Today in History:

343 Series I Volume XLIV- Serial 92 - Savannah

Page 343 Chapter LVI. THE SAVANNAH CAMPAIGN.

at 8. 30 a. m., and employed my men all day in repairing roads for trains; moved until dark, when encamped about sixteen miles from Savannah. December 10, marched with the brigade at 7 a. m. to within about five miles of Savannah, when went into camp in second line before dark. December 11, remained in camp until 4 p. m., when the regiment moved forward to the first line, and encamped in line of battle. Remained in the same position until December 14, when, by orders, I reported at 8 a. m. with the Eighty-fifth Regiment Indiana Infantry and the Nineteenth Regiment Michigan Infantry t corps headquarters for special duty. At 9 a. m. took charge of twenty-four wagons, and pursuant to order went eight miles and a half and beyond the lines; loaded the wagons with staves and rails; reported back to the brigade at 5 p. m., having made a march of seventeen miles with those regiments in less than eight hours. Remained in original position until December 16, when, at 7 a. m. with other regiments of the brigade, moved to left of the Savannah road and camped in line in some earth-works. The regiment remained in this position until December 21, when it moved to its present camp, one mile north-west of Savannah. The regiment left Atlanta with 22 officers and 313 men, and arrived at its present camp without any casualty, and with the same number in good health, excepting three recently sent to the hospital.

The regiment destroyed three-quarters of a mile of railroad during the campaign.

The men endured the hardships of the campaign and its extra labors with cheerfulness - always punctual and well behaved. I feel a compliment due them for their soldierly conduct, when day by day, with inducements to forage all about them, and the example of large numbers of stragglers often within sight obtaining forage, they did not straggle; always present at roll-call before the regiment was dismissed to camp. In only three instances were there exceptions, which were cases of men who, during the laborious night marches, fell asleep by the roadside. The regiment has been in no engagement, and, as a regiment, only under artillery fire the few days we were before Savannah.

I am under obligations to my officers, field, line, and staff, for their uniform courtesy and the satisfactory manner in which they have filled their places and performed their duties. Both officers and men have endured all, confident of success, never imagining a reverse possible.

Respectfully submitted.

A. B. CRANE,

Lieutenant-Colonel Eighty-fifth Regiment Indiana Infty., Commanding Regiment

Captain KELLAM,

Actg. Asst. Adjt. General, 2nd Brigadier, 3rd Div., 20th Army Corps.


Numbers 129. Report of Lieutenant Colonel John J. Baker, Nineteenth Michigan Infantry, of operations September 4 - December 21.


HEADQUARTERS NINETEENTH MICHIGAN VOLUNTEERS,
Near Savannah, Ga., December 25, 1864.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report of this regiment from the occupation of Atlanta to December 21:

The day after its entry in Atlanta, September 4, it was temporarily detached from the brigade and ordered to report to Colonel Beckwith,


Page 343 Chapter LVI. THE SAVANNAH CAMPAIGN.