HDQRS. DEPARTMENT AND ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE,
Little Ogeechee, near Savannah, GA., December 12, 1864.

Major General F. P. BLAIR,

Commanding Seventeenth Army Corps:

As we shall probably have occasion to make much use of King's Bridge and Savannah road, the major-General commanding directs that you cause it to be placed and kept in good condition from Little Ogeechee Church to King's Bridge. Bring dry sand from convenient points to fill up and smooth over the lesser ruts and bad places, and corduroying the worse ones. General Osterhaus has been directed to repair it also.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

SAML. L. TAGGART,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

KING'S BRIDGE, December 12, 1864 - 4. 30 p. m.

General SLOCUM:

The Ogeechee here is a large navigable stream. Fort McAllister is six miles below, on the west bank, and to-morrow early I will send Hazen's division to attack it. Kilpatrick is over already, and will examine Saint Catherine's Sound and Sunbery; but if we can get Ossabaw we are all right. I want you to be active to-morrow, and to get two or more of your (largest range guns) batteries at the point south of the canal where Mower was and where Carlin went in last night. That is the only point I know of where guns will reach the heart of Savannah. Your line need not reach the plank road, but the causeway about two miles this side the canal, the point where the enemy has the range of the road; there Blair will connect with you. Keep rather thin lines, and your troops massed ready for action. I want to connect with the fleet before doing anything positive. Send me word of anything of interest on that flank to-morrow. The fleet can be seen, or is reported, but as yet has answered none of our signals, but I think to-morrow I will make them notice us.

Yours,

W. T. SHERMAN,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS LEFT WING, ARMY OF Georgia,
December 12,1 864 - 8 p. m.

Major-General SHERMAN,

General-in-Chief:

GENERAL: Your dispatch of 4[. 30] p. m. has been received. I have carefully examined the left of our lines and the right of the rebel lines to-day. I fully believe I can turn their line and sweep them away. I have given my views to Captain Poe and asked him to present them to you. Your instructions for to-morrow shall be obeyed. We captured the steamer Resolute this morning, with seven naval officers and a crew of twenty men; she will repaired to-morrow. We drove back two gun-boats that were with her. Commodore Lovell was on board one of them.

Yours, very respectfully,

H. W. SLOCUM,

Major-General.