Sherman. The move was a partial success for the batteries of Hatch annoyed the rebels and somewhat interfered with railway traffic.

The detachment from Fort Pulaski had lost in injured, Col. Carmichael, Capt. McWilliams and Lieuts. Grant and Forbes; and fifty-four men wounded--five mortally--and one missing, out of the one hundred and forty-two muskets, or more than one-third of their number.

Dec. 10th the detachment was ordered to provost duty at Deveaux Neck, and remained there until February, 1865. In the meantime their knapsacks were returned to them from Boyds Point, and were found to have been plundered of nearly everything valuable. The guards left to protect the property had been selected for their general uselessness, hence the result.

February 19th Co. G were roused up at day-break and ordered to get ready to move. The 157th squad moved toward Ashepo Ferry, and there were joined by the other companies from the fort. The men had become acquainted with each other and the regiment appeared to them as one good big family. And when they met after so long separation, the larger half so clean and bright, and the smaller half so battered and rough-looking, appearances did not count in the hellos! and how-are-yous! of the hour. It was first, cheering, then a good all-round shake, and the band struck up "Hail Columbia!"

At night, after a pretty hard march they bivouaced, after dark, in a cottonfield at Edisto Ferry. The morning of the 20th, Col. Brown drew up his men and announced the occupation of Charleston by their old general, "Little Schimmel."

During the day a foraging party was sent out, returning with a cart laden with sweet potatoes, corn, poultry, hams and bacon, and a threatened famine was averted. Toward night, however, their wagons came up and with them some supplies, but not such as are most relished in a country running wild with fatness, sweetness and flavor.

The men crossed the Edisto on the railroad bridge and camped at Elliott's plantation. Before leaving on the 21st, for some reason, orders were given to fire the buildings and the column of Gen. Hatch moved out a short distance, and rested in a grove of pines. They were awaiting the arrival of the wagon train and moved on to Martin's Farm and camped. The boys were obliged to go nearly a mile to obtain water for their coffee.

On the 22d Ten Mile Station on the railroad was reached, the troops burning a rice mill and several other buildings on the way. The depot buildings were burned and considerable track destroyed.

After dinner the regimental band, led by John Davis and Delos Wheeler, treated the boys to several well-rendered tunes. And the crowd of darkies who were following the troops, men and women, old and young, dressed in their plantation garb, gathered around the band, and some of them danced a "break-down." At night the column halted at Lownde's Plantation, where the boys feasted on fresh poultry and sweet potatoes.

Next day, the 23d, foraging parties were sent out, with varying success. One under Col. Carmichael, did not return until the 24th, having had a long tramp and found little. The men were getting short of rations.

On the 25th wagons reached them from Charleston and all was well. Chickens and high living did not wear as well as army rations.

February 26th, 1865, Co. G crossed Ashley River and entered Charleston. The boys expected to parade through the town, but were disappointed. They were moved over to Cooper River and quartered in vacant stores for the night.

Co. G had seen a great deal of the country and some warfare. The regiment has begun its war-like career on Bull Run where they had lost a chaplain (by retirement), they had now followed the secession hydra to its source.

On the morning of the 27th after inspection by Gen. Williams of Gen. Grant's staff, companies D, E, G, H and K took passage on a small steamer for Georgetown, S.C. A rough sea compelled the steamer to put back inside the bar. The 28th they started and reached Bull's Bay, where a head-sea compelled them to anchor. Water became scarce and boats were sent ashore to fill canteens for the men. Next day, the first of March, they reached Georgetown, an old, old town, on Winyaw Bay.

Duty at this post was outpost and town-guard duty. It was a picnic for the boys of Co. G. They cleaned-up, shone, worked very little and grew in fatness. With the easy soldiering a plentiful spicing of fun was always on foot.

When off duty considerable liberty was given the men. Occasionally some contraband who had offended in a slight degree was mercilessly seized and tossed on a blanket. At night the strains of Ziba's violin were heard, and when balls were given the colored people gathered at a vacant warehouse and hoed-it-down finely, their bare feet slapping the boards like shutters loose in the wind. And occasionally one of the soldiers was seen stepping out with a colored lass and dancing the hours away. Those balls were very high-toned.

And so the time passed until April 5th, when another move was to be made. Troops came up from Charleston and on the morning of April 5th the column formed and moved something like nineteen miles, to Potato Ferry, on Black River.

This expedition numbered 3,000 infantry, 80 cavalrymen and two pieces of artillery, under command of Brig. Gen. E. E. Potter. The object of the trip to the interior was destruction of property. Nothing had been heard up North, from the Department, since the fall of Charleston and there must be some excuse for keeping soldiers down there, and so, the boys were marching-on again.

Two companies of the 157th had been left at Georgetown with Major Place. In their stead two companies of the 56th N.Y., were sent to the 157th. Co. G were out with the expedition.

The night at Potato Ferry the rebs fired upon the picket of the 157th and Lieut. Miner captured two of the johnnies. The next night found the boys near Kingstree, after nineteen miles of marching over rough, swampy roads. The feet of the men were wet nearly all day, and wet feet meant blisters. The colored troops felt the severity of the marching--Co. G kept their place in column. The colored troops foraged nobly--Co. G were not allowed to forage. Consequently, the colored troops fed on poultry that night--Co. G fed on bacon.

The 7th of April two companies of the 157th led the advance, scouting and foraging, and at the night's camp on Montgomery's Plantation three days' rations were served to the men. The day's march was a busy one, of eighteen miles. Horses and mules were confiscated and many cotton-gins and presses were burned. The boys reached their camp in a smart rain storm.

April 8th the route which had thus far led in a westerly direction now deviated southerly. The rain had laid the dust and marching was more comfortable. At night they halted at Brewerton, having taken that road on account of the destruction of the bridge over Mill Creek. A detachment of the 157th supplied a provost guard for Brewerton and thus prevented looting. A heavy detail from the regiment was sent out on picket duty. The tired boys had marched eighteen miles.

On the morning of the 9th tobacco was issued to such of the men as used it, in the form of plug, which had been confiscated. Four miles out on the road they found the bridge destroyed over Pocotaligo river and a halt was ordered until a bridge of rails was laid. Soon after noon the column approached Dingles Mills, and it became known that three guns were posted near Sumterville to oppose their advance. Those guns were on the opposite side of a broad swamp, completely covering the approach by the road.

Two regiments were drawn up on the edge of the swamp and the union artillery was ordered up and opened on the rebels, at long range.

The 157th was then ordered to dislodge the enemy. Col. Carmichael threw forward Co. I as skirmishers and advanced into the swamp. The distance the boys traveled in that swamp was fully three-fourths of a mile. In places the water was nearly waist-deep, and logs, bogs and broken timber, tangled vines and drooping limbs, made order impossible.

When two-thirds through the swamp the rebels opened fire, to which Co. I replied with vigor. When the johnnies fired Col. Carmichael discovered that his guide had suddenly left him and to proceed further through the dark swamp without a guide was hazardous. The colonel ordered the firing to cease and halted his men. Directly the guide appeared (a Negro) stimulated no doubt by the sight of a revolver, but he resumed his place and the regiment proceeded.

Soon after, Col. Carmichael called to his men to cease firing, the rebels also ceased and a voice called, "What regiment is that?"

"The 157th New York Volunteers!" replied the colonel, his voice echoing in the dismal tangle.

The rebels re-opened and began to fall back. Co. I pressed forward and gained open ground. The colonel with the head of his battalion was close behind and he halted the skirmishers behind a rail fence to await the arrival of the others. It was a hard place to stop in for a great while, as the guns in the shallow work in the hill just beyond them were passing grape and canister lively, and it made the air whistle.

While forming his men an aide on the staff of Gen. Potter came floundering out of the swamp to learn how the advance was progressing.

"Wait ten minutes, captain," replied Col. Carmichael, "and you can return by the road."

As the fire of the enemy was very annoying, the colonel waited only long enough to collect one-half his regiment and then ordered a charge on the battery. With a yell the boys sprang over the fence and in a few minutes the place was won. The rebels fled, leaving two pieces of artillery and their dead and wounded.

The honor of hardest fighting and greatest loss was with Co. I. But Co. G claimed the honor of being first inside the battery, more on account of their location in the line and not because of superiority over the other companies as fighters. Co. G claims honors and only such as are due them.

The aide returned by the road and reported to Gen. Potter, who soon appeared and warmly complimented Col. Carmichael and his men for their gallantry. Then the colonel handed over to Gen. Potter the captured rebel guns and colors. At a later day the 56th N.Y., by reason of having two companies in the assaulting regiment, claimed the flag and all the honors, which was altogether cheeky, although the 56th boys were good soldiers.

The losses in the 157th, in what is known as the Dingles Mill fight, were five killed and seven wounded. With the exceptions of two of the wounded, one from Co. A, and the other from Co. B, the loss in the 157th fell on Co. I. The two companies of the 56th lost ten; how many were killed or wounded cannot be given.

That night Co. G camped in Sumterville. The wounded were brought in and placed in a church. Charley Gray, of Co. I, 157th, and a man of the 56th, died there.

After the fight was over Col. Carmichael observed a man trying to screen himself behind a fence and one of the boys was stirring the fellow with the butt of his rifle. The colonel tapped the johnny on the head and asked him what he was doing there.

"I am only a poor preacher," he replied.

The colonel left him, saying to the boys the fellow was not worth taking.

As it happened, the wife of a clergyman invited Col. Carmichael to make her house his headquarters. She stated that her husband was not at home and feared he had been taken prisoner.

"I would rather he be killed than be a prisoner in your hands," she said.

The Colonel went to Gen. Potter's headquarters and returned without finding the missing husband. But while eating supper the subject was renewed and then the incident which discovered the preacher behind the fence, occurred to the colonel.

"Oh, yes, madam," said he, "I know him. I found him down by the woods. I didn't consider him worth taking."

Then the fire flew from the eyes of the offended woman. The more she scolded, the more the colonel was amused. He learned later (the fight occurring on Sunday) that when the alarm was given the people were at church. And this preacher, after invoking assistance from the God of battles, went forth with other home-guards to meet the bad yankees. The idea was not a bad one if he felt that way, but what could he have found interesting behind the fence? Perhaps he had dropped the thread of his discourse and was searching for his "fifteenthly, my brethren." An entertaining sight it must have been when the godly man reached his home and learned that his valor had preceded him.

Co. G did not believe in killing parsons especially if they were armed with Samson's favorite weapon. And while the subject is still warm, it will be well to speak of prayer as a military arm.

All through the North the good people were praying--Lord, Thou knowest? All over the South equally as good people prayed--Thou knowest, oh Lord? At the front Gen. Howard prayed--Send us victory, oh Lord? On the other side of the line, "Stonewall" Jackson prayed--Strengthen our arms with Thy might and bless our cause, oh Lord. And all of the invocations closed, usually, adding parenthetically--(If it be consistent with Thy Holy Will.)

Both Generals, Howard and Jackson, were exemplary Christian gentlemen. Both prayed with equal fervor, to the same God. But the Lord seemed to be on the rebel side at Chancellorsville and Howard escaped, with barely his reputation as a Christian, untarnished. Jackson was killed and the South mourned for him and their pastors proclaimed him a martyr.

Up in the North, down in the South, heart-broken mothers and widowed wives raised their tear-swept eyes in supplication for mercy. And the clock in the corner, alone replied--time! time!--so the sorrows were left to the healer, Time. And angels looked in and pitied them all. But the war went on--for it was a holy war?

The cause of the South rested on human slavery. The cause of the North was for freedom. When the war was ended it was seen that to free every eighth slave, one white man had given his life, and the lives of thousands of broken-hearted parents, wives and neglected children were not counted--there was little glory in it for them. But Charon's boat was floated on the depths of briny tears.

Co. G have been resting at Sumterville. They have enjoyed for the first time an issue of confiscated cigars, as an army ration, also raw peanuts. When the troops entered the town they found news of their approach already in type at the village newspaper office, and the yankee printers unlocked the forms and completed the report to date, issuing a number of the sheets as souvenirs.

While at Sumterville news came of the fall of Richmond and a salute of fifteen guns was fired from the captured pieces.

During the night of April 10th the enemy attacked the picket-line vigorously, but were repulsed.

On the 11th, after firing the jail and other public buildings the troops took the road. It was a terribly hot day and dust rolled up in clouds. They reached Manchester Depot early in the afternoon, the cavalry had burned the buildings there and had torn up the rails. Orders were given to camp; as no water was found they moved on a little further and pitched their shelters. Hardly had the boys settled themselves, when orders came to move three miles further, to Singletons. Co. G were patient. Had they not been on Folly Island?

Col. Carmichael was ordered out on the 12th, to advance to Statesburg and thence to Claremont. Three miles out they found the enemy and a skirmish ensued. Capt. Gates was ordered to deploy his company as skirmishers. The rebels were stubborn and the colonel sent for cavalry. Two hours went by before supports arrived, and then with the cavalry and one piece of artillery, the advance began, the boys skirmishing all the way to Statesburg. The colonel halted his men for dinner near the residence of the father of Gen. Anderson, of Fort Sumter fame. In the afternoon the force moved to Claremont and burned the railroad depot, a passenger coach and several bridges. Returning through Statesburg a quantity of cotton was set on fire. The boys returned to Singletons reaching camp at 9 p.m., thoroughly tired, having marched over twenty miles. One man in Co. K was killed.

Gen. Potter made us move on the 13th and 14th as the men were out of rations. A force was sent to Wrights Bluff on the Santee and obtained supplies.

April 15th they were again on the road. As they approached the ground where Col. Carmichael had met the johnnies a few days previous, the 25th Ohio were found hotly engaged. The 157th were thrown out on one flank and another regiment on the other flank. The rebels soon gave way, falling back firing, for two or three miles. Gen. Potter took another road and marched toward Sumterville. Rain commenced falling and came down heavily and the men, in spite of rubber blankets were soon thoroughly soaked, but they kept along, splashing through mud and water holes until camp was reached in a nice, soft cornfield. They had marched eighteen miles.

The 16th they moved again and met no opposition until afternoon when they were again opposed. The force of rebels before them were inferior in numbers, but decidedly pepperish over the destruction of their property, and they made a stubborn resistance, and finally succeeded in checking the colored brigade. Then the troops halted in the woods for the night.

Next day, the 17th, they started for Camden. At Rafting Creek the advance found the enemy posted behind rude works. The 25th Ohio passed round to the left and waded the swamp and compelled the johnnies to retire with some loss. Camden was reached in the evening and there a flag of truce was met, the authorities formally surrendering the town. Gen. Potter marched his men through the streets with colors flying and the 157th band playing "John Brown's Body."

Next morning, the 18th, the 157th was rear-guard. It was another hot and dusty march. At eleven o'clock the johnnies were found strongly posted in a swamp near Boykins Mill. The troops were drawn upon the left of the road in order of battle. Just as soon as the boys were ready to eat, the rebels came up in the rear and opened fire, the bullets pattering against the rail fence. They were searching for Co. G, of course. Col. Carmichael soon had his men thrown out, but the rebs had left and the boys returned to finish their meal.

After dinner the colored brigade attacked the rebels, but failed to dislodge them until the colored boys managed to cross over the creek and dislodged them by flanking. The colored troops lost a lieutenant and several men there.

It was dark before the main body got over the creek, and then Col. Carmichael was ordered out to meet the 32d colored regiment advancing by another road and came up with them about three miles out. The night was dark and rain began to pour and after going a few miles the regiment camped in a half-flooded cornfield. Co. G had then become reconciled to cornfields.

The 157th led the advance on the 19th. Soon after leaving camp the enemy was found but the 25th Ohio on one flank and the 157th on the other pressed them back. Reaching a large plantation a section of rebel artillery was met. The union guns were brought up but did little execution. The line was again advanced, the enemy continuing their fire as they steadily retreated for about a mile where they again posted themselves in a swamp which bordered a stream called Big Rafting Creek. The stream was too deep for fording. The 157th fell back for ammunition. Meanwhile the 102d colored regiment were sent to flank the johnnies, and succeeded in crossing. Artillery was brought to bear also and the enemy fell back upon their artillery posted nearby, and as the skirmishers appeared, opened fiercely, but they were pushed steadily for a while and then hastily retreated toward Statesburg. Col. Carmichael halted his men beyond Statesburg and with the cavalry charged the retreating rebels and captured twenty-five of them. At night the tired men camped at Singletons, the 157th having had an extra tramp by mistaking the road in the darkness and went to Middleton, only to return. They reached camp at midnight having marched twenty miles.

April 20th the 25th Ohio and the 157th went to Middleton, where they found the object of all the marching and counter-marching. Seventeen locomotives and one hundred cars were discovered, including passenger coaches and freight cars, many of them loaded with quarter-master's and ordnance stores. The guards, engineers and all hands, had abandoned the trains. Shoes were taken for such of the men as were in need, and then the cars and locomotives were set on fire. There was a lively popping when the shells began to explode.

That night Co. G slept at Medways Plantation in rear of Singletons.

At noon the column had reached Fulton Post-office without serious trouble from the rebels. But now they were to hear good news. A flag of truce came from the rebels stating that a truce of forty-eight hours had been entered into between Gen. Sherman and Gen. Johnston and Gen. Beauregard had transmitted the same to his department.

Cheer on cheer went up from the troops. The news seemed too good to be true. All foraging was prohibited; the guns were discharged and with a white flag at the head of the column the return march was begun, and at night the men halted near a large mill, having made eighteen miles. Co. G was through fighting and the dark cloud of war was rolling away.

Gen. Potter started at once for the Santee where steamers with supplies were in waiting. Col. Brown, who thus far had led the colored brigade, was placed in command of the entire force and Col. Carmichael led the first brigade, Capt. Van Slyke the regiment.

On the 22d the home march continued. No public or private property was molested and the men were forbidden to fire unless attacked. As they approached Wrights Bluff, twenty-one sick and partially disabled men were left to make their way to the steamers, as easily they might.

At night the boys camped in the woods having made eighteen miles,--it might have been that distance was an average day's walk in Carolina. An order was issued that night to turn over the surplus horses and mules to the quartermaster. Some thirty sore-footed and bare-footed men who had been mounted, were by that order again to limp along for liberty's sake and the honor of two counties. But Co. G could well afford to do a little of the grinning-and-bearing of it, under the circumstances. Old Lenox was very near to them, and the road seemed shorter and the stars brighter than ever. And they slept sounder.

Col. Brown led his men forward with alacrity on the 23rd toward Murrays Ferry. The fore-noon's marching was over a swampy region. Rations were nearly exhausted, foraging was prohibited and the route was continued to Leunds Ferry on the Santee, where boats with rations were supposed to be lying. During the day the men heard through rebel sources that President Lincoln was dead. After a rapid march of twenty-five miles they went into camp in thick woods.