Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 9.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[72] observing our movements on a side-road leading to our right, I was directed to send a regiment to drive them off. I immediately despatched the One Hundred and First Illinois volunteers, Lieutenant-Colonel Le Sage. This regiment charged the enemy and drove him precipitately to the woods, capturing one prisoner and discovering about one hundred bales of cotton, which was burned, including the cotton-gin. The regiment then rejoined the brigade, which had by this time resumed its march toward Sandersville. My column reached that village without any further opposition at eleven A. M. Here, the train being left in charge of the Third division, the troops of the First division, including my brigade, marched unencumbered toward the Georgia Central Railroad, three miles distant. My command struck the road at Tennille Station at half-past 3 P. M., and immediately began the destruction of the track. About one mile was thoroughly destroyed by my brigade by sundown. My troops were then encamped near the station. The entire distance marched on this day was nine miles.

On the twenty-seventh, my brigade marched in the centre of the division at seven A. M. The route from Tennille pursued a secluded, untravelled road on the south side of the railroad. The troops being unencumbered, marched rapidly, and made Jackson's Church by eleven A. M. At half-past 4 P. M., my command crossed Williamson's Swamp Creek, and arrived at Davisboro. Here the troops were encamped for the night, having marched about seventeen miles.

At daylight the next morning, November twenty-eighth, my brigade marched down the railroad track three miles, and commenced its destruction. Inasmuch as the track led for the most part ran through a difficult swamp, much of it was composed of trestle-work and bridges, all of which were effectually destroyed. Where the track was laid upon a road-bed, the rail upon one side, with the stringer attached, was unfastened by means of levers, and lifted over against the rail on the other side. Rails and dry wood were then piled on top, and the whole set on fire. The heat would soon spring the rails, still attached to the wooden stringers, into a variety of contortions, and the work of destruction was completed. Thus my brigade, in connection with the other brigades of the division, and alternating with them, proceeded down the track, destroying mile after mile. At nightfall my command reached Spiers's Turnout, and there encamped, having marched eleven miles and destroyed four miles of track during the day.

At seven A. M., on the twenty-ninth, my brigade returned about two miles up the track and completed its destruction down as far as Spiers's. The station-house and other railroad fixtures were then burned or otherwise effectually destroyed. At eleven A. M., my command marched singly on the wagon-road from Spiers's. The corps and division headquarter trains were placed in its charge, but it was otherwise unencumbered. My column crossed Great Coat Creek at half-past 12, and arrived at Bethany at half-past 1 P. M. At half-past 3 P. M., it crossed Boggy Girt Creek, and at nightfall encamped two and a half miles from the Ogeechee River. By direction of the General commanding division, I sent forward a regiment, the Eighty-second Ohio veteran volunteers, with orders to proceed as far as the Ogeechee, and then encamp for the night, picketing well the bank of the river.

On the morning of the thirtieth, the regiment sent forward to the river was withdrawn and rejoined the brigade, which marched up the right bank at half-past 8 A. M. At one P. M., the column crossed Mill Creek, and halted for dinner on Blake's plantation. At half-past 4 P. M., my command crossed the Ogeechee River at a point two miles below Louisville. The bridge here had been ineffectually destroyed by the enemy, and was repaired by my pioneer corps. My brigade pushed forward and encamped two miles beyond the river at nightfall. It marched on this day about fifteen miles.

On the morning of December first, the march was resumed in the direction of Birdsville. My brigade moved in the centre of the division, and in charge of the division train. However, it did not leave its encampment near Louisville until noon. During the afternoon it crossed Big Dry Spring and Buck Camp Creeks, all small swampy streams of clear water. The march was very much retarded by the boggy places in the road. My command did not get into camp until half an hour after midnight, when it reached a point about four miles from Birdsville, having marched thirteen miles.

On the second, my brigade resumed its march at forty-five minutes past nine A. M., leading its division and following the Second division, which was in advance. At noon it reached Birdsville, and at eight P. M. crossed Buck Head Creek at Buck Head Church, and there encamped. The distance marched on this day was about fifteen miles.

Shortly after passing Birdsville, having received reliable information that a planter named Bullard, living in that neighborhood, had made himself conspicuous for his zeal in recapturing and securing prisoners from our army escaped from the rebel authorities, I despatched an officer with authority to destroy his outbuildings and cotton. He accordingly set fire to the corn-cribs, cotton-gin, cotton-presses, and a warehouse containing fifty thousand dollars' worth of cotton. These were all consumed, and the owner admonished that a repetition of his offence would bring a similar fate upon his dwelling at the next visitation of our army.

On the third, my brigade marched at seven A. M. on the Sylvania road. My command occupied the centre of the division and was unencumbered with wagons. My brigade crossed the Augusta branch of the Central Railroad at noon. The Michigan Engineers having been charged with the destruction of this road, my command