186                                HISTORY OF THE SEVENTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT O.V.V.I.

covered the streets, and burnt walls stood black, shattered and lonely. I could not restrain the dropping tear of pain and regret. In the parks and in the suburbs of the city, women were sitting and guarding a few things saved and carried there by the arm of some kind hearted soldier. Major Mills, of the Seventy-Eighth, carried upon his horse women and children outside the burning part of the city, until nearly morning.

           The next day soldiers seemed not cheerful; their hearts went back in sympathy with the suffering people. All condemned and regretted the city had been burnt, but whom to blame they scarcely knew. It was burnt in a mysterious manner. Some how it was burnt, none could tell, and no one intended or thought of such a thing the evening before. Thus the city where the first ordinance of secession was passed had received a retribution severe, if not righteous; terrible, if not just.

           The Corps moved on the next morning, destroying the railroad, and arrived at Winnsboro, February 22d. The other column, the left wing, arrived at the place the previous evening. The town is situated in a beautiful, rich country, and is the home of wealthy planters and South Carolina bloods, a people in this State at enmity with all, and in sympathy only with the nobles in Europe, hating all democratic institutions. This town is a place of some celebrity, almost every house presents an imposing appearance. The women exhibit less timidity than in some other places; they and the children were dressed in their best style, and some with a show of much wealth. They were free and bold to express their opinions, and advocated the most intense secession. Here we may observe that the women from Columbia northward are much better educated, more intelligent, and appear to have more of the sprightliness, activity and brightness of the Northern girls; their complexions are not so much affected by the low flats and swamps of the South. The women of the South, in general, have a haughtier air, a more commanding appearance than Northern women. The Southern lady has deeper and stronger feelings; the Northern more sensitive and refined, more timid and modest.

           The Corps halted here but a few hours, and turned eastward toward the Wateree, which they crossed on the 23d. The Seventy-Eighth Ohio some days was in the rear, whose duty it is to guard the train. This night was the most disagreeable of the campaign. The regiment stood the whole night upon the river bank, under a heavy cold rain, and in mud from three inches to no bottom. It did not get the train all over until morning, having only a few minutes to halt and then move on with the train, the other Divisions having considerably the advance, by having good roads.

           The next morning the teams of the Third Division were all mud bound. Colonel Wiles stretched his Brigade along the road of two or three miles of teams, making new roads and corduroying old ones. That day the Brigade made ten miles of roads and brought the teams up thirteen miles.

           On the 3d of March we encamped twelve miles from Cheraw. It rained nearly all the time since leaving Winnsboro. The 3d we remained in camp, and on that day the First Brigade of the Third Third Division had a very unpleasant duty to perform – the

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