SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. SEVENTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Numbers 310.
Near Savannah, GA., December 18, 1864.

* * *

VIII. Brigadier General J. W. Sprague, commanding Second Brigade, First Division, will cause the pontoon bridge now being protected by him to be taken up at once and sent, with the train belonging to it, to park in the fields in rear of these headquarters. He will leave in his present position the two smallest regiments of his command, and with the rest will proceed to King's Bridge at an early hour to-morrow morning, reporting to General Easton, chief quartermaster Military Division of the Mississippi, and relieving the First Brigade of the Fourth Division. He will cause the section of artillery now with him to report to Major A. C. Waterhouse, chief of artillery, Seventeenth Army Corps.

IX. Brigadier General J. W. Sprague, commanding Second Brigade, First Division, will detail from his command two commissioned officers experienced in working men and one good non-commissioned officers. They will report to Lieutenant Colonel A. Hickenlooper, assistant inspector General, Seventeenth Army Corps, at King's Bridge, at 7 a. m. to-morrow, and will remain on duty with Lieutenant-Colonel Hickenlooper until the wharf is finished. He will detail each morning, to report to Lieutenant-Colonel Hickenlooper, at King's Bridge, at 7 o'clock, 150 men, properly officered, and six wagons with teams complete, but without beds, with two men to each team as assistants. First detail will report to-morrow morning.

X. Major J. C. Marven, Eleventh Iowa Volunteers, provost-marshal, Seventeenth Army corps, and Captain J. H. Davis, forty-first Illinois Volunteers, commanding pioneer corps, Fourth Division, Seventeenth Army Corps, are hereby authorized, subject to the approval of the War Department, to raise a regiment of U. S. Colored Troops, to be employed in this corps as pioneers. Major J. C. Marven will at once select ten good men, upon recommendation of division commanders, and assign them to the duty of recruiting the regiment. As fast as companies are organized men will be assigned by orders from these headquarters as officers, and their names forwarded to the war Department for appointment.

XI. Colonel B. F. Potts, commanding First Brigade, Forth Division, will, on being relieved to-morrow, at King's Bridge, by the Second Brigade, First Division, report to Brigadier General G. A. Smith, commanding Fourth Division.

By command of Major General F. P. Blair:

C. CADLE, Jr.,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS THIRD DIVISION, SEVENTEENTH ARMY CORPS,

In the Field, before Savannah, December 18, 1864.

Captain CADLE,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

CAPTAIN: During the day I have carefully examined the front of my lines, and have made a rough sketch of the position. The distances, or rather relative distances, are only judged by the eye. the enemy's position is certainly a strong one, and whether we can carry his works by storm depends almost wholly upon the spirit the enemy may display in their defense. To give a reasonable hope of success Lawton's battery,