Following the American Civil War Sesquicentennial with day by day writings of the time, currently 1863.

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“An intelligent prisoner captured to-day says that… Lee is evacuating Richmond.”–Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, Charles Wright Wills.

March 3, 2015

Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, Charles Wright Wills, (8th Illinois Infantry)

Five miles south of Cheraw, S. C, March 3, 1865.

General Wood says we have made 24 miles to-day. Our whole corps on one road and hardly a check all day. This is Thompson’s Creek, and the Rebels under Hardee thoroughly fortified it. Logan’s orders are to carry the works to-morrow, but as usual the Rebels have left. The 17th A. C. took Cheraw this p.m. without a fight, getting 27 pieces of field artillery, 3,000 stands of small arms, besides a great deal of forage.

There were only two or three small farms on the road today. Poorest country I have seen yet. An intelligent prisoner captured to-day says that Kilpatrick has taken Charlotte, N. C., and that Lee is evacuating Richmond. Saw the sun to-day; had almost forgotten there was such a luminary.

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