the past month. But the possession of Pocotaligo and road back to Beaufort, and also from here forward to Hardeeville, gives me a clear start and I will be off as soon as I can get bread enough to load my wagons. The division of Grover, sent by Grant to hold Savannah, has begun to arrive, so I can take with me my entire Army.

I have studied the maps well and like the appearance of New Berne and Goldsborough and would like New Berne held with all tenacity. If Lee sees the points he may try to checkmate me there, and if you have anything to do with it hold fast to New Berne with the tenacity of life. I explained its importance to the Secretary of War, who promised to run in there and attend to it. I am rejoined that the current of events has carried Butler to Lowell, where he should have stayed and confined his bellicose operations to the factory girls. He always struck me as a mighty man of words but Little in deeds of personal valor. We will be along soon and the braggart Carolinians will find in our Western boys a different kind of metal. See how easy we took McAllister and Pocotaligo, that have defied the East. The latter cost us less than ten lives. I will make a good ready, and then stand from under. I shall account it a happy day if I stand once more on your deck. The world shall not be grieved at Little jealousies, for we feel a just pride in the pure courage and patriotism of each other. I will write you again before I again dive out of sight and hearing.

Very truly, your friend,

W. T. SHERMAN,

Major-General.

DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH,

OFFICE SUPERINTENDENT MILITARY TELEGRAPH,

Hilton Head, S. C., January 17, 1865.

Major L. M. DAYTON,

Asst. Adjt. General, Mil. Div. of the Mississippi, Savannah, Ga.:

MAJOR: I have the honor to submit the following facts for your information and to request that measures be taken to remedy the evil referred to without delay, or it will be impossible for me to render the telegraph lines serviceable to the staff departments of the Army. At the request of Major-General Howard a line of from fifteen to twenty miles in length was repaired and extended and communication opened with Rosedew. This line was cut down repeatedly during the few days that General Howard required service from it and the labor expended upon it thrown away. By order of the Major-general commanding another line was in like manner repaired and extended to headquarters of the cavalry division, a distance of nine miles. This line also has been repeatedly cut down and rendered useless; on one occasion two miles being utterly destroyed, the soldiers using the poles for fuel. The engineer corps destroyed one mile and a half of the same line, evincing gross carelessness on the part of the officer having the business in charge. The chiefs of the quartermaster's and commissary departments have urgently requested that telegraphic communication be established with this point. With infinite labor a line was built between Savannah and Fort Pulaski, which, with our other connections, enabled us to transmit dispatches between General Howard's army and headquarters in ten or fifteen minutes. Within forty-eight hours this line has been twice cut down. The nature of the country renders it almost impossible to build these lines and equally difficult to repair them. I will have the line to Pulaski repaired as