Today in History:

206 Series I Volume XLIV- Serial 92 - Savannah

Page 206 Chapter LVI. OPERATIONS IN S. C., GA., AND FLA.

position in line of battle on the 12th of December; was engaged lightly by the enemy's batteries on the 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 19th, and 20th, during which time I expended 283 rounds of ammunition without any loss, except ne wheel belonging to a gun carriage. On the 22nd I moved into camp near the city of Savannah, Ga., the enemy having evacuated the night before. During the march from Atlanta I drew three days's full rations and one day's forage; the remained of forage and subsistence I obtained along the line of march. During the entire campaign the officers and men of the battery performed their duty well in every respect.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOSEPH R. CHANNELL,

First Lieutenant, Commanding Battery C, First Illinois Artillery.


Numbers 77. Report of Brigadier General Alpheus S. William, U. S. Army, commanding Twentieth Army Corps. HEADQUARTERS TWENTIETH CORPS, Savannah, Ga., January 9, 1865.

COLONEL: *

Changes in the principal commands of the corps since the last camping left the organization as follows: First Division, Brigadier General N. J. Jackson commanding-three brigades, commanded, respectively, by Colonels Selfridge, Carman, and Robinson; Second Division, Brigadier General J. W. Greary commanding-three brigades, commanded by Colonels Pardee, Jones and Barnum; Third Division, Brigadier General W. T. Ward commanding-three brigades, commanded by Colonels Smith, Dustin, and Ross. A list of the regiments composing the brigades will be found in reports of subordinate commanders. The artillery was reduced to four batteries of four guns each, two of 3-inch Rodmans and two of 12-pounder Napoleons, under charge of Major J. a. Reynolds, chief of artillery; the horses were increased to eight to a carriage. The Ninth Illinois Infantry (mounded), Lieutenant-Colonel Hughes commanding, joined the command on the second day and remained with it through to Savannah, and performed excellent service throughout. One battalion of Fifty-eight Indiana Volunteers, Lieutenant-Colonel Moore commanding, with pontoon train, was also attached to the corps, and was very useful during the march.

On the morning of the 15th of November the corps marched from Atlanta, taking the road east through Decatur. We encamped on 15 near the Georgia railroad, south of Stone Mountain; on evening of the 16th near Rock Bridge Post-Office; on 17th near Cornish Creek, and on the 18th three miles west of Madison. The country for the first three days' march was very hilly, and the crossing at Yellow River, Little Haynes River, and other steams very bad. The condition of the teams was not good, and delays to the rear of our long column were consequently vexatious and protracted. Geary's division was detached Georgia railroad bridge over the Oconee River and such wagon bridges as he might find on that river toward Milledgeville. The purpose was

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* For portion of report (here omitted) relating to operations abbot Atlanta, see VOL. XXXIX, Part I, p. 649.

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Page 206 Chapter LVI. OPERATIONS IN S. C., GA., AND FLA.