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

[84] stream here was quite large, and over it I constructed a foot-bridge for the infantry, fording it with horses, artillery, and ambulances. Burned the mill and a cotton-gin and press in the vicinity, destroying a large amount of grain and cotton. Moved on to the railroad, which I reached at Dennis Station, and where I found the rear of the train of the other divisions just passing. Moved on in rear of the train to Little River, where I received orders to advance immediately to Milledgeville; accordingly crossed the river on the pontoon-bridge, passing the trains with much difficulty, and reached Milledgeville at dark, the other division having already encamped. Having passed through the town, I crossed the Oconee on the large bridge, and went into camp on the left of the First division, with my left resting near the river. Marched during the day twenty miles. Weather to-night intensely cold.

November 23.--Remained in camp. In the afternoon, sent out my Third brigade to the Gordon and Milledgeville Railroad, where I remained until dark, destroying track.

November 24.--In accordance with orders, moved at seven A. M., but finding the road completely blockaded with trains, I did not get my column fairly in motion until ten o'clock. Just before dark, crossed Town Creek, the bridge over which was very bad, and went into camp near Gum Creek; the First division being encamped about three quarters of a mile in advance, the Third division about the same distance in my rear. The road travelled, although rather hilly, was in the main good. Marched during the day fourteen miles.

November 25.--Moved at half-past 6 A. M., and marched about half a mile, when I came upon the trains preceding me, not yet drawn out of park, and was obliged to halt until nine o'clock, when I moved steadily forward until reaching Buffalo Creek, where I found the troops and trains of the First division halted. This creek is an extensive, heavily timbered, swampy stream, being nearly half a mile wide where the road passes through it. The stream or swamp is here divided into eight channels, which are spanned by as many bridges, varying in length from thirty to one hundred feet each. Between these, earthen causeways are thrown up. These bridges had been destroyed by the enemy, and were reconstructed by two o'clock P. M., under the superintendence of Captain Poe, Chief Engineer on the staff of Major-General Sherman. By dark, the road in my front was clear, and I crossed my command, encamping for the night one and a half miles east of the creek. The crossing, in the extreme darkness of the night, and through the swampy roads east of the creek, was a very laborious one. During the night, shots were exchanged between my pickets and some of Wheeler's cavalry. Distance marched, nine miles.

November 26.--Moved at six A. M. After marching about two miles, came up with the trains preceding me, which had not yet left park. Here I parked my trains, being detained for two hours. Marching two miles further, again found the trains in park, and the troops of the First division skirmishing with Wheeler's cavalry, and driving them through Sandersville. Moved on to Sandersville, where I parked my trains, and having left them under charge of Third division, proceeded to Tennille, (Station No. Thirteen, on the Central Railroad.) Upon reaching the railroad, I moved eastward, destroying two miles of the road, and went into camp near a school-house four miles east of Tennille. One battalion of Michigan Engineers, under Major Yates, reported to me for duty, assisted in the destruction of the rails, and encamped with my troops at night. Distance marched, thirteen miles.

November 27.--In accordance with orders, moved this morning at seven o'clock, destroying the railroad for four miles to a point indicated, where a road crosses the railroad seven miles from Station No. Thirteen. From here, in pursuance of my orders, I marched to Davisboro by the most direct road, and there encamped about nine P. M. Distance marched, twelve miles.

November 28.--The work of destroying the railroad west of Davisboro from the point indicated above, which was assigned, by orders, to the First division, had not been performed — that division having missed the route, and reached Davisboro without striking the railroad. Early this morning, I received orders to detach Jones's brigade to guard the headquarters trains to Station No. Eleven, and with my two other brigades and a battalion of Michigan Engineers, to destroy the part of the road specified from Davisboro westward. My orders were executed, and the remaining five miles of road, with a number of bridges, trestle-work, and water-tanks, were effectually destroyed. While my troops were engaged in this work, they were attacked by a portion of Ferguson's brigade of rebel cavalry, who kept up a desultory fire upon us for an hour and a half, and were driven off by my skirmishers. They wounded one of my men, and captured four others who were out foraging. The fire of my skirmishers upon them was more effective, killing three and wounding a number. The country through which the railroad passes, from No. Thirteen to No. Eleven, requires description. It is a continuous morass, known as Williamson's Creek or Swamp. The stream is quite a large one, running in general direction parallel to the railroad, and crossing it many times. The land in the vicinity on both sides is soft and swampy, with dense thickets of underbrush and vines. Through this swamp the railroad is constructed on an embankment of borrowed earth, thrown up from the sides, averaging from six to ten feet in height. The superstructure consisted of cross-ties bedded in the earth, with string-timbers pinned to them, upon which the iron rails were spiked. The mode of destruction was to tear up, pile and burn the ties and string-timbers, with the rails across, which, when heated, were destroyed by twisting. Shortly after dark, I returned to Davisboro, and encamped there for the night. Distance travelled by a portion of my command to-day, fifteen miles.

November 29.--Moved at half-past 6 A. M.,