in the vicinity of the encampment, and were readily killed. Many planters were removing their negroes to safer localities, and their generous stores were, in many instances, freely bestowed upon the members of the Battery. To Mr. Walter Blake, to Mr. Lowndes, and to others, the company was indebted for special favors.

Anticipating the early advent of Gen. Sherman's army on the coast- alive to the importance of opening in advance, if possible, an avenue of facile communication between it and an expectant fleet-and anxious to prevent the rapid concentration, upon an emergency, of the garrisons of Savannah and Charleston, by occupying the Charleston and Savannah rail road the only direct and rapid means of communication between the two cities the Federals were assembling their forces at several points in considerable numbers, and making frequent and formidable demonstrations along the coast of South Carolina.

On the 30th of November, Major Gen. G. W. Smith, of the Georgia state forces, had, a few miles from Grahamville, administered to the enemy a most bloody and signal defeat, saving the road from threatened destruction, and securing the only feasible avenue of retreat for the garrison of Savannah, upon which city Gen. Sherman was rapidly closing, although it was even then regarded as uncertain what precise objective point on the coast he had in view.

Foiled in this effort to reach the Charleston and Savannah rail road, the Federals still hovered along the coast, endeavoring to effect permanent lodgments wherever there seemed a likelihood of achieving the object of their wishes. The few Confederate troops who could be spared for the protection of the road, were kept constantly on the alert, and moved from

station to station as the danger of its threatened destruction grew imminent.

1

On the 15th of December the left section of the Battery-Lieut. Askew commanding-was ordered to Old Pocotaligo. The contemplated attack upon the enemy on the Tullifinny having been abandoned, on the 18th this section was posted on the road leading to the landing on that river, where it remained until noon of the next day, when it was ordered to New Pocotaligo. Having occupied several positions in the vicinity of Old Pocotaligo during the ensuing few days, and the enemy failing to advance as was expected, the section was relieved from duty and directed to rejoin the Battery at Battery Means, which it did on the 23d. One section remained at Battery Means, and the other at Chisholmville until the last of the month, when the entire company was directed to return to its former camp on James island, which it reached on the morning of the 5th of January, 1865. Two days afterwards the following special orders were issued from department head quarters:

HEAD QUARTERS, DEPARTMENT S. C., GEO. and FLA. SPECIAL ORDERS, No. 6.

I. All men in excess of an effective total of sixty (60) men in the four-gun batteries of light artillery in this department, will be armed and drilled as infantry. They will be placed in special charge of an officer selected from the Battery, and will

1The Chatham Artillery, although most desirous of doing so, were not permitted the privilege of sharing in the immediate defense of the city of Savannah. In the judgment of the commanding general circumstances rendered it necessary that this Battery should remain where it was, on the line of the Charleston and Savannah rail road. Although not present upon the western lines, its services during the siege were important in keeping open the only available line of retreat for the garrison when the evacuation of the city became a military necessity.

habitually march with, and constitute a supporting force for their respective batteries. When the batteries of a battalion are united, the several infantry supports above provided for may be united, and will constitute a support for the battalion.

By command of

LIEUT. GEN. WM. J. HARDEE.

In pursuance of the foregoing order, and to carry the same into effect having secured the requisite. number of Enfield rifles - Captain Wheaton issued the following orders :

HEAD QUARTERS WHEATON'S LIGHT BATTERY,

Camp Colquitt, James Island, January 15, 1865. In obedience to special order No. 6 from department head quarters, the following will constitute the order of detachments and infantry support in this Battery, viz:

Cannoneers.

1st Detachment.- Sergeant Gray; Corporals Crabtree, and Wylly; Privates Bowman, Charlton, Clark, Lyon, McDonald, Morse, and Theus.

2d Detachment.-Sergeant Garden; Corporals Baker, and O'Byrne; Privates Baynard, Cooke, Corbin, Hodges, Miller, McIntyre, and Washburn.

3d Detachment.- Sergeant Harden; Corporals Walker, and Morel; Privates Dunn, Hudson, Le Conte, Saussy, Stubbs, Silva, A. W., and Walker.

4th Detachment.- Sergeant Mitchell; Corporals Mallett, and Turner; Privates Champion, Farr, George, Joiner, M. Lampe, McCrary, Jones, F. P., and Thompson.

Drivers.

1st Detachment.- Privates Johnson, Lynch, McAvady, Tiernay, Manion, Jr., and Kenny.

2d Detachment.- Privates Broderick, Coleman, Leary, McVeigh, Malone, D., and Thompson.

3d Detachment. Privates Haggerty, O'Brien, M., Slammon, Spence, Atkinson, and Myler.

4th Detachment.- Privates Hughes, Hayes, Kelly, Williamson, Lodkey, and Dreesen.

Litter Bearers.

Privates Veal, John Wilkes, Arera, and J. R. Farr.

Battery Wagon and Forge Drivers.

Privates J. E. Jones, Manion, Snr., Lamon, Golden, McIntyre, and Taggle.

Supernumeraries.

Privates W. J. Jones, Young, and O'Neil.

Cooks.

Privates P. O'Brien, Sumner, Morris, and McArthy.

Infantry Support.

Privates McNish, Baker, W. S. Clark, Dreese, Freeborn, Gilleland, Griffin, A. W. Hannon, Jacob Joiner, Joseph Joiner, Jaudon, Krenson, Kennickle, Lovel, Mongin, Minton, Wm. Miller, Makin, Patot, Perry, Remshart, John N. Silva, Sykes, J. J. Wilkes, and Williams.

Private T. W. McNish is hereby appointed drill sergeant of the infantry support, and will act as first sergeant of that force. He will be respected and obeyed accordingly.

Hereafter, in case of temporary absence or sickness of any regular driver, the driver whose horses are stabled opposite, will attend to the horses of the absent man.

In cases of emergency, or on the march, extra duty men and artificers will attend to teams, or drive, or perform any other duty that may be necessary.

By order of

JOHN F. WHEATON,

Captain Commanding.

CHAPTER IX.

The Chatham Artillery during the campaign in the Carolinas, and at the surrender of the Confederate forces under Gen. Joseph E. Johnston.

By the middle of January, Gen. Sherman had put his army in motion from Savannah for its march of plunder, house burning and desolation through the Carolinas.

Gen. Hood's army had well nigh suffered total annihilation in the recent Tennessee campaign; and its shattered, wounded remnants were slowly retiring to unite under Gen. Joseph E. Johnston in one last struggle for the Confederacy.

Gen. Lee, sore pressed in Virginia, could not spare a single man from the defense of the national capital. He needed tens of thousands more to enable him to cope, at least with the show of numerical equality, with the gathering hosts, which, as the locusts of Egypt, were swarming beneath the banners of Gen. Grant.

The fall of Fort Fisher, and the subsequent opening up by Gen. Scofield of facile communication between Wilmington and Goldsboro-the objective of Gen. Sherman - resulted from the inability of depleted Confederate garrisons to cope successfully with the overwhelming numbers concentrated against them.

Gen. Hardee,' with his eighteen thousand Confede

1 At a conference held on the 2d day of February, 1865, at Green's Cut station on the Augusta and Waynesboro rail road, in Burke