  ——— April 7. The march was continued until the head of the column arrived within a short distance of Monck’s Corner, when it turned to the left, on the south side of the Santee Canal, and moved toward Pinopolis, a village of summer residences similar to Pineville, though smaller. Few families or articles contraband of war were found there. A detachment April 8. The line of march was resumed in the early morning, in a drizzling rain, through the plantations to the Black-Oak Road, to Pineville, where a halt for dinner was made; thence to Mexico, to the plantation of W. M. Porcher. As the troops left Cain’s Plantation, the carriage-barn was fired, whether by accident or design is not known. The fire did not, however, spread to other buildings. At Pineville, all sorts of rumors were current of the cruelties practiced by the guerilla cavalry, who were said to have shot and hung many of the negroes in that vicinity. The men of the Regiment were greatly excited, and effort was necessary to preserve discipline. It was difficult to trace most of the reports to their source, but it is to be feared that some of them had too good foundation. One thing was certain, that a company of negroes had a fight at Pineville, with a squad of Rebel scouts, under Lieut. Pettus, in which the latter had been at first defeated, and only effected their purpose after the arrival of reinforcements. Alarmed by these stories and events, an exodus of the freed people commenced at this point, which continued during the remainder of the expedition, until the refugee-train was far larger than the rest of the column. The Porcher homestead was the most elegant which the expedition had seen. The house was filled with articles of convenience Mr. Porcher was known to have been an original and most decided Rebel, and he was taken to Charleston as a prisoner; but his property would not have been destroyed as it was, had he not in reply to the question of the provost-marshal, “If he had any wine in his cellars” merely stated that he had not, omitting to say that he had a large amount in the garret. During the night a quantity of this liquor reached the mounted men of the escort, and probably some of the refugees; and by one or the other, while in liquor, the house and all the outbuildings, except the dwelling of the overseer which was saved by the exertions of Chaplain Bowles, who had spent the night there, were set fire to and destroyed as soon as the guards were withdrawn and the troops upon the march. As soon as the existence of the wine was ascertained by the provost-marshal, Capt. Torrey, he destroyed what remained of it. FOOTNOTES: (From “Memories of a South Carolina Plantation During the War.” By Elizabeth Allen Coxe, daughter of Charles Sinkler of Belvidere, pp. 40-41. Privately printed, Phila., 1912). “As it was then near midnight we decided to go to bed, and mother said she would go down in the morning and request that a written protection be furnished us, as this had been suggested by the quiet-looking officer, our protector of the afternoon before. Therefore, as early as possible she did so, but General Potter received her very shortly, and only replied, ‘Your husband is in the Rebel army.’ She replied, ‘it was our desire that he should leave us, and I am glad he is not here, for if he had been I suppose he would have been shot.’ “He replied, ‘you talk like a fool when you say that,’ and turned off; when mother said, ‘If that is your opinion, I have the more need of protection’.” (From “Some War-Time Letters,” by Marion Johnstone (Porcher) Ford, in “Life in the Confederate Army,” p. 113. Neale Publishing Co., N. Y. 1905.) |
|
