er
road and going to Barnwell, crossed the Salkahatchie river on its
route. From Barnwell it took a northern course, striking the Augusta
and Charleston railway at a small place known as Williston, thence,
continuing north, crossed the South and North Edisto rivers, and going
within one and a half miles of Columbia, was headed off by other
troops, being compelled to move back up the Saluda river, some eight
miles from Columbia, where, on the 26th, it crossed it on a pontoon
bridge, and thence marching north-east, round Columbia, crossed Broad
river at Fursell's Ferry, some twenty miles nearly north of Columbia.
Our division was ferried over this stream, as there were not enough
pontoon boats to complete a bridge. Crossing the river in the afternoon
of the 18th, it went into camp, building breastworks for a protection
to our supply train, as it was reported that Hood was also crossing the
river above us.

Before going into camp, the eighty-sixth sent out a detail of foragers,
under charge of Captain Hall, of Company H, to scour the rich country
beyond the Broad river, meeting with more than ordinary success. This
party had a skirmish with a squad of the enemy's videttes, driving them
pell-mell.

As the army remained here a few days, we will review the most
interesting events of the march up to this period.

The general features of the country over which the division passed, was
that of a hilly, undulating plain, becoming more hilly and broken the
farther north it went, until these undulations had gradually assumed
the proportions of high hills. The country south of the North Edisto
river, in Carolina, is far richer in its soil and yields a better crop
than that north of this river.

The plantations, too, are larger, and lie more in a body than in other
parts of the State over which we passed; and it is a curious fact,
often remarked, that there is no rock or gravel here. The soil is
seldom black, but usually a yellow clay of a spongy texture. North of
the North Edisto river, the country begins to assume a stony and
gravelly appearance, and rises in ridges of hills until it becomes very
broken indeed. There is a peculiarity in the soil of this part of the
country which deserves remark. It is this: fields are sometimes seen
covered over with a white sand, frequently an inch, and sometimes more,
in depth. Off at a distance, a person unaccustomed to this peculiarity,
would mistake this sand for a sheet of water. All sol