Emilio, Luis F., History of the Fifty-Fourth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry , 1863-1865

[273] January 25, of fever. This faithful young officer was the only one the Fifty-fourth lost by disease. On the 5th a force went to a cross-road three miles in advance, from whence the enemy retired over a branch of the Salkehatchie, rendering the bridge spanning it impassable. We lost three men wounded in an attempt to cross.

February 7, at 8 A. M., Colonel Hallowell with the Fifty-fourth and One Hundred and Second United States Colored Troops marched in a rain-storm over the destroyed railroad to Salkehatchie. The enemy had abandoned his extensive works on the farther side of the burned trestlebridge there. We were joined there by two guns of the Third New York Artillery and two companies of the Fourth Massachusetts Cavalry. An advance was then made simultaneously along both the railroad and turnpike. Crossing the river, the Fifty-fourth moved on the turnpike, Captain Emilio, with Companies E, H, and I, preceding the column skirmishing. Rain was falling, and continued nearly all day, drenching us to the skin, and making the road a quagmire. Soon the enemy, supposed to be of Cobb's Georgia Legion, was discovered in small force, mounted, with a piece of artillery. They halted on every bit of rising ground, or on the farther side of swamps, to throw up barricades of fence-rails against a rush of our cavalrymen, and delayed our advance by shelling us with their field-piece. But our skirmishers moved on steadily through water, swamp, and heavy under-growth, until their flanks were threatened, when, after exchanging shots, they would retire to new positions. About noon, the enemy were driven out of their camp in haste; and after a rest, the column moved, on again. At dark, orders came for Colonel Hallowell to retire about a mile, to a