Sunday, 12th—Our division relieved the Third Division on the skirmish line at the bridge this morning, while they went down the river about a mile, laid the pontoons and crossed over. The skirmishing was commenced at an early hour all along the line for a distance of fifteen miles. Our men threw shells across the river into Orangeburg, and the rebels left the bridge about 1 o’clock. Our division crossed the bridge two hours later and took possession of the town.[1]
Orangeburg is nicely situated on the north bank of the Edisto river, and on the railroad running from Charleston to Columbia. The town is almost deserted, but before the war it had a population of three thousand. We destroyed the railroad and went into camp for the night.
[1] The town was on fire when we arrived. The report was that the town was set on fire by a Jew, in revenge for the enemy’s setting fire to his cotton, about fifty bales, when they evacuated the place. The high winds which prevailed rapidly spread the fire in spite of the efforts of the soldiers to extinguish it.
Saturday, 11th—Very pleasant weather. We started at 8 o’clock this morning and moved forward twelve miles. There was some skirmishing in front, and our forces routed the enemy from some strong positions.[1]
[1] When the Confederates had good positions, they were unable to make a strong stand and retain them. For although they could delay our army for a time at the main crossings of rivers, there was always another part of our army reaching the same river by some byroad, which after crossing would flank them, or coming up in the rear would drive them out of their defense — A. G. D.
Friday, 10th—We lay in camp all day, but large foraging parties were sent out. They brought in great quantities of forage—pork and potatoes, also feed for the animals. The farming is all done here by the negro women and old men, the able-bodied men, white and black, being in the army. We received a large mail today, the first for a month. I got two letters and two packages.
Thursday, 9th—We remained in camp until noon, when we moved forward again about ten miles and went into bivouac on the east bank of the Edisto river. The First Division waded the river to drive the rebels back so that the engineers with our corps could lay the pontoons for the corps to cross. The Fifteenth Corps crossed the river about a mile above. A great deal of property is being destroyed by our army on this raid. The familiar clouds of smoke are becoming more numerous every day, while out on the left we can count from ten to twenty of the red clouds in the heavens every night.
Wednesday, 8th—Our division started out on the railroad at 7 o’clock this morning and destroyed about ten miles of track. We then returned to camp for the rest of the day and night. All is quiet in front.
Tuesday, 7th—We had another all day, cold, drizzling rain. We left our bivouac at 7 o’clock and after marching fourteen miles stopped for the night. With every mile the road got better as we moved upon higher ground, and the forage also became more plentiful. Just after we had stacked arms to go into bivouac, our regiment was ordered to fall in again. We marched out on the Augusta and Charleston railroad to burn the bridge over the Edisto river, but the pickets, on hearing our approach, for it was too dark to see anything, all hastened across the bridge and set fire to it themselves. This saved us the trouble and we went back, reaching our bivouac about midnight, after marching in all about ten miles.
Monday, 6th—The weather changed again, and we had a rather cold, drizzling rain nearly all day. We left our trenches at 7 o’clock this morning and were all day in marching ten miles, the country being so very swampy. We had a great deal of corduroy to build, and the rebels blocked our way by burning a bridge over a deep channel in the swamp. There was some skirmishing in the front. We were ordered to leave all our surplus bacon in the company parade ground, and the quartermaster would send a wagon with the extra forage for us; but we were skeptical and carried all that our haversacks would hold.[1]
[1] Our company alone left a load of the finest bacon, besides other articles. It was the last we saw of our store of surplus forage. We learned later that the officers took that way of having the forage left for the negroes and poor people of the vicinity, for we had cleaned the vicinity of everything.—A. G. D.
Sunday, 5th—The atmosphere is clear and it is getting quite warm. We remained in our rifle pits all day, but had to put up our shelter tents, for we actually suffered from the heat. All is quiet in front. We had company inspection this morning and dress parade in the evening. We drew two days’ rations to last ten days, but we have an abundance of forage. The boys brought in smoked bacon by the wagon load, also great quantities of corn meal, sweet potatoes, honey and other good things.
Saturday, 4th—We remained in line of battle all night, not being allowed to build any fires. This morning we moved out about two miles nearer the upper bridge, the rebels having left the vicinity during the night. We remained here, fortifying the bridge. Our teams and batteries came across the bridge this morning. General Mower’s division lost several men here at the bridge yesterday morning about the time that we were crossing below.[1]
[1] There was a concerted move by the Union army all along the line. —Ed.
Friday, 3d—It rained quietly nearly all day, and we remained in camp until 1 p. m., when we received marching orders. Our division under General Giles E. Smith then made ready to wade and swim the river midway between the two bridges. The river is one and one-fourth miles wide, having at least one hundred and thirty-three different channels or branches, from two to four feet deep. It took us an hour and a half to cross over, General Smith leading on foot, for no horse could go across. We were not allowed to talk or let our accouterments make any noise. We found the rebel pickets on the opposite side, but they fired only a single shot each and made for tall timber. We remained here on guard. The First and Third Divisions crossed the river above us and also drove in the rebel pickets.[1] Our teams and batteries were left in the rear.
[1] Our division, after successfully crossing the river, effected a lodgment on the main Charleston road just before the arrival of eight regiments which had been sent up to make good the enemy’s position at this bridge.—A. G. D.
