John C Rigdon

The Battle For the Salkehatchie John C Rigdon

This book covers those events which occurred in the lower portion of South Carolina in January and February, 1865. It is the second of our trilogy on the events which occurred from the time Sherman left Atlanta in the fall of 1864 til the final battles in North Carolina in April of 1865. Robertsville, Lawtonville, Lopers Crossroads, Barkers Mill, Salkehatchie River, McPhersonville, Hayward Plantation, Hickory Hill, Whippy Swamp, Ferguson's Branch, McBride's Bridge, Tennant's Branch, DuBoise Landing, Tobys Bluff, Roberts Ford, Broxton's Bridge, River's Bridge, Buford's Bridge, Fiddle Pond, Morris Ford, Springtown, Blackville, Barnwell, and Orangeburg

. Volume 1 of the trilogy is entitled: The Battles for Buckhead Creek and Waynesborough and volume 2 is entitled: The Battle of Aiken

. Gen. Sherman's march through South Carolina began in late December, 1864. By March 9, 1865, his troops had passed out of the state into North Carolina - leaving behind a path of total destruction 100 miles wide and extending the entire length of the state.

. The Carolinas Campaign began in late November 1864 even before the surrender of Savannah, but due to the strong resistance by Gen. Wheeler's Cavalry, Sherman's first troops did not cross the river into South Carolina until January 15, 1865. He had reported to his superiors that he expected the Carolina march to last 4 to 5 weeks, but in fact it was late March before his troops passed out of South Carolina into North Carolina.