Today in History:

222 Series I Volume XLIV- Serial 92 - Savannah

Page 222 Chapter LVI. OPERATIONS IN S. C., GA., AND FLA.

without a medical officer. The Ninth Mounded Infantry was attached to the corps until we reached the defenses of the city. The wounded of the regiment were admitted to hospital of the First Division. (See Table II. *)

GENERAL REMARKS.

The Weather was unusually fine during the campaign, there being but three rainy days, through there were also a few light showers. The road were good most of the time, with the exception of the few days mentioned above, and in the latter part of the route where the road led through swampy country some difficulty was experienced on that account. Had the Weather been rainy it would have necessitated the abandoning of a portion, at least, of our train. The fact of but one corps moving on the road was of the greatest advantage, which was demonstrated in the moving of the rear division, whichever that happened to be. Sometimes it would be till midnight, sometimes till nearly morning, getting into camp. At one time the First Division was in the rear, and it required five hours' hard work to make a distance of two miles. The supplies were taken mainly from the county through which we passed, and through comparatively thinly settled, ti usually furnished and abundance of beef-cattle, hogs, sheep, poultry of all kinds, sweet potatoes in abundance for the men, and plenty men, and plenty of forage for the horses and mules. The water was, generally speaking, very good and sufficient for this season of the year. The animals were in very bad condition at the time of leaving Atlanta, on account of the destruction of the railroad between that point and Chattanooga, by General Hood, in October. A portion of the time there had been no forage issued; at other times only half rations of grain, with no hay at all. We started with four days' forage of grain only. Had we not been able to capture a large number of mules and horses during the first week it would have been impossible to have brought the train with us. Many of the mules we started with died or were killed and their places filled with fine stock from the farms on the route. At the end of the campaign the teams were in splendid condition, much of the stock, especially the mules, being first class.

The command marched about 350 miles and passed through the following towns: Decatur, November 15; Social Circle, November 18; Madison, November 19; Eatonton, November 21; Milledgeville, the capital of Georgia, November 22; Sandersville and Tennille Station, November 26; Davisborough, November 27; Spiers Turnout, November 28; Springfield, December 7. The battle of Monteith Swamp occurred on December 9, at which the division captured two forts, with a loss of 1 killed and 5 wounded. We reached the main works for the defense of the city of Savannah on the 10th of December and commenced the siege. On the same day the division captured one steam-boat in the Savannah River, Ida., and on the 12th another, Resolute. One brigade crossed the river and intrenched on the South Carolina side December 19. The city was evacuated by the enemy on the night of the 20th, and was formally surrendered by the civil authorities at 3 a. m. December 21, 1864, to Brigadier General J. W. Geary, Second Division, Twentieth Army Corps. On the route we had two skirmishes-on at Sandersville November 26; the other at Monteith Swamp December 9. The campaign is said to be the most extensive, the most rapid, and the most successful of the war, with the least loss to us, while it accomplished

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* Shows 6 wounded and 15 sick.

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Page 222 Chapter LVI. OPERATIONS IN S. C., GA., AND FLA.