HDQRS. CAVALRY COMMAND, ARMY OF INVASION, Camp Creek, on Road to Hunter's Store, S. C., February 24, 1865. [General SHERMAN:] GENERAL: I reached my present camp at daylight. My last brigade, Colonel Jordan's, will not get into camp before 9 a.m. This road is horrible. If the Fourteenth Corps intends to move on it the greater part will have to be corduroyed as far as Camp Creek. I did not get the bridge last night till 10.30 p. m. General Williams must have known that I was to have the bridge at 7 p. m., when he ordered General Geary (who had already gone into camp) forward at 6 p. m. I am sorry to trouble you with such matters, but I know of no other way of preventing a similar occurrence in the future. Yesterday five of my people, detailed to forage for my wounded in ambulances with Twentieth Corps were arrested by a provost-marshal of that corps and strapped to a tree and there kept till the corps marched by, with inscriptions on their breasts "House-breakers." I do not recognize General. Williams' right to punish my people or disgrace them. I can and will do all the punishment myself. If I liked, I could retaliate every hour. Stragglers and foraging parties of the Twentieth Corps were here yesterday, eight miles from their command, committing acts most disgraceful. This house was pillaged at 10 a. m. yesterday by men of the Twentieth Army Corps. General Williams will have all he can do to maintain discipline in his own command. I have allowed foragers from the Left Wing to pass through my lines, and even assisted them. Yesterday a detail sent out by Major Dunbar, my quartermaster, captured ten mules and four horses for his wagon train. An officer of the Twentieth Army Corps arrested them and took mules and horses away. I shall now allow no foraging parties to pass through or out of my lines, and I shall dismount and seize all horses ridden by infantrymen who enter my column. This I shall continue to do, unless otherwise ordered by you or until my people are treated with that respect and courtesy I feel their conduct and services demand. I also most respectfully call your attention to the fact that foraging parties and stragglers from Twentieth.Army Corps burned sufficient forage on this road to have fed my entire command. I had occasion to mention this same fact to General Slocum some days since. I shall rest here till 1 p. m., when I will move slowly forward, as I feel confident that General Davis can move but a short distance to-day. Hampton is at Lancaster and a small portion of Wheeler's cavalry. The country is rich and full of forage. Until the rain is over, unless the roads are better than this one, our progress must be very slow. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. KILPATRICK, Brevet Major-General. Commanding Cavalry, Army of Georgia. HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY COMMAND, Maj. Gen. W. T. SHERMAN, evidence that the enemy has resolved upon murdering our men is fast accumulating. Another report has just come in that a soldier belonging to the Ninety-second Illinois Mounted Infantry was found hung to the limb of a tree near the roadside. I shall retaliate as far as my own people are concerned, as you have directed. Major-General Wade Hampton is now at Lancaster. I can forward for you any communication to or through him to any higher rebel authorities you may desire regarding the facts mentioned. I am, general, your obedient servant, Lieut. Col. F. A. JONES, J. KILPATRICK, Brevet Major-General, Commanding. IN THE FIELD, February 24, 1865. Commanding Eighth Indiana Cavalry: SIR: I was ordered to take twenty five men on the 22d instant and proceed to the Abbeville Railroad and destroy all bridges I could find from Black Buck Creek to Broad River. I struck the railroad at Black Creek bridge, which I burned, it being a trestle-work of about 120 yards in length. I then moved up the river one mile and burned a gristmill and two warehouses, which contained 1,500 bushels of shelled corn in sacks and 100 bushels of wheat, 75 sacks of flour, 19 barrels of molasses, 6 bales of cotton, 10 bales of hay, and a lot of tools, such as axes, saws, picks, shovels, &c. We found a guard of some 25 rebels, a picket of 3 men being at the mill, which we drove over Broad River at the ford close by. We remained here half an hour to prevent them from recrossing and extinguishing the fire at the mill and railroad bridge. From thence I proceeded as speedily as possible to the railroad bridge across Broad River, a distance of five miles, and found about 300 yards of it already consumed, having been fired by a foraging party of Company K of our regiment, under the charge of Sergeant Thompson, the evening before. From this point we started on our return to the command, and met no enemy during the evening or night, arriving within seven miles of Black Stocks at 12.30 o'clock at night. Our horses being tired, we camped for the night, and started for our command at daybreak, which we joined at 9 a. m. of the 23d, after traveling fifty-five miles. Yours, very respectfully, ANDREW JACKSON, Lieutenant, Company C, Eighth Indiana Cavalry. [First indorsement.] HEADQUARTERS EIGHTH INDIANA CAVALRY, Respectfully forwarded to brigade headquarters, First Brigade, Third Cavalry Division. F. A. JONES, Lieutenant-Colonel Eighth Indiana Cavalry. [Second indorsement.] HEADQUARTERS FIRST BRIGADE, CAVALRY COMMAND, Respectfully forwarded: In the Field, S. C., February 25, 1865. THOS. J. JORDAN, Colonel, Commanding Brigade. [Third indorsement.] HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY, Lancaster, February 25, 1865. Respectfully forwarded for the information of the general-in-chief. I can safely say that all bridges and culverts on that railroad have been destroyed as far out as the railroad bridge over Broad River. J. KILPATRICK, Brevet Major-General, Commanding Cavalry. HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI, Major-General GILLMORE: It is desirable to keep a lookout at Georgetown for communications from General Sherman. Please occupy it with a small force and keep a dispatch boat there to communicate the earliest telegram to these headquarters. General Easton is here with no later intelligence than you had yesterday. General Grover informs me that a deserter from Augusta reports that the last of Hood's army on its way to Beauregard passed through Augusta last Sunday, possibly 12,000. Being cut off from Beauregard, may they not turn toward Charleston and molest General Potter and his advance on the railroad? By order of Maj. Gen. W. T. Sherman: J. D. WEBSTER, HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI, General FOSTER, Charleston: We have broken railroad from Midway to Aiken, from Orangeburg to the Santee, and from Columbia to Winnsborough. No fighting of any importance; enemy retreats northward. We are south of Lancaster and east of the Catawba, moving for Cheraw, Fayetteville, and Goldsborough. Roads are bad, but we find forage and supplies. We hear Charleston is abandoned. Push operations in North Carolina, and at any cost break the railroad below Goldsborough from New Berne. W. T. SHERMAN, Major-General. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH, Capt. CHARLES R. SUTER, Chief Engineer: CAPTAIN: The major-general commanding directs that you proceed to Charleston this evening by steamer Delaware and report to Brig. Gen. J. P. Hatch, commanding Northern District, Department of the South. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. L. M. BURGER, Assistant Adjutant-General. GENERAL ORDERS, } HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH, Hilton Head, S. C., February 24, 1865. I., Lieut. Col. Stewart L. Woodford, One hundred and twenty-seventh New York Volunteers, is hereby relieved from the duties of provostmarshal-general of the department, and is announced as chief of staff to the major-general commanding, and temporarily assigned to the command of the post of the city of Charleston, S. C., which post will consist of the city proper and Castle Pinckney. II. In compliance with paragraph VII, Special Field Orders, No. 13, from headquarters Military Division of the Mississippi, the One hundred and twenty-seventh Regiment New York Volunteers is hereby designated as the permanent garrison of the post of Charleston, and Col. William Gurney, of that regiment, as the permanent post commander. Upon his return to the department, from which he is now absent on account of wounds, he will relieve Lieutenant-Colonel Woodford of the command of that post. III. Maj. Benjamin W. Thompson, Thirty-second U. S. Colored Troops, is hereby announced as provost-marshal-general of the depart-ment, and will immediately relieve Lieutenant-Colonel Woodford, receipting to him for all money and property pertaining to the office. IV. Lieut. Frank Geise, Thirty-second U. S. Colored Troops, assistant provost-marshal-general of the department, in addition to his duties as such, will act as collector of the department military tax prescribed by General Orders, No. 5, current series, from these headquarters, until the arrival of Lieut. Col. James H. Strong, First North Carolina (Union) Volunteers, heretofore announced as military tax collector. Lieutenant Geise will immediately relieve Lieutenant-Colonel Woodford as acting military tax collector, receipting to him for all money and property pertaining to the office. By command of Maj. Gen. Q. A. Gillmore: W. L. M. BURGER, Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH, Brig. Gen. JOHN P. HATCH, Hilton Head, S. C., February 24, 1865. Commanding Coast Division: GENERAL: The major-general commanding directs that you proceed at once to the Northern District, Department of the South, and assume command of the U. S. forces in that district. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. L. M. BURGER, Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH, Brig. Gen. E. P. SCAMMON, Commanding District of Florida, Jacksonville, Fla:: GENERAL: Brig. Gen. Seth Williams, acting inspector-general, U. S. Army, suggests that the small garrison and the Government stores at Saint Augustine, Fla., should all be within Fort Marion, or immediately outside of the fort and under its guns, to avoid the danger of the capture of that part of the command left in the town and the destruction of the Government property located there. The major-general com manding directs that you take such immediate action in this matter as the necessities of the case, in your judgment, require, reporting the same to these headquarters. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Maj. Gen. J. M. SCHOFIELD, W. L. M. BURGER, Assistant Adjutant-General. CITY POINT, VA., February 24, 1865. Commanding Department of North Carolina: Richmond papers have ceased to give information of Sherman's movements. I presume, however, he is now past Charlotte with his advance and moving toward Goldsborough by the most practicable route. He may follow the railroad north for some distance past Charlotte, but this will depend on the movements and apparent strength of the enemy. I learn of nothing leaving here recently, except three brigades of Battle's division, numbering possibly 3,500 men. They left their position between the James and Appomattox yesterday morning. I hope and know you will push out and form a connection with Sherman at the earliest practicable moment. If you reach Goldsborough and have a fair prospect of getting your road finished soon, it may be unnecessary for Sherman to come down to the coast. Make every effort to communicate with Sherman at once. You will probably find some citizen who can be trusted to carry a note in cipher to Sherman. He has, I think, a cipher operator with him. Every effort has been made to get your troops and all else called for by you through, but the ice has kept everything back very much. Teams will be forwarded rapidly. I have also ordered one regiment of cavalry to you, numbering about 600 effective. I would send an entire division from Sheridan's army, but I have ordered him to move on the Virginia Central road and James River Canal. He will probably go to Lynchburg, and if information there received justifies it he will go on and join you and Sherman. If you and Sherman are once united you can keep as far in the interior of North Carolina as you may be able to supply yourselves. With your large force you will have united, Raleigh may not be found too far off. I congratulate you and the army under you for the brilliant success of which I have as yet received but the meager report sent by Admiral Porter. On receipt of the news I immediately telegraphed asking to have your name sent in to the Senate for the appointment of brigadier-general in the regular army, stating that I thought you should have the appointment for the battle of Franklin. I hope within a day or two to be able to congratulate you on your confirmation. Deserters from the rebel army are growing very numerous. Many are now bringing their arms with them. This morning fortyfive came in a single squad and from a single regiment-a South Carolina regiment at that. U. S. GRANT, HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NORTH CAROLINA, Lieut. Gen. U. S. GRANT, Wilmington, February 24, 1865. Commanding Armies of the United States, City Point, Va. : GENERAL: After the capture of Wilmington General Terry pursued the enemy as far as the Northeast River, where he found the |