[FEBRUARY 12, 1865]-1. 50 p. m.

[Major DAYOTON:]

Seventeenth Corps has just carried the crossing of North Edisto and I am waiting for the bridge to be repaired to go into Orangeburg. Notify Logan. Writet to Slocum as soon as Davis communicates with Kilpatrick to move on Columbia. Let him secure at once the crossing of North Edisto.

SHERMAN,

Major-General.

ORANGEBURG, February 12, 1865.

Major DAYOTON:

I will stay at Howard's headquarters to-night and overtake you in the morning. Logan will move straight for Columbia. The Seventeenth Corps will break railroad to-morrow up as far as the State road and the turn overded Columbia. Keep behind Logan's leading division nand I will overtake you.

SHERMAN,

Major-General.

[FEBRUARY 12, 1865.]

[Major DAYOTON:]

Follow leading division Fifteenth Corps. We are not certain as to the road - whether there is a road to the west of Caw Caw. I will see Howard in the morning and get to the head of the Fifteenth Corps.

W. T. SHERMAN,

Major-General.

HILTON HEAD, February 12, 1865.

Major General W. T. SHERMAN:

HONORABLE SIR: I arrived inside the Federal lines Thursday, 9th instant 7 p. m. I will write you the most important news I know. I left Milledgeville the 25th of November last on horseback. I came as far as Mayfield (on Ogreechee River, I nthe edge of Warren County), and there got on board the cars and came to Augusta. I arrived at that place the 28th of November. Augusta was in a great excitement at that time. They moved all the machinery and powder works over to South Carolina, and General Fry, in command of Augusta, stopped all the factories, and sent the men, with the rest of the home guards, down on Brier Creek, twenty miles from Augusta, to defend the city at that place, and if they were repulsed there, Augusta was to be evacuated and then surrendered. There were 3,000 men sent on Brier Creek at Ellison's Bride, and all the rest of the forces were sent through South Carolina to Savannah, which was about 5,000. The powder works are one mile and a half up the river from Augusta. They wet all the powder works during the exictement. There is a breast-works for infantry thrown up a mile long out around the powder works, and at each end of it is a battery thrown up, and four guns on each battery. There is but one battery ranging across the river toward South Carolina; that is at the foot of the bridge, to protect it; it has four guns. There are four other batteries planted about one-fourth of a mile outside the city, extending from the factory