He will then move to Winnsboro', destroying en route utterly that section of the railroad.

He will also cause all bridges, trestles, water-tanks, and depots on the railroad back to the Wateree to be burned, switches broken, and such other destruction as he can find time to accomplish consistent with proper celerity.
These instructions were embraced in General Order No.

26, which prescribed the routes of march for the several columns as far as Fayetteville, North Carolina, and is conclusive that I then regarded Columbia as simply one point on our general route of march, and not as an important conquest.
During the 16th of February the Fifteenth Corps reached the point opposite Columbia, and pushed on for the Saluda Factory three miles above, crossed that stream, and the head of column reached Broad River just in time to find its bridge in flames, Butler's cavalry having just passed over into Columbia.

The head of Slocum's column also reached the point opposite Columbia the same morning, but the bulk of his army was back at Lexington.

I reached this place early in the morning of the 16th, met General Slocum there; and explained to him the purport of General Order No.