Our division relieved the Third Division on the skirmish
line at the bridge this morning, while they went down the river about a mile,
laid the pontoons and crossed over. The skirmishing was commenced at an early
hour all along the line for a distance of fifteen miles. Our men threw shells
across the river into Orangeburg, and the rebels left the bridge about 1
o'clock. Our division crossed the bridge two hours later and took possession of
the town.1
Orangeburg is nicely situated on the north bank of the Edisto
river, and on the railroad running from Charleston to Columbia. The town is
almost deserted, but before the war it had a population of three thousand. We
destroyed the railroad and went into camp for the night.
_______________
1 The town was on fire when we arrived. The
report was that the town was set on fire by a Jew, in revenge for the enemy's
setting fire to his cotton, about fifty bales, when they evacuated the place.
The high winds which prevailed rapidly spread the fire in spite of the efforts
of the soldiers to extinguish it.
Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B.,
Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 252
