III. The depot of supplies is for the present at Kin's Bridge. General Easton, chief quartermaster, may use his discretion in landing supplies at Fort McAllister and the rice mill.

IV. Army commanders will orth with send to General Easton, chief quartermaster, at King's Bridge, all negroes, horses, mules, fan wagons rendered surplus by our change in operations, or to such points on the Ogeechee River as General Easton may indicate, in order that they may be sent to Port royal Island, where they can be more easily supplied; they will also avail themselves of the present favorable Weather to bring forward ten days' food, and will reserve for that purpose enough wagons to handle them; all other wagons must be sent to the Ogeechee River as soon as possible.

By order of Major General W. T. Sherman:

L. M. DAYTON,

Aide-de-Camp.

SPECIAL
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT AND FIELD ORDERS,
ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE, Numbers 196.
Near Savannah, GA., December 16, 1864.

I. In accordance with directions from Major-General Sherman, commanding Military Division of the Mississippi, the Gulf railroad from the Ogeechee to and including the bridge over the Atlamaha will, in the most thorough and complete manner, be immediately destroyed. To this end Major-General Osterhaus will direct Brigadier-General Hazen, commanding Second division, to place his command, except such portion thereof as is charged with the garrisoning of Fort McAllister, in convenient proximity to the railroad, and to him will be intrusted the destruction of the road for twenty miles out from the Ogeechee. Major-General Blair, commanding Seventeenth Army Corps, will send one division, without transportation and without artillery (except one section), to commence at a point twenty miles out from the Ogeechee, and, in concert with General Kilpatrick's cavalry, destroy the road to and including the bridge over the Altamaha. Five days' time is given to completes this destruction, which must be most thorough, every tie to

* * *

By order of Major General O. O. Howard:

SAML. L. TAGGART,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. FIFTEENTH ARMY CORPS,

Numbers 199.
Anderson's Plantation, GA., December 16, 1864.

I. Brigadier General W. B. Hazen will place his command, except such portion thereof as is charged with the garrisoning of Fort McAllister and King's Bridge, in convenient proximity to the railroad. to this command will be assigned the duty of destroying the Gulf railroad to a point twenty miles out from the Ogeechee. The destruction must be most thorough, every tie to be burned and every rail twisted. The railroad, from a point twenty miles out to Altamaha bridge, will be destroyed by a division of the Seventeenth Corps, in concert with Gen-