Charleston was evacuated on the 18th of February, and Foster garrisoned the place.  Wilmington was captured on the 22d.  Columbia and Cheraw farther north, were regarded as so secure from invasion that the wealthy people of Charleston and Augusta had sent much of their valuable property to these two points to be stored.  Among the goods sent there were valuable carpets, tons of old Madeira, silverware, and furniture.  I am afraid much of these goods fell into the hands of our troops.  There was found at Columbia a large amount of powder, some artillery, small-arms and fixed ammunition.  These, of course were among the articles destroyed.  While here, Sherman also learned of Johnston’s restoration to command.  The latter was given, as already stated, all troops in North and South Carolina.  After the completion of the destruction of public property about Columbia, Sherman proceeded on his march and reached Cheraw without any special opposition and without incident to relate.  The railroads, of course, were thoroughly destroyed on the way.  Sherman remained a day or two at Cheraw; and, finally, on the 6th of March crossed his troops over the Pedee and advanced straight for Fayetteville.  Hardee and Hampton were there, and barely escaped.  Sherman reached Fayetteville on the 11th of March.  He had dispatched scouts from Cheraw with letters to General Terry, at Wilmington, asking him to send a steamer with some supplies of bread, clothing and other articles which he enumerated.  The scouts got through successfully, and a boat was sent with the mail and such articles for which Sherman had asked as were in store at Wilmington; unfortunately, however, those stores did not contain clothing.

Four days later, on the 15th, Sherman left Fayetteville for Goldsboro.  The march, now, had to be made with great caution, for he was approaching Lee’s army and nearing the country that still remained open to the enemy.  Besides, he was confronting all that he had had to confront in his previous march up to that point, reinforced by the garrisons along the road and by what remained of Hood’s army.  Frantic appeals were made to the people to come in voluntarily and swell the ranks of our foe.  I presume, however, that Johnston did not have in all over 35,000 or 40,000 men.  The people had grown tired of the war, and desertions from the Confederate army were much more numerous than the voluntary accessions.

There was some fighting at Averysboro on the 16th between Johnston’s troops and Sherman’s, with some loss; and at Bentonville on the 19th and 21st of March, but Johnston withdrew from the contest before the morning of the 22d.  Sherman’s loss in these last engagements in killed, wounded, and missing, was about sixteen hundred.  Sherman’s troops at last reached Goldsboro on the 23d of the month and went into bivouac; and there his men were destined to have a long rest.  Schofield was there to meet him with the troops which had been sent to Wilmington.