Benson J. Lossing, Pictorial Field Book of the Civil War. Volume 3.

[497] Charleston, and considerable ammunition. Sherman caused the bridges and trestle-work of the road to be destroyed down as far as Darlington, and menaced Florence.

Sherman now pushed on toward Fayetteville, in North Carolina. The right wing of the army crossed the Pedee at Cheraw, and the left, with the cavalry, at Sneedsboroa, on the State line. They marched in parallel lines, within easy supporting distance, Kilpatrick well on the left of all, and skirmishing some with Wade Hampton's cavalry, which was covering the rear of Hardee's retreating army, burning the bridges behind them. The weather was inclement, but the Nationals made good time, and on the 11th of March Sherman's whole force was concentrated at Fayetteville, from which Hardee had also retreated. There, on the following day, Sherman received the cipher dispatch from Schofield, at Wilmington, already mentioned.¹ On that morning the army-tug Davidson, commanded by the stalwart and fear-less Captain Ainsworth, after much peril in ascending the Cape Fear River, arrived from Wilmington, with intelligence of what had occurred there and at the mouth of the stream. Just before reaching Fayetteville, Sherman had sent two of his best scouts to Wilmington, with intelligence of his position and plans. By Captain Ainsworth, who returned the same day, he sent. dispatches to Terry and Schofield, informing them that he should move on Goldsboroa on the 15th, feigning Raleigh to deceive the foe.

Sherman had met with very little opposition in his march from the Catawba to the Cape Fear. The most serious encounter was by Kilpatrick with Hampton's cavalry. As the former was advancing on the extreme-left, by way of Rockingham, he struck the rear of Hardee's. column,

March 8, 1865.

in its retreat on Fayetteville. Learning from prisoners that Hampton was behind, he resolved to intercept him. Posting a brigade, under Atkins, on the road he was traveling, he made a rapid night-march with Spencer's brigade, across to another road, and in doing so, passed through a division of Hampton's cavalry. It was a perilous feat. Kilpatrick lost his escort of sixteen men, but escaped with his staff. Hampton then moved stealthily around, and at daylight fell upon Spencer's brigade, and the house at which that officer and Kilpatrick had their quarters. It was a complete surprise. Spencer and most of Kilpatrick's staff were made prisoners, and they lost all their guns. The brigade was routed, and Kilpatrick barely escaped on foot to a swamp, where he rallied the men. Hampton's troopers, considering the rout complete, began to plunder the captured camp, when Kilpatrick and his rallied men fell upon and routed them, retaking Headquarters and guns, just as the foe was harnessing the horses to drag the latter away. The Confederates were driven in confusion. Hampton rallied them, and tried to recover what he had so suddenly won and lost, but his adversary kept him at bay until a brigade of infantry of the Twentieth Corps, under General Mitchell, came to his support. Then Hampton withdrew. He had inflicted a loss on the Unionists of one hundred and eighty-three men, of whom one hundred and three were made prisoners. Kilpatrick reached Fayetteville on the day

Feb. 11.

when the army was concentrated there.