Today in History:

229 Series I Volume XLIV- Serial 92 - Savannah

Page 229 Chapter LVI. THE SAVANNAH CAMPAIGN.

Every preparation having been made in obedience to orders which had been previously received, on the 15th of November the regiment, together with the other troops composing the Twentieth Army corps, moved out of the city of the Decatur road, taking the rouge, via Store Mountain, Rock Bridge, and Social Circle, to Madison, which we entered on the 19th of November. Thence taking the Milledgeville road, we passed through Eatonton, and on the 22nd of November passed through Milledgeville, crossed the Oconee, and encamped on the east bank. On the 23rd the regiment destroyed one mile of the railroad leading to the Georgia Central. On the 24th of November we moved from Milledgeville, via Hebron, Sandersonville, to Tennille, where we encamped the night of 26 of November. Near Sandersonville there was some skirmishing, and the regiment was moved forward on the double-quick with aid of Colonel Robinson's brigade, but the enemy fled, and the regiment was not engaged. On the 27th of November we moved to Davisborough. The 28th and 29th of November, in connection with other troops, we destroyed all the Georgia railroad Davidsborough to Bostwick, with trifling exceptions. The regiment effectually destroyed three miles of road, tearing up and burning the ties and twisting the rails. November the 30th the Ogeechee was crossed without opposition, and we encamped for the night about four miles south of Louisville. Pushing southeasterly we passed through Springfield on the 8th of December. The march was much impeded near this place by the marshy nature of the ground, rendering it very difficult to move the trains of wagons and artillery.

On the 9th day of December the First Brigade, First Division, being in advance, at a point near Harrison's plantation, about four miles from the Savannah and Charleston Railroad and fourteen miles from Savannah, where the road passed through a difficult marsh, the road was found blockaded by felled trees and a redoubt with a piece of artillery found blockaded by felled trees and a redoubt with a piece of artillery planted to command the defile. The regiment, with the rest of the brigade, forced its way through a dense jungle and marshy ground to the left of the road, and as soon as it could be formed on solid ground the brigade advanced in line upon the enemy's works. Alarmed by our near approach, or that of the co-operating forces, the enemy fled and we encamped for the night. On the 10th of December we moved upon Savannah, and meeting the enemy, we went into position about four miles and a half from the city, between the Savannah and Augusta pike and the river, having a flooded rice swamp and canal in our front, with a narrow belt of timber intervening. With exception of slight alternation in position, e remained here until the 21st of December, subjected at all hours of the day and night to a heavy fire from the enemy's batteries, but thanks to fortune or their unskillful artillerists, nearly every shell flew harmlessly over our heads. As the day dawned on the 21st, it was discovered that the enemy had evacuated the works in our front. The regiment was at once placed under arms and soon after crossed the swamp and entered the enemy's works, and later in the day went into the camp assigned it on the banks of the Savannah River just outside the city, where it is now resting from its labors.

During this movement the subsistence stores have been gathered almost exclusively from the country. Sweet potatoes have supplied the place of bread, and beef and pork gathered in the country have supplied the usual army rations of meat. Besides what was consumed at the time, twenty-odd beef-cattle were turned over by the regiment of fine the commissary of subsistence of the brigade, and a number of fine mules and horses to the brigade quartermaster. During the ten days before the city, rice was issued instead of bread and potatoes. Ten


Page 229 Chapter LVI. THE SAVANNAH CAMPAIGN.