INCIDIiNT OF SHERMAN'S MARCH-THE FATE OF THE RAIL FENCE.
to find his shoe. We floundered on for five miles, and relieved a brigade of Kilpatrick’s men whom we found in some damp woods. There was a comfort in clustering round their camp-fires, while they retired into outer darkness to prepare for the morning attack. But the cavalry fire-side was only a temporary refuge from the storm, for we also had to depart■ into the impenetrable darkness beyond, to await in wet line of battle the unforeseen. Those who were exhausted sank down in the mud to sleep, while others speculated on the future.
and could have no safeguards. The country was necessarily left to take care of itself, and became a “howling waste.” The “coffee-coolers” of the Army of the Potomac were archangels compared to our “ bummers,” who often fell to the tender mercies of Wheeler’s cavalry, and were never heard of again, earning a fate richly deserved.
On arriving within easy distance of the Capi Pear River, where we expected o communicate with the navy, detach- uts were sent in rapid advance to secure Fayetteville. Our division, after a hard day of corduroying in various spots over a distance of twelve miles, went into camp for supper, and then, taking the plank-road for Fayetteville, made a moonlight march of nine miles in three hours, but our friends from the right wing arrived there before us.
Hardee retired to a good position at Averysboro’, where Kilpatrick found him intrenched and too strong for the cavalry to handle unassisted. It was the turn of our brigade to do special duty, so at about 8 o’clock in the evening we were ordered to join the cavalry. We were not quite sure it rained, but everything was dripping. The men furnished themselves with pine-knots, and our weapons glistened in the torch-light, a cloud of black smoke from tho torches floating back over our heads. The regimental wits were as ready as ever, and amid a flow of lively badinage we toiled on through the mud.
When the column was halted for a few minutes to give us an opportunity of drawing breath, I found Sergeant Johnson with one arm in tho mud up to the elbow. He explained that he was trying

ADVANCING UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
A BIVOUAC AMONG THE GEORGIA FINES
back through the mud, to direct the arriving teams into their places. But it all died away in the distance as we marched on to find the oozy resting-place of tho brigade. The army had been in bivouac some hours, and countless camp-fires formed a vast belt of fire that spread out into tho black night.
As we advanced into the wild pine regions of North Carolina, tho natives seemed wonderfully impressed at seeing every road filled with marching troops, artillery and wagon-trains. They looked destitute enough as they stood in blank amazement gazing upon tho “Yanks” marching by. The scene before us was very striking ; the resin pits wore on fire, and great columns of black smoke rose high into the air, spreading and mingling together in gray clouds, and suggesting the roofs and pillars of a vast templo. All traces of habitation were left behind, as we marched into that grand forest with its beautiful carpet of pine-needles. Tho straight trunks of the pine-tree shot up to a great height and then spread out into a green roof, which kept us in perpetual shade. As night came on, we found that the resinous sap in the cavities cut in the trees to receive it, had been lighted by “ bummers ״ in our advance. Tho effect of these peculiar watch-fires on every side, several feet above the ground, with flames licking their way up the tall trunks, was peculiarly striking and beautiful. But it was sad to see this wanton destruction of property, which, like the firing of tho rosin pits, was the work of “bummers,” who were marauding through the country committing every sort of outrage. There was no restraint except with the column or the regular foraging-parties. Wo had no communications,
DESTROYING A RAILROAD.
the bridge by the light of our pine torches. It seemed as if that last wagon was never to be got over. It came bouncing and bumping along, its six mules smoking and blowing in the black, misty air. Tho teamster, mounted on one of the wheelers, guided his team with a single rein and addrossed each mule by name, reminding the animal of his faults, and accusing him of having among other peculiarities, “ a black military heart.” Every sentence of his oath-adorned rhetoric was punctuated with a dexterous whip-lash.
At last, drenched to the skin and covered with mud, I took my position on the bridge, seatod in a chair which one of my men had presented to mo, and waited for the command to “close up.”
As we passed the wagon camp, there was the deafening, indescribable chorus of mules and team-sters, besides tho hoarse shouting of quartermasters and wagon-masters plunging about on horso-
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