Numbers 53. Report of Brigadier General William P. Carlin, U. S. Army, commanding First Division. HDQRS. FIRST DIVISION, FOURTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Savannah, Ga., January 6, 1865.

COLONEL: *

On the 15th [November] I reached Atlanta, leaving the Thirteenth Michigan at Chattahoochee bridge, with orders to destroy it after the passage of all our troops and trains. This order was carried out by Lieutenant-Colonel Palmer, commanding the regiment. On the 16th I marched from Atlanta, via Decatur, to Lithonia, twenty miles. On the 21st I marched to Yellow River, destroying five miles of the Georgia Railroad. The march was continued through Covington to Harris' plantation, where we turned southward toward Shady Dale and on to Milledgeville, where we arrived on the 23d. On the 24th we crossed the Oconee, and marched on Sandersville, arriving there on the 27th. On the 28th we arrived at Davidsborough. Continuing the march due east through Louisville we struck the Augusta and Millen Railroad at Lumpkin's Station, and destroyed three miles of railroad, all the buildings, platforms, wood, &c. Marching on eastward we struck the Savannah and Augusta road near the Savannah River, and turned southward.

On the 11th of December I arrived before Savannah and took position on the right of the Louisville road, relieving Mower's, Leggett's, and G. A. Smith's divisions, of the Seventeenth Corps. This position was maintained with more or less skirmishing till the 21st instant [ultimo], when my advance entered the city of Savannah. Several days before the evacuation by Hardee I recommended attack in fort of my division.

My total loss during the campaign in killed, wounded, missing, and deaths by disease is as follows: Commissioned officer, wounded, 1; enlisted men, killed, 2; wounded, 7; missing, 37.

It is impossible to state accurately how much cotton was destroyed by my men, but it would probably amount to 10,000 bales. None was left in the country on our line of march. It is estimated that this division drew from the country on the march at least 120,000 rations, worth to the United Sates at lest $36,000; 116 horses and 204 mules, total 320 head, were seized by this division and used for public purposes. The estimate of rations by the commissary of the division, I am sure, is under the mark.

I have the honor to be, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. P. CARLIN,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

Lieutenant Colonel A. C. MCCLURG,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Hdqrs. Fourteenth Army Corps.

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*For portio of report (here omitted) relating to operations in North Georgia and North Alabama, see VOL. XXXIX, Part I, p. 616.

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