sent from the left wing to his aid. | off, taking a gun and some prisoners. The need of assistance, however, was now over. Kilpatrick now joined the left wing, and covered its flank when it again advanced. Sherman, still with Blair, crossed 12 the Ogeechee near Barton, advancing to Millen;" Howard, with Wood's and Corse's divisions of the 15th He followed the fugitives across the Little Ogeechee to within 8 miles of the city, where he halted, and resumed breaking up the Gulf railroad; King's bridge having been burned by the enemy. No force remained in our front here save the garrison of Fort McAllister. And corps, still moving south of the Ogee- | now Blair's pontoons were laid across chee on the old dirt road to Savannah; while Hazen's and John E. Smith's divisions, keeping farther to the right, reached Statesboro'.14 HaSlocum had set forward from Louiszen had a skirmish here with a regi- | ville"-the 20th corps in advancement of cavalry, which was easily and had moved down between the driven; but the roadless swamps | Savannah and the Ogeechee; finding were vanquished with more difficulty. the roads mainly of quicksand, coated Wood threw 15 over the Ogeechee, by a foot-bridge, Williamson's brigade, which moved down the left bank; while Corse crossed his division on pontoons at Jenks's bridge, some distance below; Rice's brigade, in advance, having a smart skirmish with a Rebel battalion which disputed the passage; losing 5 men and taking 17 prisoners. The right wing now moved down both banks of the river; Osterhaus crossing Cannouchee creek; while Blair encountered a Rebel force holding an intrenched line, with guns in position and riflepits in front, in a dense swamp, where his men had to wade kneedeep to form line of battle. The enemy were not in great force, however, and were easily driven: two brigades pushing on to the Savannah and Gulf railroad and breaking it; while J. E. Smith's division closed up on Corse's, and Corse pressed on toward Savannah. He was opposed by 600 infantry and 2 guns; but his advance brigade quickly ran them the Ogeechee, near Fort Argyle, and the two wings thus substantially united before Savannah. 12 Nov. 30. 13 Dec. 2. 14 Dec. 4. 15 Dec. 6-7. by a thin crust of firmer sand, which was soon cut through by our trains, rendering their movement barely possible, and requiring miles of 'corduroy.' At intervals, the Rebels had fallen trees across the roads, but not exactly where they were wanted. The 14th corps had advanced farther to the left, with Kilpatrick still farther east; Sherman's object being still to threaten Augusta and bewilder the enemy as to his purpose. Thus Kilpatrick, supported by Baird, was thrown out again to Waynesboro'; fighting 18 Wheeler and driving him 8 miles across Briar creek; while Baird destroyed the Augusta railroad; when the 14th was concentrated on Jacksonboro', and all moved rapidly down Briar creek toward the Savannah; Baird and Kilpatrick in the rear, which was now pressed by Wheeler, with sharp skirmishing, but with little loss on either side. Gen. Morgan, in Davis's van, was halted, near Ebenezer church, a strong fieldwork in his front," which seemed to 16 Dec. 9. 17 Dec. 1. 18 Dec. 4. 19 Dec. 9. HAZEN STORMS FORT MCALLISTER. 693 be firmly held; but night fell while | gle, McAllister was ours. Her gar he was preparing to attack it, and it was found empty next morning. Morgan's and Carlin's divisions encamped next day 10 miles from Savannah; and here the 20th corps passed them and pushed toward the city. Thus, on the 10th of December, Savannah was completely beleaguered, and the mystery which had hung over Sherman's march and its destination dispelled. Hazen was in front of Fort McAllister on our left, and had been exchanging shots with it-hoping thus to attract the attention of our fleet blockading the coast, when Gens. Sherman and Howard rode to Dr. Cheves's rice-mill to reconnoiter that fort. Kilpatrick had just been sent across the Ogeechee with a like purpose, and to open communication, if possible, with our fleet off the coast. About noon, as the two Generals scanned the fort through their glasses, it was observed to open fire inland from several guns; while Hazen's skirmishers could be discerned approaching it, and the smoke as of a steamer was visible off the mouth of the Ogeechee. A signal from Hazen now imported that he had invested the fort. Sherman signaled back that it was important to carry it that day. The steamer signaled that she was sent by Gen. Foster and Admiral Dahlgren to communicate with our army, but was in doubt whether to approach the fort as hostile or friendly. At that moment, Hazen's bugles sounded the charge; when his division rushed over torpedoes and abatis, through a shower of grape, up to and over the parapet, and, after a brief but desperate strug rison of 200 surrendered; having 40 or 50 killed and wounded to our 90. Among the spoils were 22 guns and much ammunition. Sherman watched till he saw our colors hoisted over the fort, and heard the cheers of the victors as they fired their pieces into the air; when, taking a boat, he went with Howard down to the fort and congratulated Hazen; rowing thence down the Ogeechee till he met the National tug Dandelion, Lt.-Com'r Williamson; who informed him that Capt. Duncan, whom Howard had sent down the Ogeechee in a canoe, to run by the fort and communicate with Foster and Dahlgren, had safely reached them several days before, and that they might be expected here directly. Foster arrived in the Nemaha during that night; and Sherman met Dahlgren on board the Harvest Moon next day; sending by him to Hilton Head for heavy guns wherewith to bombard the city-those which he had brought through Georgia in his Winter march being inadequate. When several 30-pounder Parrotts had reached him, Sherman formally summoned" Hardee, who held the city, and who refused; suggesting that he was not yet completely invested. Slocum was now ordered to get the siege-guns into position, while Sherman started to pay a flying visit to Hilton Head, to arrange with Foster for stopping the exit from Savannah toward Charleston. Being detained by high and adverse winds, however, he was met, 23 in one of the inland passages among the Sea Islands, by an army tug 20 Dec. 13. 21 Dec. 17. 22 Dec. 20. 23 Dec. 21. with the news that Hardee, with a force reported at 15,000 men, had evacuated the city during the dark and windy night of the 20th; crossing the Savannah on a pontoonbridge, and marching up the causeway road toward Charleston. The movement had been unsuspected by our pickets; and, when next morning broke, Savannah was ours, and Hardee beyond the reach of pursuit. He had destroyed, under cover of a heavy fire, which he kept up through the day and evening of the 20th, the Navy Yard, two iron-clads, many smaller vessels, and a large quantity of ammunition, ordnance stores, and supplies of all kinds. His guns he could not even wait to spike, lest his flight should be detected. As our bombardment had barely commenced, the city was surrendered almost intact; while, of its cotton, a large share had been made over to the Confederacy, and so was an incontestable prize. We had lost, in that march of 255 miles, which was substantially the conquest of Georgia, six weeks' time and 567 men; whereof 63 were killed, 245 wounded, and 159 missing. To offset these, we had taken 1,328 prisoners and 167 guns. Our ammunition expended was inconsiderable; while our 65,000 men and 10,000 horses had lived generously off a State wherein our captives in thousands had died of virtual starvation and kindred agonies because (as was alleged) their captors were unable to subsist them. Aside from sheep, swine, fowls, sweet potatoes, and rice, whereof they had found an abundance, 13,000 beeves, 160,000 bushels of corn, and over 5,000 tons of fodder, had been gathered from the country and issued to our men and animals; while 5,000 horses and 4,000 mules had been 'pressed' into the National service. Of cotton, 20,000 bales had been burned; while 25,000 more were captured in Savannah. Of negroes, 10,000 had abjured the delights of bondage to follow the National flag; beside thousands more -most of them women and children 24 who had had been most shamefully driven back by certain of our officers at the crossings of rivers; and pitilessly röconsigned to Slavery, and thus to their masters' vengeful wrath. Sherman made some little atonement for this cruelty by assigning lands on the Sea Islands, deserted by Rebels, to the Blacks who had followed him to the coast. The merit of Sherman's achievement is dwarfed to vulgar appreciation by circumstances which should rather exalt it. It is true that Hood's movement on Nashville had withdrawn the main obstacle from his path; yet it was still possible to have confronted him on the Oconee, and then on the Ogeechee, with 30,000 men, one-third of them mounted; and thus have compelled him to repeated concentrations, assaults, and flank marches, which might have exhausted his food if not his munitions, and left him helpless while encircled by foes and vast stretches of inhospitable swamps and forests. The country, which yielded bounteous subsistence to an army covering a breadth of 40 miles and advancing from 10 to 20 miles per day, would have proved utterly inadequate in the face of a foe able to detain him a week at each considerable river and drive in or cut 24 Gen. Jeff. C. Davis appears to have been prominent in this inhumanity. DANA'S, DAVIDSON'S AND GRIERSON'S RAIDS. 695 off his foraging parties; forcing back | Rebel force which it defeated, after his cavalry on his infantry. Georgia an obstinate fight; destroying several was swiftly and cheaply traversed, miles of the railroad, including the train, taking 500 prisoners, and dis- | intrenched on Honey hill, covering persing the force at Egypt. Among Grahamsville and the railroad. Astheir killed was Gen. Gholson. simply by reason of the admirable dispositions which left the enemy in doubt as to his objective, and paralyzed, at Macon, Augusta, Savannah, &c., forces which should have been concentrated to oppose his advance. Sherman announced his crowning triumph to President Lincoln as follows: "I beg to present you, as a Christmas gift, the city of Savannah, with 150 heavy guns and plenty of ammunition, and also about 25,000 bales of cotton." The President responded as fol lows: "EXECUTIVE MANSION, "WASHINGTON, D. C., Dec. 26, 1864. "MY DEAR GEN. SHERMAN: "Many, many thanks for your Christmas gift-the capture of Savannah. "When you were about to leave Atlanta for the Atlantic coast, I was anxious, if not fearful; but, feeling that you were the bet ter judge, and remembering that 'nothing risked, nothing gained, I did not interfere. Now, the undertaking being a success, the honor is all yours; for I believe none of us went further than to acquiesce. And, taking the work of Gen. Thomas into the account, as it should be taken, it is indeed a great success. "Not only does it afford the obvious and immediate military advantages, but, in showing to the world that your army could be divided, putting the stronger part to an important new service, and yet leaving enough to vanquish the old opposing forces of the whole-Hood's army-it brings those who sat in darkness to see great light. "Please make my grateful acknowledgments to your whole army, officers and men. "Yours, very truly, A. LINCOLN." bridge, with locomotives, cars, cotton, and valuable stores. The other, under Gen. Davidson, moved simultaneously from Baton Rouge to Tangipahoa, where it broke up the same railroad, destroying bridges, &c.; pushing on to Franklinton and West Pascagoula; meeting little resistance, taking some prisoners, and causing alarm for the safety of Mobile. A third and more important mounted expedition was dispatched 20 by Gen. Dana from Memphis, 3,500 strong, led by Gen. Grierson, southeastward through north Alabama to Tupelo on the Mobile railroad, which was thoroughly broken up southward to Okolona; Col. Karge, by the way, surprising" a Rebel camp at Verona, dispersing the force holding it, capturing 32 cars, 8 warehouses filled with ordnance and supplies, which were being loaded for Hood's army on 200 wagons taken by Forrest from Sturgis at Guntown. All were destroyed. At Okolona, Grierson intercepted 28 dispatches from Dick Taylor, at Mobile, promising rëenforcements, which deserters said would arrive at 11 A. M. next day. He decided, therefore, to attack at daylight, and did so: the Rebels being intrenched at a little station known as Egypt, with 4 guns on platform cars, and some 1,200 to 2,000 men. While the fight was in progress, two trains came up the road with röenforcements for the enemy; but Grierson interposed between these and his stationary foes, repelling the former, and routing the latter; capturing and destroying a 25 Nov. 25. 26 Dec. 21. 27 Dec. 25. 28 Dec. 27. Making feints in different directions, Grierson now moved southwestward; striking the Mississippi Central at Winona, and tearing it up for miles on either hand; while the 4th Iowa pushed south to Bankston, destroying there Confederate cloth and shoe factories. Grierson moved from Winona to Benton; where Col. Osband engaged and defeated Col. Wood's Rebel cavalry. The expedition made its way thence to Vicksburg with 500 prisoners, 800 beeves, and 1,000 negroes; having destroyed immense amounts of Rebel property, most of it of great military value, including 95 cars, 300 wagons, 30 full warehouses, &c., with a total loss of 27 killed, 93 wounded, 7 missing. Among its prisoners were 100 who had been recruited from among our men famishing in Rebel prison-camps, who had taken this course to save their lives. saulting this, he was stoutly fought and worsted, recoiling at nightfall; having suffered a loss of 746 in killed, wounded, and missing. Foster now threw two brigades, under Gen. E. E. Potter, across the Coosawhatchie to Devaux Neck, between the two branches of Broad river, whence Potter advanced and seized 3o a position within cannon-shot of the railroad, which he fortified and held, while the rest of Foster's movable column was brought up to his support. Here, Foster received his first news of Sherman's appearance before Savannah, and proceeded at once to the Ogeechee to meet him. By Sherman's direction, he held on to his position; and, after Hardee had fled past to Charleston, he occupied without resistance the Rebel works at Pocotaligo, and at the railroad crossings of the Coosawhatchie and Tullifinny. Gen. Foster was preparing to operate, under Sherman's orders, against Charleston, when he was relieved - because of his suffering from an unhealed wound-by Gen. Gillmore. Gen. Sherman remained over a month at Savannah, resting and refitting his army preparatory to further and more arduous efforts. He had intended to resume his advance on the 15th of January, 1865; at which time, accordingly, the 17th corps, Gen. F. P. Blair, was taken by water around by Hilton Head to Pocotaligo, whence it menaced Charleston; as the left wing, Gen. Slocum, with Kilpatrick's cavalry, moved up the Savannah to Sister's ferry, 29 Nov. 30. 30 Dec. 6. 31 Dec. 12. |